Havana, Before Everything Changed: A Look at Going Places with Lowell Thomas #20

Is this worth your time?

Honestly, only if you have a massive soft spot for old-school newsreels or just really love watching grainy footage of people in suits walking around the Caribbean. If you're looking for a plot, look elsewhere. If you're a history nerd, it’s a neat little time capsule.

Lowell Thomas has that voice that just demands you pay attention, even when he’s talking about something as mundane as a park bench. He narrates Havana like he’s showing off a prize horse he just bought.

The footage of the nightlife is the best part, though. It’s all blurred edges and people looking like they’re having the time of their lives, completely unaware of what’s coming down the road for the country. It gives the whole thing a weirdly haunting vibe that I doubt the filmmakers intended.

Then there’s the cameo from Colonel Batista. It’s super brief, almost like the camera was told, "hey, capture this guy quick before he leaves." It’s bizarre seeing a dictator just casually hanging out in a travel show.

Some random notes from my notepad:

• The editing feels like someone was just splicing film strips together in the dark.
• The music is mostly just jaunty, relentless piano playing that gets into your skull after five minutes.
• There’s a shot of a street vendor that lingers way too long. He’s just staring right into the lens, looking bored out of his mind.
• It feels a lot less polished than The Blue Eagle, but that’s kind of the charm.

I caught myself wondering if the people in the background of these shots ever saw the movie. Did they recognize their own backs? It’s funny how these old travelogues turn everyone into ghosts.

It’s nowhere near as experimental as Cinq minutes de cinéma pur, but it doesn't need to be. It’s just supposed to be a postcard. A postcard with a slightly creepy undertone.

The pacing is all over the place. One minute you're looking at a cathedral, the next you're watching a drummer go wild. It’s frantic but weirdly relaxing in a way I can't explain. 🌴

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a real document of a moment. Sometimes that’s enough.