| Description |
1 videodisc : sd., col., b&w ; 4 3/4 in. |
| System Details |
DVD. |
| Note |
Title from container. |
| Summary |
A tribute to the American consumer. Or, rather, as these four lengthy mini-movies show, how to hook 'em, reel 'em in, and empty their pockets. In Always Tomorrow we see the sheer joy of selling Coca-Cola. California Supermarket Kings presents the cut-throat, competitive battle for shelf space in the "sun-drenched tomorrowland" of Southern California. In Let's Face It, actor Milburn Stone presents a lesson in economics from U.S. Steel. |
| Contents |
Always tomorrow / John Archer (1941, ca. 50 min.) -- Tales of Hoffman -- California supermarket kings (1965, 23 min.) -- Let's face it / Milburn Stone. |
| Note |
Always Tomorrow (1941) opens with Jim Wesley (actor JOHN ARCHER of King of the Zombies) looking somber: "Awful, isn't it? The headlines, I mean. Death, destruction, upheaval, unrest... Makes you wonder what the world is coming to." But, no, he's not talking about today, he's talking about America in 1941 right on the eve of World War II. "Men's souls wrestle with the thought of tomorrow. Can I face tomorrow with confidence?" Well... yes, he can. Why? Because he works for Coca-Cola: "Pure and wholesome, delicious in taste, truly one of the pleasant things of life! People enjoy stopping at the bright red coolers!" In fact, he's got his own small-town bottling plant! Ignoring his nervous-Nellie partner Larry (B-movie milquetoast JOHNNY ARTHUR), Jim built a new plant right after The Depression and expanded his sales force so he ain't about to let a little thing like a war get in his way. For 50-plus minutes (and full of familiar Forties faces), we see the sheer joy of selling Coke which suggests that the growth of the 20th-Century parallels the growth of America's favorite soft drink ("The Pause that Refreshes"). |
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Tales of Hoffman (color) opens with a little boy trying to make soda pop right in his own bedroom except -- Yeeeech! It tastes awful! So his little sister asks The Hoffman Beverage Company how they do it and the kids are invited to the Hoffman soda fun factory to see the elaborate machinery that turns pummeled fruit into bottled liquid! We see raw ingredients -- gathered "from the hot plains of Africa to the West Indies" -- put into the Giant Fruit Presses, mixed in giant tumblers, tested for flavor, and sent to the bottle assembly line. The result? "Beverages that can meet the most critical demand of perfection!" |
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California Supermarket Kings (color) is a 23-minute, 1965 short about the cut-throat, competitive battle for shelf space in the "sun-drenched tomorrowland" of Southern California, "The Supermarket Capital of the World!" How do manufacturers make sure their products are properly stocked, displayed, and advertised in major chains like Safeway, Food Fair, Thriftymart, Vons, A&P, and Piggly Wiggly? Why, they use PIA -- the Pacific Indoor Association -- whose union-approved fieldmen visit the stores, act as "extra manpower," and service clients ranging from Jergens lotion to Knox gelatin. Why, not only do they dust the merchandise on the shelves, but make sure the toilet paper is stacked in rows of color! And the PIA field force does that to 120 stores a day, God bless 'em! |
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Let's Face It (b&w) is a lesson in economics from U.S. Steel. Mary wants to buy a baby buggy but is horrified at how much they've jumped in price. So good ol' MILBURN STONE (Gunsmoke) explains why things cost what they do complete with special effects showing Mary's husband discussing the cost of living with... Mary's husband. |
| 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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Consumerism -- United States.
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Carbonated beverages -- Marketing.
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Fruit juices -- Marketing.
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Supermarkets -- United States.
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Display of merchandise.
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Steel -- Prices -- United States.
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Inflation.
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| Added Author |
Archer, John, 1915-1999.
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Stone, Milburn, 1904-1980.
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Coca-Cola Company.
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United States Steel Corporation.
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Something Weird Video (Firm)
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| Added Title |
Lifestyles USA. Vol. 21 |
| Music No. |
35654 Something Weird Video |
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