The Olympic Games of 1948

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• 1948
• 2 hr 18 mins
• Documentary, Sports

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• Watchlist

Here is the official - and exclusive - record of the 1948 Olympic Games, produced and directed by Castleton Knight for J. Arthur Rank. The 15 reels of Technicolored film run for 136 minutes, giving you a comprehensive view not only of the London games, but of the winter games which were held at St. Moritz. There are numerous pros and cons to this picture. First of all it is a splendid documentary. Mr. Knight has done a masterful job of his handling of his 300-man crew and 18 color camera units. The film is graced with an impressive music score, recorded by Sir Thomas Beecham's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Muri Mathieson. And the picture is splendidly beautiful. Yet for all of its color and its thrills and its value as a documentary, the film is entirely too long for general theatre audiences. The sports enthusiast will no doubt be on the edge of his seat for all the shots - perhaps might even complain that the film is not a complete record - but the man off the street might think that over two hours of sports shots is just too much of a good thing. Bill Stern and Ted Husing have combined forces to provide the narration and commentary for the picture, pointing up and explaining the various events : the swimming in London's huge Empire pool, the marathon, jumping, horsemanship and other competitions. Of particular interest, of course, are the numerous shots of American athletes who brought home a large quantity of laurel wreaths.