Produced in 1957 and then updated a short time later, 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 by the Shell Oil Company’s film unit, 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, and featured a score by Richard Bennett. 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, the Arctic, Africa, Ethiopia, Venezuela, Pacific, and Peru.

We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: “01:00:12:00 — President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.”

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com

This version of the film includes a segment not seen in the original version of the documentary featuring the new jet aircraft including the Boeing 707 prototype, and new British aircraft including the Comet 4, turboprop Britannia, and the Douglas DC-7C.

This film is one of a series made by Shell as part of its public relations efforts. All the films in the series are well-made and use innovative techniques for their time. The company spent over $1 million dollars in the 1950s — roughly $10 million in today’s world — on its film library.

We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example like: “01:00:12:00 — President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.”

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com