1. A day of Thanksgiving (12:34)

Date:
1951
Main contributors:
Centron Corporation
Summary:
Tells the story of a typical American family, and how they use Thanksgiving Day as the occasion to review the freedoms and privileges which they enjoy in their everyday living under the American way of life. Shows how they come to remember that they have much more to be thankful for than just the usual symbols associated with Thanksgiving Day.

2. Bill Bailey and the four pillars (18:07)

Date:
1945
Summary:
A story of land economy and one man, Bill Bailey of Clarksville, Tennessee, through whose foresight and untiring effort the Four Pillars of Income were established in Montgomery County, Tennessee (adapted from the Reader's Digest story of the same name by J. P. McEvoy).

3. Collision stations (29:45)

Date:
1959
Summary:
What happens when a rocket ship in space is struck and damaged by a meteor? Capt. Gell, a Navy expert on crew equipment, demonstrates the Navy’s full-pressure space suit for emergency escape from a shattered craft. Dr. Haber, an aerodynamic engineer who has made a thorough study of the theoretical problems of escape and survival far out in pace, explains the difficulty of making an individual descent into the atmosphere, on one hand, and of rescuing the stranded flyer in space, on the other. Dr. Herbert’s recommendation: the crew should ride the damaged vehicle back to earth --if anything remains of it.

4. Dance : a reflection of our times (29:37)

Date:
1960
Summary:
Discusses the use of the dance as a social commentary and relates it to the critical statements of artists in other fields. Presents a performance of "Caprichos" based on Goya's etchings of man's weaknesses. In contrast, an excerpt from Paeon is performed. Features choreographer Herbert Ross and his troupe.

6. Decoration (1:10:40)

Date:
1951
Main contributors:
Harold Otwell, Karl Martz, Robert Gobrecht, George Fleetwood, Indiana University Audio-Visual Center
Summary:
Shows a skilled ceramist applying designs on several ceramic pieces prior to final firing. He uses the clay itself, a comb, a piece of burlap, or clay stamps to create textured designs. Other decoration methods illustrated include colored glazes, clay slip, "Mishima," sgraffito, and wax resist. Shows samples of representative pieces after decoration and firing.

7. Defending the city's health (11:14)

Date:
1941
Summary:
Modern community hygiene controls are presented. How the death rate from communicable diseases has been reduced through scientific advances and social controls. The effective functioning of a public health department.

8. Defense of the Western hemisphere (16:56)

Date:
1951
Summary:
Traces the development of the Good Neighbor Policy, the Rio Treaty against aggression, and the Organization of American States set up at Bogota. Describes the importance to the Western Hemisphere of NATO and the U.N. military action in Korea. Stresses the economic interdependence of the American countries and the responsibility of the United States in the Western Hemisphere.

9. Defensive footwork in basketball (09:34)

Date:
1946
Main contributors:
Encyclopaedia Britannica Films Inc., Wilbur Johns, Norman Sper
Summary:
Analyzes defensive footwork action in basketball by first demonstrating the correct stance. Slow motion and close-up photography then portray the two basic defensive moves: the parallel movement, which governs lateral guarding motions, and the stride, which governs advancing and retreating motions. Emphasis is placed on the correlation of arm movement with footwork, turning, pivoting, and getting into position for taking the ball on the rebound.

10. Defining primitivism (29:26)

Date:
1956
Summary:
Expands the popular definition of "primitive"--one who is self-taught--to include artists who reject academic or conventional expression, subject matter, or technique. Shows and discusses various examples of primitive art. (WQED) Kinescope.

11. Democracy's diary (16:11)

Date:
1948
Main contributors:
Jay Bonafield, Larry O'Reilly, Phil Reisman, Jr., Dwight Weist, Richard Hanser, Herman Fuchs
Summary:
Shows the organization of the The New York Times and the vast interrelationship of the numerous departments. Then illustrates the methods for giving up-to-the-minute news, and stresses the need for a free press.

12. Design of American public education (14:58)

Date:
1952
Main contributors:
United Productions of America, Howard T. Batchelder
Summary:
Through animation, the film compares and contrasts the "assembly line" kind of educational process with one that is tailored to meet young people's needs. Shows how in the former little or no consideration is given to individual needs, whereas in the latter a decentralized educational system can fit the curriculum to local community setups.

13. Development of our decimal numeration system (27:26)

Date:
1965
Main contributors:
Joseph Moray, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, John M. Davidson, Richard Gilbert, Arthur M. Kaye, Shirley Tebbe, Francesca Greene, Peter Smith, Carole Eickhoff, Davidson Films
Summary:
Delineates interesting facets of the development of our decimal system. Compares the additive, subtractive, multiplicative, and positional notation aspects of the Chinese, Babylonian, Egyptian, and Hindu-Arabic systems. Uses models to explain concepts which lead to greater understanding of base 10 systems. This film traces the historical development of our present decimal system--the Hindu-Arabic system of numeration. The meaning and importance of base ten, place value, grouping, numerals, and expanded notation are carefully described.

14. Developmental genetics - I: a lecture by Dr. L. C. Dunn (29:40)

Date:
1959
Summary:
Portrays the role of developmental genetics in dealing with ways phenotypes come into being through the action of genes. Presents a complete discussion of the Creeper domestic fowl--its genetic basis, morphology, embryological history, and the experimental work that led to an understanding of how this gene affects early development to produce the morphological features seen as the outcome of the developmental process. Lecture given by Dr. L. C. Dunn.

15. Developmental genetics - II: a lecture by Dr. L. C. Dunn Columbia University (29:41)

Date:
1959
Summary:
Describes the ways in which genes produce phenotypic differences by acting very early in embryonic development. Shows that this action may take place at a distance through chemical messengers (pituitary dwarfism in the house mouse, lethal giant larva in Drosophila), or it may involve tissue induction systems (Brachyury and taillessness in the house mouse). Discusses the development of eye color in Drosophila as a model of how each of the steps in a chain of chemical processes leading to development is under genic control. Lecture given by Dr. L. C. Dunn.

17. Digestion, part 1 [mechanical] (17:48)

Date:
1950
Main contributors:
Winifred Cullis, Gaumont-British Instructional Ltd., Beryl Denman Lacey, Frank Wells, Louis Dahl
Summary:
Uses animation to show the mechanical and muscular processes involved in the digestion of food. Includes the absorption of digested food, water, and salts into the blood and the function of the liver.

18. Digestion, part 2 [chemical] (20:18)

Date:
1950
Main contributors:
Winifred Cullis, Gaumont-British Instructional Films, Beryl Denman Lacey, Frank Wells, Louis Dahl
Summary:
Uses animation to demonstrate the chemical processes of digestion. Shows the chemical breakdown of foods, the structure and functions of the glands involved, the absorption of digested foods, and the distribution and storage of food in the body.

19. Discovery Of A Landscape-English Lakes (30:55)

Date:
1956
Summary:
Shows through readings, paintings, and natural photography the development of the portrayal of English lakes and landscapes by painters, poets, and others. Depicts the printing of illustrated tour guides and other books to create interest in the English lake country. (BBC) Film.

20. Distance races (10:04)

Date:
1938
Main contributors:
Erpi Classroom Films, Lawson Robertson, Dean Cromwell, Brutus Hamilton, Harold A. Bruce, Amateur Athletic Union of the United States
Summary:
Includes races from 1,000 to 10,000 meters and steeplechase. Style of distance runner contrasted vividly with that of dash man. Differences in typical physiques. Steeplechase portrays various methods employed by participants in clearing barriers. An instructional sound film.