Blu-ray Review – Flying Clipper – Flicker Alley

Posted on by skizzfan42@gmail.com

Flying Clipper (aka Mediterranean Holiday)

Director: Hermann Keitner and Rudolf Nussgruber 

Screenplay: Karl Hartl

Minutes: 158

Year: 1962

Score: 5.85

Release: Flicker Alley

Buyer beware, sort of. As a longtime fan of Flicker Alley I am so used to their packaging that I assumed the top disc was the Blu-ray and the bottom was a DVD. This is completely on me. The top IS the Blu but the bottom is a 4k UHD disc, which is why my DVD player wouldn’t play it. You need to have a 4k UHD player if you want to watch the UHD disc, that’s the real buyer beware, I suppose.

So, congratulations Flicker Alley on your first UHD!

From FlickerAlley.com:

Flying Clipper, directed by Hermann Leitner and featuring narration from Burl Ives, follows the untold adventures of a Swedish sailing ship and its young crew as they navigate the Mediterranean Sea in the early 1960s. This documentary is a stunning travelogue that takes you to the dreamiest destinations of the old world. Under the stewardship of Captain Skoglund, a group of 20 Merchant Marine cadets venture through historical landmarks, such as Tutankhamen’s tomb, and other known wonders of the Mediterranean coastline. First Portugal, then Egypt, this odyssey travels to various points in Turkey, Greece, Italy, and Monaco, ending in Spain.

Photographed in 1962 with specially designed 70mm cameras, Flying Clipper was the first German film produced in this high-resolution large format. Whether it’s the spectacular imagery of the Formula 1 race in Monaco or the seascape views aboard the aircraft carrier USS Shangri-La, this documentary is a technical masterpiece that preserves the breathtaking visuals of its maiden voyage. Cinematography by Tony Braun (The Wild Geese), Siegfried Hold (Old Shatterhand), Heinz Hölscher (Rampage at Apache Wells), Klaus König (Go For It, Baby) and Bernhard Stebich.

Scanned in 4K from an original 70mm print and digitally restored, Flying Clipper now unfolds in your home theater with the same brilliance as a cinema screen. With a completely new Dolby Atmos design created to enhance the subtle nuances of the original sound (German and English), you experience the thunderous racing atmosphere of Monaco in the middle of your living room. Now available for the first time in the US on Blu-ray and UHD 4K Blu-ray.

First and foremost, this film is glorious. The sheer detail in the photography is something to behold. There is footage of the pyramids in which I saw nooks and crannies that, I should have assumed were there yet, never noticed. Remember that this was photographed in the early 1960s.  Egypt aside, my favorite scenes were those of the USS Shangri-La, I am a fan of seeing aircraft carriers functioning. There are a handful of boys-will-be-boys’ scenes as the crew members tour exotic locations and appear to be more interested in the local women than they are of about the locations and scenery.

There is a slight downside, though. If you have watched several of the Flicker Alley Cinerama films, especially Windjammer, then you will have a serious sense of deja vu. I enjoy travelogue films, and have watched several, but I, need to be in the right mindset to watch them. As a film I feel like my attention should be undivided, but since I have seen so many of them my attention veers easily.

However, Flying Clipper is the easiest of the Flicker Alley travel documentaries to try and sell to others since it is not in Smilebox. Most of the people I know who may be interested in seeing these movies would probably be turned off by the Smilebox curves, but Flying Clipper is not a Cinerama picture, so it has a standard letterbox feel.

I am confident in saying that Flying Clipper will be replacing my go-to recommendation from the Flicker Alley series of travel/Cinerama films both because of the standard letterbox presentation but also because the special features are a great set of restoration and technical explanations of the film. A very strong release.   

Special Features:

  • Multiple Audio Options – Watch Flying Clipper with its original soundtrack or with the new restoration featuring Dolby Atmos Surround Sound.
  • Theatrical Trailer – A restoration of the original theatrical trailer.
  • Lobby Card Slideshow – A virtual slideshow of the original lobby cards.
  • An Interview with Jürgen Brückner – The camera operator, distributor and film chronicler sheds light on the production of Flying Clipper and shooting in 70mm.
  • An Interview with Herbert Born – 70mm expert Herbert Born explains the process that went into restoring Flying Clipper for UHD Blu-ray.
  • An Interview with Marcus Vetter – A film projectionist guides us through the process of screening 70mm.
  • An Interview with Christoph Engelke – Detailing the audio restoration for Flying Clipper and how the new Dolby Atmos version was crafted.
  • A Restoration Comparison – Side-by-side comparison showcasing the restoration work on the film.
  • Trailer Gallery – Additional 4K Busch Media Group trailers.
  • A Program Booklet – A facsimile representation of the original program booklet.

Director: 6 – Cinematography: 9 – Edit: 6 – Parity: 2 – Main performance: 5 – Else performance: 5 – Score: 7  Sound: 6 – Story: 7 – Script: 5 – Effects: NA – Design: 6 – Costumes: NA – Keeps interest: 7 – Lasting: 5