Cinerama - Seven Wonders of the World

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Travel Documentary hosted by Lowell Thomas, published by Cinerama in 1956 - English narration

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Seven Wonders of the World takes the viewer on an exciting journey around the world. This time the camera follows closely explorer Lowell Thomas as he looks for the seven wonders of the modern world. The film opens up at the Great Pyramid of Giza, the last of the original seven wonders. (The remaining six are the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia). After a short introduction the film then moves to New York City, perhaps the greatest of all modern cities. A specially equipped B-25 takes Thomas to South America, where the viewer is introduced to "the most spectacular city in the word", Rio De Janeiro. Fantastic aerial shots reveal a buzzing metropolis of great contrasts whose residents are always ready to party. Next is Japan, a country with rich history which has started embracing Western musical forms and ideals. In the countryside, Thomas seems particularly impressed with feminine beauty. In India, Thomas visits the great Ganges River and the beautiful Taj Mahal, and then observes a massive wedding ceremony and an enormously intense fight between a cobra and a mongoose. In Africa, some of Thomas' most memorable stops are in Cairo, a beautiful city where the old and new try to coexist, and at the Suez Canal, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. In Western Asia, he visits Mount Sinai, the Dead Sea, and Jerusalem. After a short intermission the journey continues with a quick look at a legendary volcano and a visit to the great River Nile. Next is the former Belgian Congo, a truly exotic place where Thomas' camera observes a famous Watusi dancer entertaining the local king. Deep into the heart of Yemen, Thomas visits the ancient city of Shibam. Known as the "Manhattan of the Desert", this exotic metropolis truly has to be seen to be believed. From Istanbul, the only city in the world to sit across two continents, Thomas and his camera enter Europe. Next stops are Athens, Naples, Mount Vesuvius, the leaning tower of Pisa, the Eternal City, and eventually the Vatican, where a big Papal ceremony is underway. The film ends in New York City, where Thomas invites the viewers to choose the new seven wonders of the world. Though looking and sounding quite nostalgic -- the Empire State is still referred to as the "tallest of buildings" in America while the Hoover Dam is compared to the legendary Lighthouse of Alexandria -- this very energetic and very patriotic epilogue is unquestionably one of the film's true highlights.