‘March of Time’ was an early American television show which aired in the early 1950s. These were based off the radio and newsreel series with the same name that aired from 1931 to 1951. The narrator of these series was Westbrook Van Voorhis and it was produced by brothers Louis and Richard de Rochement. This particular segment will focus on the two French cities of Paris and Beaulieu. For a brief moment and upside-down slide signifying a commercial appears (:59) and the film returns to a view from the train as tourists head into France (1:13). Passengers aboard are having their baggage and passports inspected by a customs official (1:21). The train pulls into the Gare Saint Lazar (1:29) which is one of six large terminus railway stations in Paris. Pedestrians enjoy café entertainment and food along the streets of Paris (1:49). The famed Arc de Triomphe sits in the midst of traveling cars (2:20) and tourists commonly take to guided tours about the city (2:41). The next stop is the Louvre (2:50) which is the world’s largest art museum established in 1793. Flea markets (3:09) are another popular past-time. The outside as well as dining within the Eiffel Tower (3:32) are shown. Pigalle is the next neighborhood visited (3:49) and it is an area full of neon lights, exotic dancing women and some of the most famed cabarets including Moulin Rouge. Dancing women take to the floor in one of France’s oldest dances, the tourdion (4:61). The narrator returns to a mock travel agency in which he discusses with a man from France just where the heart of the country lies, and from here we are directed to the Dordogne Valley (5:10). Most tourists miss this area as it is 320 miles away from Paris and doesn’t lie on a main road. The Dordogne River (5:37) cuts through the village of Beaulieu. Common happenings in the village include fishing (6:49), tending to sheep (6:52) as well as tending to vineyards (7:11). This village is one of the oldest as it dates back to the year 855 (7:25). In a small town, events such as the arrival of the postman (7:47) are major. Religion is held high among villagers and the Tympanum Sculpture is shown (8:26) which dates back to the year 1125. The sculpture depicts the last judgement on the Abbey Church of St. Pierre. Life is very similar to life in the 9th century and the old style of making large round loafs of bread are prepared (9:22) in the same way as their ancestors. A butcher shop (10:12) is another staple. Coffee is shown grinded and prepared in the same way Napoleon had his grinded (10:58). Laundry day was a day to catch up on village gossip as townsfolk wash their clothes in the Dordogne River (11:16). A shoemaker crafts a wooden shoe (11:49) which was ideal for muddy waters. The village blacksmith (12:04) prepares and fixes everything made of metal, even an old car. French property is exchanged in the office of the local notary (13:49). The traditional process included lighting of a candle which when lit means bidding commences and bidding stops as it goes out. A weekly market is held outside the church (14:33). A vendor sells clothes to villagers as they travel from town to town and this will be the citizens only time for splurging (14:44). The men check out farm equipment and are especially interested in those from the United States (15:12). At a livestock auction, a cow’s teeth are inspected (15:57). The traditional practice of announcing birth’s, marriages and deaths by the local crier takes place in the courtyard (16:49). Marriage required a civil service regardless of whether or not a church service would follow (17:16). The wedding brigade heads through the streets and ends at a traditional banquet often held in the garden of a farmhouse (18:36). A special straw wine unfamiliar to outside cities is tasted (19:11). The closest thing to industry here is the production of walnut oil which is extracted in a heavy press (20:08). The production of foie gras is shown where a live goose is stuffed with food and wine to plump the liver (20:19). Another favorite is the truffle and farmer’s pigs sniff out the underground mushrooms (21:21). A dish with a name meaning “truffles under ashes” is prepared encased in pastry (22:08). Dinners are always served with wine and the cooked goose liver is enjoyed (23:04). The film draws to conclusion showing a son hoping on a train to go to school for his desired career as not all were content to remain in the village (24:16).

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