Looking at London (1946)

James A. FitzPatrick: Self - Narrator

Quotes 

• [last lines] 

  Narrator : In conclusion, we rejoice that most of the cherished old landmarks and institutions of London have escaped the horrors of war, for without them the civilized world would be deprived of a precious heritage. And it is with this thought that we now conclude our impressions of postwar London.

• Narrator : Although there is great tragedy in these ruins, the ultimate consequence will be a brighter and better London, into which more sunshine will enter, to dispel the sinister shadows of war.

• Narrator : And when the sun shines in Piccadilly, a little touch of the spirit of Paris intrudes itself - foreign and unusual.

• [first lines] 

  Narrator : Yes, this is post-war London, the mother city of the British Empire, where the mantle of peace has again fallen over a war-weary people. London: the city of tradition wherein once dwelt William the Conqueror, Henry VIII, Cromwell, Milton, Chaucer, Shakespeare, and thousands of others whose names have all become traditions throughout the world. London: hub of British culture where the historic Thames still flows uninterrupted on its ancient course under famous bridges, some old, some new, and some blitzed. Yes, there has been a war here, the worst war in the history of the British Empire, and we will soon see material evidence of it, but the spirit of Britain survives, and the old Union Jack waves triumphantly over the land.

• Narrator : Perhaps the most extreme example of wartime destruction in London may be seen in the vicinity of St. Paul's Cathedral, where entire city blocks were completely bombed out. - - And now we behold the miracle of the London blitz: St. Paul's Cathedral, standing upright amidst the ruins around it. Standing as it has stood for almost three centuries.