| Description |
1 videodisc : sd., col., b&w ; 4 3/4 in. |
| System Details |
DVD. |
| Note |
Title from disc label. |
| Summary |
Four featurettes plus one quick cartoon spotlight various aspects of the American dream. The Negro farmer discusses garden variety crops -- notably tobacco, peanuts, and cotton -- as well as poultry. Two of the films center around that all-purpose microcosm of America, the gas station (sponsored by Union Oil and Texaco). The cartoon is about investing in industry and is told entirely in rhyme "Why does John rate so from East coast to West? John Jones is a guy with some bucks to invest!" |
| Contents |
Negro farmer (1937) -- Born to sell (1951) -- What greater gift -- The Individual and the job (1954) -- Tomorrow and Mr. Jones (1960) |
| Note |
The Negro Farmer (1937, b&w), made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, laments that most of the "nine million Negroes in our Southern states" live in near poverty on unproductive farms. However, rather than giving these farmers some much needed cash, the government instead made this film "to help Negroes help themselves." Simply put, "the problem of the Negro farmer is like the proverbial problem of lifting yourself by your own boot strap!" With the mood set by lyrical shots of the deep south and "Negro Melodies by the Tuskegee Institute Choir," The Negro Farmer discusses garden variety crops -- notably tobacco, peanuts, and cotton -- as well as poultry ("there's profit in well-bred swine!"), smokehouses ("What is a home without a ham?"), and home canning ("These well filled shelves show what the energetic housewife can do toward providing the family living!"), while providing glimpses of cotton gins, community fairs, and "The Booker T. Washington Agricultural School on Wheels." As a final touch, we're shown how to improve outhouses and turn a cabin into "a home to be proud of by the application of a few cents worth of lime whitewash." |
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Born to Sell (1951, color) is a slick commercial for Triton oil disguised as a film about gung-ho Charlie learning to be a gas station attendant under the tutelage "born salesman" Bill Homer. Despite all the science and fancy words, you'll note that Triton Motor Oil is ultimately advertised by a giant billboard of a woman's cleavage. |
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What Greater Gift (b&w) is a feminine take on teaching sponsored by the National Education Association. Jenny yearns to be a teacher but her stubborn father (who says "newfangled" a lot) wants her to "get practical" and "go into merchandising." An inspirational look at the days before students carried guns. |
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The Individual and the Job (1954, color) pretends to be about gas station owner HUGH BEAUMONT (star of Leave it to Beaver and The Mole People) breaking in a new employee, but it's actually an elaborate commercial for various Texaco products. Sounding very much like the leader of a cult, the excessively anal, always smiling Mr. Beaumont is downright creepy as he obsessively discusses the "Texamatic drain and refill" and the cosmic importance of the dipstick. |
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Tomorrow and Mr. Jones (1960, color) is a cartoon about investing in industry told entirely in rhyme: "Why does John rate so from east coast to west? John Jones is a guy with some bucks to invest!" Exactly the sort of thing that motivates people to part with their cash. |
| Subject |
United States -- Civilization -- 1945-
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United States -- Social life and customs -- 20th century.
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Popular culture -- United States -- 20th century.
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African American farmers.
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Service stations -- Employees.
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Individual investors -- United States.
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| Added Author |
Something Weird Video (Firm)
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| Added Title |
Lifestyles USA Vol. 3 |
| Music No. |
3623 Something Weird Video |
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