Calgary Stampede (1948)
*** (out of 4)
Technicolor short from Warner received an Oscar-nomination for its studio. The film takes a look at a celebration in Calgary where for a week the city pretty much pays respect to its past where indians and outlaws roamed the streets. The documentary centers on the celebrations, which include various games, food, country music, rodeos and even acted out plays. Warner shooting this in Technicolor was a major plus because the life of the city really jumps off the screen and this is especially true during a parade where we get to see all sorts of rather nice visuals. The rest of the stuff is rather hit and miss but there are plenty of nice moments making this a worthy viewing. One of the highlights is a scene where a young cowboy, perhaps two years old, is shaking hands with an Indian chief. It's also worth noting that narrator Art Gilmore states that the food was free at this event, which is certainly interesting to say the least. It's also worth noting that this was Saul Elkins only credit as a director even though he did write several other projects for the studio.