France, 1950

[Music] land where the Eiffel Tower rises in fantastic filigre against the sky where the incredibly beautiful city of light spreads its fascinating patterns from the inspiring Palace of versailes to the hallowed glory of the historic bastile from the colorful atmosphere of old momar to the nostalgic scenes of the boulevard de mon Paras where the rolling River sa still flows down the whispering Paths of the centuries you know that land everyone does it is France the city Paris Paris where the plast de conard one of the world's most magnificent public squares enchants the eye with the artist of its statues and the beauty of its monuments Paris capital of the French Spirit of that jar de you'll find nowhere else where the people and the spectacle are as exciting as the wine in the temperament where the living magic of the F tuler Gardens weaves a spell of Old World Fascination and the famous L with its architecture and its art holds you Spellbound and then there's the Paris Opera House an artistic Masterpiece in itself but when you speak of masterpieces you speak of Notre Dam its Monumental Splendor a reflection of the spiritual faith of a Nation the pl the rii today a teing traffic Center yesterday the very spot where Jean of AR made of Orleans fell wounded during the siege of Paris but this great City on the S is a strange composite of the past and the present of the old and new for Paris is as Fabulous As the amazing pages of her history yet as modern as The Skyliners that make the oy airport their European terminal she can offer you just about everything from a pleasant hour at a picturesque bookstall on the riverfront where the yellowed pages of the Masters invite your introspection to the exciting adventure of her Sidewalk Cafe where your thirst and your curiosity will be equally satisfied she will show you one of her own favorite sports the colorful and unusual tour def Fran whose racing cyclists annually leave here for a CrossCountry Marathon lasting some 30 days she will invite you down her Noble sha that beautiful and historic thare that has felt the tread of many armies heard the stirring call of countless triumphant bugles she will take you to her Mighty OCT trium where the records of many battles are inscribed where there sleeps France's unknown soldier of World War I today other monuments stand along the channel shores of Normandy solemn reminders of other Heroes here where Blood Red Waters stained the Blazing beaches thousands gave their lives that France might be free you gaze along this wck stwn surf at the rusting rotting remnants of what not too long ago was the most tremendous Invasion operation in history and the picture of that cataclysmic scene comes to Vivid roaring lights you look upon a town where steel and fire did their devil's work and you know the France must always be free and she is free her Liberty loving people already resuming their high place in the modern world you learn too that this land is not only one of stored cities it is equally renowned for the Bounty and the beauty of its farms for the productiveness of its oil today as yesterday the Thrifty industrious French farmer works his own fertile Fields though his equipment may be often somewhat Antiquated his inherent love of the land and his capacity for toil help him to produce in normal times more than enough to feed himself and his country from the story of the farm to that of the sea and now you're in colorful old mares this second city of the nation situated in southern France is known as the port of all men since the ships of all Flags make it a Mediterranean Rendevous here the busy streets are alive with traffic and you Marvel at the scene at the unusual and the strange like these French African rug vendors with their exotic wear at the vast activity of the dock where the teeming Commerce of the sea adds its own romantic atmosphere to the exciting picture to Mars gateway to the east come the cargo of Many Lands the tales of many oceans and the toil of the sador never ceases Mar is the main induction center of the Foreign Legion in their faces you can read the stories of the men who have joined these regiments of the anonymous and the lost but the legion itself keeps its own counsel its Deeds on the battlefield speaking for its conscience just across the harbor at for San sagales troopers from French West Africa fighting members of an organization noted for its indomitable courage and its mulus as spray Decor these men are the Nemesis of France's enemies everywhere those scars are self-inflicted the proud facial Insignia of a veteran you find that Marse Harbor is noted for many things among them the barkers who urge the visitor to join an Excursion out to Fabulous chatau deep celebrated as as the prison of duma's famous Count of Monte Christo this for boing structure is a fitting local to stir anyone's imagination whether or not the colorful Monte Christo ever sojourned here in solitary loneliness does not matter in the least in the south of France you'll see many a water festival with water jousting as the main attraction in the days of chivalry they did this on Horseback but the effect is much the same even though the chivalry is definitely lacking perhaps one of the most inspiring of all religious shrines is that of lurs and its miraculous Grotto to this sacred place from the far stretches of France and the world come The Afflicted in body spirits to seek the healing magic of faith and of the gratto lifegiving waters this great Shrine of the Catholic world is open to all denominations and many are the pilgrimages made in quest of its healing powers the story of Lords is the story of bernardet the little peasant girl whose long ago vision of Our Lady of Lords has ever since been the source of many miraculous cures of those who have shared her faith and never lost hope some religious processions are an integral part of the daily ceremonies at this famous Shrine in the fastness of the pyrames and the Majestic Beauty of the scene is only surpassed by the spiritual beauty of the hope that inspires it a hope that is everywhere The Afflicted the sick and the stricken the Halt and the blind people of every religion and of no religion receive the blessing here indeed is Christianity in its most exalted form seeking with faith and prayer that Supreme Mercy from above we're back in Paris again and the famous sport of Kings at Lan where the late styles are on parade and the horses are away running for gold and turf them glory in another thrilling Grand Prix they race clockwise here but it's not so much where they go as how they go in this fast stepping bid of high speed in high states where the Thoroughbred royalty of France Thunder down the stretch toward the Winter's Circle down the home stretch with a long striving leaders fighting it out and the voice of the crowd urging them on to that driving hard charging finish [Music] such is the land called France such the sparkling and beautiful city of Paris the city of light and laughter where the Ruda LA and the stately sha are equally enchanting and the Eiffel Tower rises in Majesty against the Blue Sky you'll never forget them for France is beautiful and Paris is her spirit ever calling you back [Music]