Please note: this is the original (and slightly shorter) version of this film. See our Youtube channel to see the revised version featuring early jet passenger planes and other innovations.

Produced in 1957 by the film unit of the Shell Oil Company, SONG OF THE CLOUDS is a portrait of the aviation industry in the years immediately before the introduction of the jet passenger plane. Shot all over the world, the movie stresses the “internationalism” of the air. It also goes to great length to show airport activities in different parts of the world and co-operation between countries to ensure the comfort and safety of passengers. The film was directed by the great John Armstrong, assisted by cinematographers Eduard van der Enden, Derek Witham and Ronnie Whitehouse. It aired on the BBC on and off for nearly a decade. Some of the locations shown include the USA, New York International Airport, Miami, San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge, Andes, Lebanon, Beirut, Cairo, Italy, Rome, Australia, Sydney, Argentina, Rio, San Salvadore, Newfoundland, Artic, Africa, Ethiopia, Venezuala, Pacific, and Peru.