WISH YOU WERE HERE

Series

Series Name

The March of Time 14th Year

Issue

Issue No.

6

Date Released

1949

Length of issue (in feet)

1636

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1WISH YOU WERE HERE

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 1

Summary

The March of Time synopsis: For everyone with a holiday in mind, a huge industry lies in wait ready to transport him on a magic carpet to wherever his heart, governed by his pocketbook, may decide, says March of Time in its latest release, "Wish You Were Here", which shows the wide variety of choice open to those in search of the ideal vacation.

The film opens in New York to show the tremendous number of Americans planning to visit Europe this year, anxious to make the trip on the dollar-earning luxury Cunarders. Though the average Briton has not so much money to spend, at the same time he still takes his holiday with as much zest - a fact that is amply borne out by scenes taken in a Butlin Holiday Camp, where the "Campers" go to it with all the joie de vivre of preausterity days. But, stresses The March of Time, Americans are the most vacation-minded people in the world. They go more often, travel farther, spend more money, make more noise and probably have more fun than vacationers in any other country. When you put them all together says the film, vacations amount to really big business. Americans pay out eleven billion dollars a year on their holidays. Some forty-five states spend a small fortune in printing travel folders. Tourist agencies, travel magazines and books are all part of the show, catering for the get-away-from-it-all desure, which means something different to nearly every family.

"One man’s meat is another man’s poison," says the old adage - a fact the film demonstrates with shots of happy holiday-makers all enjoying themselves in their own fashion; from the sunny climes of Mexico and Florida to the popular Canadian Laurentians for the hardier breed of winter vacationist. But for most Americans, says the film, vacation-time is summer - and summer means a well-earned rest. Thus, the call of the great outdoors becomes irresistible - camping, yachting, fishing, bungalow colonies, dude ranches and luxury hotels - from the seacoast to the mountains, all play their part in catering for all types of people bent on escaping from the humdrum round of daily life.

Researcher Comments

This story was included in Vol.15 No.3 of the US edition.

Keywords

Entertainment and leisure; Domestic life; Scenery and travel

Written sources

Fielding, Raymond. The March of Time 1935-1951 (New York, 1978)   p289.
The March of Time Promotional Material   Lobby Card, Used for synopsis

Credits:

Production Co.

Time Inc.