The first travelogue released by Twentieth Century-Fox in CinemaScope, produced and directed by Otto Lang, is a photographic record of a journey from Milan to Naples, through Florence and Rome, on a streamlined passenger train. En route, the film takes time out in the cities mentioned to take a look at the landmarks -- past and present -- with the climax on the edge of Vesuvius' smoldering crater. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film.
Starting off exploring the sights and sites of Milan, we travel in glorious Cinemascopic Technicolor via Florence and Rome down the spine of Italy onboard their state of the art railway train “The Vesuvius Express” until we arrive in Naples, disembark, and venture onto the slopes of the legendary volcano. It’s quite a tightly edited film that really only serves as a tourist enticement - but it does that well enough. Many of the tourist traps in these cities are featured, as is the fine cuisine, wine and as many miles of spaghetti as there are of train tracks. The train itself is functionally designed with an observation carriage and commentary in four different languages - I’m not sure we even get English in the UK any more, and as it effortlessly glides through the countryside it does encourage a visit to this beautiful and cultural feast for the senses.