Hone Glendinning photographed several of James A. Fitzpatrick's Traveltalks before the Second World War and afterwards, as well. He seems to have been more studio-bound during the War. He did a series of travelogues about India around this time, about the same time that Jack Cardiff was doing the same for the competition with pieces like "A Road in India".
It is a bit difficult to compare the two sets of movies. A large part is due to the fact that the prints of Cardiff's works are in much better condition than the Traveltalk prints shown on TCM; also, I am usually annoyed by Fitzpatrick's pompous drivel.
The purpose of a travelogue is to show its audience places, and both sets of movies do that. Certainly, Glendinning's work is competent. He shows us Jaipur with traveling shots, pausing for occasional portraiture or close-up examination of some craftwork. He shows us some interesting stuff. Yet Cardiff's work does more than that. He offers us an attitude with his camera-work. He chooses compositions like El Greco to tell us a story. Glendinning shows us things. They are interesting things, but just items, whether they are mountains or buildings or people and chickens. And that's why the Cardiff work is great, while this is just another okay short subject.
