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Puebla: a Town in Old Mexico (1943)

1943 · Short film · 9 min

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Synopsis

A Town In Old Mexico is a 1943 travelogue of Puebla, Fortin de las Flores, and Orizaba, Mexico, narrated by Orson Welles. It was made as part of the WWII "Friendly Neighbor" effort by the United States. The film begins with a painting of Puebla, then shows some scenic footage on the road between Puebla and Mexico City: viewers see two volcanoes, Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl, both over 16,000 feet. A car drives along a rural road lined by wild flowers and a snow-capped volcano looming in the background (01:26). A man guides two oxen along the road (01:46). The film shows Zona Arqueologica de Cholula (01:58) with its churches standing on the site over the former Aztec temple known as the Great Pyramid of Cholula. Cholula is home to many churches, including the Church of San Francisco. A man rides a horse on the outskirts of Puebla (03:24). The historic center of Puebla has a distinct Andalucian influence. The film shows the colonial building Casa de Alfenique, which means “almond cake” in Spanish (04:00), with its Andalucian-Moorish architecture. Next, the film takes viewers to Capilla del Rosario (04:40), a 17th-century church with its ornate interior and alter, much of which is covered in gold leaf. Beautiful countryside vistas greet the visitor as they leave Puebla for Fortin de las Flores. Fortin de las Flores lies between Cordoba and Orizaba. Little girls try to sell flowers and other crafts to visitors (06:10). Pico de Orizaba Volcano looms in the distance. A man jumps…

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Details

Running time
9 minutes
Collection
Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

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