8151. Health in war (13:19)

Date:
1940
Main contributors:
Jackson, Pat, 1916-2011
Summary:
"Offers revealing insights into the re-structuring of health services in London and elsewhere in Britain following the outbreak of WWII ... The film is broadly divided into three parts. The opening sequence looks at the advances made so far in the battle against sickness and disease, brought about through slum clearance, preventative and curative medicine and research. The middle section describes the re-organisation of existing services in preparation for air raid casualties, with the redeployment of city centre hospitals for emergency services and first aid, and the movement of convalescent, maternity and evacuation hospitals further out into the country. The final section uses pictures of happy, healthy children running free in the English countryside to remind cinema audiences of what Britain is fighting for."--British Film Institute website.

8152. Into the blue (10:39)

Date:
1940
Main contributors:
Catling, Darrel, 1909-1991
Summary:
Shows how young airmen are trained by the R.A.F. Not only is the standard training such as solo flying shown, but also learning Morse code, navigation lectures, and special bombardier and fighter pilot training.

8153. People of Hawaii (11:01)

Date:
1940
Main contributors:
Erpi Classroom Films Inc., Margaret Mead
Summary:
Shows the location and physical features of the Hawaiian Islands, a wide variety of immigrant and native workers busy at large-scale production and harvesting of sugar cane and pineapples, other work, home life, and customs of the native Hawaiians. Portrays such native activities as fishing, cooking, eating, playing football, building canoes, and taking part in the ceremonies at a canoe-launching.

8154. People of Western China (10:57)

Date:
1940
Summary:
Portrays characteristic aspects of life in the valley of Western China, where habits and customs of past centuries exist side by side with such modern innovations as hydroelectric plants, telephones, and air transportation. Describes the age-old system of crop irrigation, the utilization of bamboo, and the fashioning of pottery, silver, and silk products.

8155. Pig Projects Make Profits (13:26)

Date:
1940
Main contributors:
Duroc Record Association, Frank Oberkoetter Studios
Summary:
Addressed to members of 4-H or FFA clubs interested in learning to raise pigs, stating "thousands of boys and girls choose swine for their livestock project work." Provides instruction and guidance for every aspect of the project, from purchasing, showing at the county fair, to reaping profits in the fall. "[P]oints covered include: buying a bred gilt; McLean County sanitation system; importance of accurate record keeping; equipment needed; feeding methods; value of clean pasture; disease prevention; showing at the fair; and the value of pig project work. Suggested for agricultural classes and for 4-H club activities" (University of Michigan Bureau of Visual Education Extension Service, Instructional Motion Pictures, 1940-1941, 8). Suggests that the profitability of such projects will help young people start their own farms. The film shows a young farm couple tending hogs while narration states "if a little boy blesses their home you bet ten to one that he too will get the chance to have the valuable experience of pig project work, just like dad."

8156. Radio and television (11:29)

Date:
1940
Summary:
Indicates the preparation necessary for entrance into radio work, stressing a strong foundation in science and mathematics. The development of personality and a cultural background is stressed. Gives an overview of radio and its present importance and the application of radio principles to public address systems, sound reproduction, and television.

8157. Siege (09:50)

Date:
1940
Main contributors:
Bryan, Julien H. (Julien Hequembourg), 1899-1974
Summary:
Presents a vivid record, uncensored by military authorities, of the 1939 siege and fall of Warsaw.

8158. T.V.A. (20:01)

Date:
1940
Main contributors:
Tennessee Valley Authority, National Defense Advisory Committee
Summary:
Narration introduces this report as "the story of the development of the Tennessee River," showing ongoing construction of major public works projects conducted under the Tennessee Valley Authority, including dams and hydroelectric plants. Touts the harnessing of waterpower to generate electricity for industry and farmers. Lists the improvements to quality of life in the region brought by electricity, including home amenities, pumped water for irrigation, and community refrigeration for food storage. Emphasizes the development of fertilizer manufacturing, as well as munitions and aluminum for defense industries. Includes footage of Wilson dam, Norris dam, Wheeler dam, Pickwick Landing dam, Guntersville dam, Chickamauga dam, and Watts Bar dam and generating station.

8159. Tall Tales (09:41)

Date:
1940
Summary:
Presents ballad singers singing three authentic American folk songs: "Strawberry Roan," "Grey Goose," and "John Henry." The background for the singers is a farmhouse kitchenyard after the noonday meal.

8160. The Land - To Have and To Hold (14:34)

Date:
1940
Main contributors:
United States. Department of Interior. Division of Motion Pictures
Summary:
Recounts the history of land ownership by small farmers in the U.S. Free land for farmers gradually disappeared as the west was settled through the 19th century, resulting in the necessity for farmers to buy land with mortgages. Describes the creation of the 1916 Federal Farm Loan Act and regional land bank systems to enable tenant farmers to become landowners. "Shows how the cooperative mortgage credit system works in the everyday lives of John and Mary Farmer, who are typical of the 600,000 members of national farm loan associations now using their own credit system to achieve the goal of owning debt-free farms" (Motion Pictures of the United States Department of Agriculture, 1945, 21).

8161. The policeman (10:39)

Date:
1940
Summary:
Shows Jim Barnes, the typical policeman, directing traffic, rescuing a cat caught in a tree, finding a lost child, and arresting a reckless driver. Portrays the radio station at headquarters, a cruise car, a policewoman, two motorcycle officers, a patrol wagon, and an emergency car. An instructional sound film.

8162. The snapping turtle (10:49)

Date:
1940
Main contributors:
Erpi Classroom Films Inc., E. Laurence Palmer
Summary:
Presents the life story of the snapping turtle in its natural habitat. Observes the snapping turtle's features, its encounters with other animal life, the laying and protection of its eggs, its hatching, and developmental conditioning. Its appearance is compared with that of the painted turtle. Digging in for and emergence from the winter's hibernation conclude the presentation.

8163. The story of wheat (11:39)

Date:
1940
Summary:
Deals with the history, growth, harvesting, and preparation of wheat for its most important use as bread.

8164. They also serve (07:48)

Date:
1940
Main contributors:
Grierson, Ruby, 1904-1940
Summary:
"Story of an average wartime housewife whose dawn to dusk activities provide support for the duties of soldiers and defence workers."--BFI website.

8165. Work of the kidneys (11:06)

Date:
1940
Main contributors:
Encyclopaedia Britannica Films Inc., A. J. Carlson, H. G. Swann, F. J. Mullin
Summary:
Describes the structure and function of the renal system, and explains how the kidneys maintain uniformity in blood and tissues. Demonstrates, with animated drawings and laboratory experiments, the formation of urine, the regulation of blood composition, and the functioning of the bladder. Explains the relation of blood pressure to urine flow, and the rate of secretion as affected by sugar, water, and temperature.

8166. [Fishing trip 1939--Wilkinson family] (04:57)

Date:
1939
Summary:
Shows the Wilkinson family taking a fishing trip on a lake or river. Includes many shots of the water taken from a motorboat. Bernadine Bailey's nephew, Paul Freeman Wilkinson, is seen rowing a boat. Closes with more footage of the Wilkinson's Scottish terrier playing with a crawdad.

8167. Community Sing: Songs of Stephen Foster (11:02)

Date:
1939
Main contributors:
Columbia Pictures Corporation
Summary:
A Columbia short subject presentation, distributed for classroom exhibition by Teaching Film Custodians. Presents Stanley Brown, Donald Grayson, and others in a program of Stephen Foster songs: Oh Susanna, Beautiful Dreamer, Jeanie with the Light Browns Hair, Old Folks at Home, Camptown Races, and My Old Kentucky Home. Costumed performers in an antebellum Southern plantation setting, each song is given a brief introduction with invitation for the audience to sing along. [Spoken dialogue and song lyrics include mutliple uses of the pejorative "darky."]

8168. Endocrine Glands (10:49)

Date:
1939
Main contributors:
Encyclopaedia Britannica Films, inc., A. J. Carlson, H. G. Swann, Erpi Classroom Films Inc
Summary:
Demonstrates the importance of various glands of internal secretion. Experiments and diagrams illustrate how the pituitary gland exercises control over other glands and over growth, how parathyroid glands partially control calcium in the blood, and how insulin from the pancreas controls metabolism of sugar. Also describes how the thyroid affects respiration, and how certain hormones stimulate the growth of mammary glands.

8169. Giant People: The Watussi of Africa (10:53)

Date:
1939
Main contributors:
Encyclopaedia Britannica Films, George Herzog
Summary:
Reveals the activities, customs, and traditions of the Watussi, an African people characterized by their advanced culture. Shows the ruling prince and royal family and activities in the royal household, including weaving, decorating, cooking, and churning. Portrays the prince as he inspects his cattle and leads a hunt, and depicts his young son presiding over a ceremonial dance.

8170. Heritage (15:42)

Date:
1939
Main contributors:
Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau
Summary:
History of the settlement of the western Canadian prairie lands, from pioneers in covered wagons to the booming wheat industry of the early 20th century. Shows that the prosperity brought by wheat built the western cities and led to rampant increases in production, when "wheat flowed like a golden river." The plowing of vast acreage without concern for soil conservation led to the disastrous collapse of the western agricultural economy. "Long years of intensive drought, coupled with a disastrous fall in prices, forced many Prairie farmers to board up their homes and seek work elsewhere. But the majority remained, hating to leave the land they had broken, often lacking the capital to make a fresh start. To these, the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration, working through engineers and scientists on the experimental farms and stations, restored faith and morale. Conservation of moisture, development of new methods of farming and conversion of sub marginal land to other uses all helped to put these derelict farms once again on a working basis" (National Film Board of Canada catalog record http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=18392).

8171. Juarez (29:51)

Date:
1939
Summary:
Teaching Film Custodians classroom film of excerpts from the 1939 Warner Bros., feature film, "Juarez". Dramatizes the struggle of Benito Juarez to maintain independence and republicanism in Mexico from 1863 to 1867. Focuses on the Juaristas' resistance to French-supported Emperor Maximilian. Records that, with the end of the Civil War, the United States government warned Napoleon to withdraw his troops from Mexico. Shows Maximilian gambling on a victory by the loyalist Mexican troops over the Republican Army, failing, and being executed.

8173. Land of Mexico (11:00)

Date:
1939
Main contributors:
Erpi Classroom Films, inc., Wallace W. Atwood
Summary:
Portrays, with animated maps, the physical characteristics of Mexico and its strategic geographical relation to the United States. Enumerates her natural resources and industries. Depicts urban life and rural activities such as corn harvesting and grinding, home-building, beverage preparation, pottery-making, and handicraft work.

8175. Navajo Indians (10:52)

Date:
1939
Main contributors:
See Other Contributors
Summary:
Tells the story of Taska and Alnaba, a young Navajo couple who are betrothed. Portrays their native environment and such activities as building a home, tilling the soil, tending sheep, carding the wool, and weaving it into colorful blankets. Also shows barter at a local trading post, the performance of native dances, the wedding ceremony, and the wedding feast.

8176. Round the World Trip 1939 : Part 2 – Europe (1:13:21)

Date:
1939
Main contributors:
Richard Leslie Gair (1892-1970)
Summary:
McRobbie-Gair Family Home Movies: Film is comprised of travelogue sequences primarily from south, central, and western England, but also of Sweden and Scotland. County and city locations in England include Canterbury, Nottingham, Twickenham suburb, Surrey, Manchester, the coastal town of Llandudno, Salisbury, and the Isle of Wright. Cities and locations in Scotland include Meikleour, Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, Loch Lomond, and Edinburgh, and locations in Sweden include Gothenburg, Stockholm, and Upsala, according to title cards. Highlights from England include shots of the “White Rabbit” monument in Llandudno commemorating Lewis Carroll’s inspiration for “Alice in Wonderland,” shots of Windsor, Conway, and Arundel Castles, the Manchester Piccadilly Station, Canterbury and Salisbury Cathedrals and a selection of hotel and restaurant signs from Canterbury (Tudor House, The Sun Hotel, Chequers Inn, Senlac Hotel, The BattleAxe – Crafts and Restaurant, Pilgrim’s Rest, and Fremlins George Hotel). Notable locations in Scotland include the Meikleour Beech Hedge [sic], and the Nigg Church of Nigg Parish (Nigg Old Church), Loch Lomond, and Edinburgh (Princes St.) city shots. Finally, sequences in Sweden open with travel on a passenger ship, the “Patricia,” to Gothenburg. In this sequence is also a shot of a Nazi flag, which according to the title card, was taken in Stockholm. Upsala cathedral is also shot with lots of sequences on waterways throughout. Footage consists of color film stock with title cards inserted for new locations or sites.

8177. Round the World Trip 1939 : Part 4 – West Coast, USA, and Pacific Ocean stops (48:00)

Date:
1939
Main contributors:
Richard Leslie Gair (1892-1970)
Summary:
McRobbie-Gair Family Home Movies: Comprised of two home movies, "USA I" & "USA II," the film opens with beautiful vistas of the Grand Canyon, and goes on to various locations, mainly in California, including Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Francisco, and Yosemite National Park. The film includes shots from the UCLA campus, St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral, the Little Church of the Flowers, and the Wee Kirk o’ the Heather. Various beach shots capture the California coastline, including shots of the Cyclone Racer rollercoaster at the Pike Amusement Park in Long Beach. Footage then moves to Yosemite National Park, capturing various attractions, including the Grizzly Giant tree and the Massachusetts tree (fell in 1927), as well as various shots of Yosemite vistas, waterfalls, deer, and chipmunk feeding. Footage then moves on to San Francisco and captures Fisherman’s Warf, a parade, the San Francisco Zoo, and shots of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. Shots of people on a passenger ship wearing what appear to be Hawaiian leis, with following sequences at a tropical location, possibly the Hawaiian Islands. The final segment is from another tropical location, possibly separate from Hawaii based on attire. Footage consists of color film stock with title cards inserted for several new locations.

8178. The corn farmer (corn, hogs, beef cattle) (11:08)

Date:
1939
Main contributors:
Erpi Classroom Films Inc., William M. Gregory
Summary:
Describes the work of a farmer in planting, cultivating, and harvesting his corn crops. Presents problems of crop rotation, haying, hog and cattle raising, and marketing. Contrasts uses of machinery in modern farming with hand methods. Depicts scenes of typical home activities, a trip to town, and a livestock auction.

8180. [Trip to Norway 1938] (04:20)

Date:
1938
Summary:
Black and white scenes of a market in Norway. People selling fish by a harbor, an old woman buys flowers from a cart. Scenes on a city street and views of the sea. Exterior shots of Borgund Stave Church. Ends with footage of cars being hoisted onto a ship.

8181. Boats (10:36)

Date:
1938
Main contributors:
See Other Contributors
Summary:
Portrays the experiences of a boy and a girl going by boat from Albany, down the Hudson River, to New York City. Along the way, the children see many types of water craft, including a sailboat, a cabin cruiser, a fireboat, a barge, a police boat, and a huge ocean liner. At the captain's invitation, they inspect his wheelhouse and engine room.

8182. Bring the World to the Classroom (19:54)

Date:
1938
Main contributors:
ERPI Classroom Films, Inc., Encyclopaedia Britannica Films Inc.
Summary:
Promotes the catalog of ERPI Classroom Films to educators, presenting excerpts from dozens of films with narration extolling their effectiveness (ERPI Classroom Films was the predecessor to Encylopædia Britannica Films, an acronym derived from Electrical Research Products, Inc.). "Designed to show how the sound film can surmount many barriers to human learning by bringing to the classroom concepts otherwise difficult or impossible to present" states narration. Examples of microphotography, animated diagrams, time-lapse and slow motion photography demonstrate the applications of the motion-picture film in the classroom. Travelogue, foreign cultures, training and trades are brought to the classroom. Cites a study finding that classroom films are particularly effective with "low I.Q." students. Includes time-lapse film of the solar eclipse of 1932.

8183. Camping Education (20:14)

Date:
1938
Main contributors:
See Other Contributors
Summary:
Advocates that camping be made an integral part of the school experience in this title originally produced in 1938. Examines a program for training professional educators in the area of outdoor education through a camping experience. Presents a glimpse of organized camping in this historical period of recreation education.

8184. Dance festival (11:36)

Date:
1938
Main contributors:
Soyuz-Kino-Chronica, Tamara Hanoum, Ania Gouliaeva, Charikov, Coudelskaya, Zlobin
Summary:
Presents four styles of folk dances from the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan, Georgia, and Ukraine. Performed by the USSR delegation to the International Dance Festival in London, England. Dances include "Horoomi", "The Lezguinka", and "Gopak"

8185. Digestion of food (11:17)

Date:
1938
Main contributors:
Encyclopaedia Britannica Films Inc., A. J. Carlson, H. S. Swann, The Committee on Medical Motion Pictures of the American College of Surgeons
Summary:
Covers the mechanical and chemical aspects of digestion, together with the controlling factors. Includes mastication, swallowing, stomach contractions, intestinal segmentation, intestinal peristalsis, the production of saliva and action of ptyalin on starch, the production of gastric juice and action of pepsin on albumin, the production of pancreatic juice and action of lipase on fats, and the absorption of digestive products into the blood stream.

8186. 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.

8188. Jumps and pole vaults (11:16)

Date:
1938
Main contributors:
Encyclopaedia Britannica Films, inc., Indiana University Audio-Visual Center
Summary:
Demonstrates in actual competition the running high jump; running broad jump; hop, step, and jump; and pole vault. Champions are pictured in slow motion photography.

8189. Livestock and Mankind (10:58)

Date:
1938
Main contributors:
United States. Department of Agriculture. Bureau of Animal Industry
Summary:
An address given by Dr. John R. Mohler, Chief of the USDA Bureau of Animal Industry, provides narration for this film reporting on the work of the Bureau. "Animal husbandry and veterinary science increase the usefulness of domestic animals to mankind. Research, regulatory, and informational work of the United States Department of Agriculture; Cooperation with the States in the eradication of diseases; inspection of herds; laws regulating dairy conditions; livestock improvement; scientific poultry raising" (Motion Pictures of the United States Department of Agriculture, 1945, 35).

8190. Navajo children (11:42)

Date:
1938
Summary:
Shows the experiences of a Navajo boy and girl in moving with their family, household effects, pets, horses, sheep and goats from their winter quarters to their summer home. As they journey by wagon, they sing native songs and the boys hold a marksmanship contest with bows and arrows. At their destination they repair their home, plant crops, care for their sheep and goats, and weave rugs.

8192. The wheat farmer (11:19)

Date:
1938
Main contributors:
Erpi Classroom Films Inc., Herbert B. Hartwig
Summary:
A view of life on a typical Kansas wheat farm. Shows how members of an average farm family spend their time, how the land is cared for, and how the winter wheat is planted, harvested, and stored in bins and elevators. Emphasizes the threat of inclement weather on wheat harvests. Includes animated sequences.

8193. The woodwind choir (11:26)

Date:
1938
Main contributors:
See Other Contributors
Summary:
Reveals the appearance, tonal qualities, and functions of various instruments of the woodwind choir--piccolos, flutes, clarinets, oboes, English horns, bassoons, and contrabassoons. Uses close-up photography to illustrate the techniques of playing these woodwinds. Includes excerpts from Brahms' First symphony, Beethoven's Turkish march, and Brahms' Fourth symphony.

8194. Thermodynamics (08:39)

Date:
1938
Summary:
Discusses the chemical reactions that create heat and how we harness heat to generate power.

8195. Velocity of chemical reactions (10:58)

Date:
1938
Summary:
Reveals how the nature, concentration, and temperature of reacting substances affect the velocity of chemical reactions. Through laboratory experiments and animated drawings demonstrates and explains the role of these factors with respect to the velocity of molecules, spheres of influence; and vibrational energy. Through animation explains reversible reactions and the abstract processes of chemical equilibrium.

8197. [Destroyed homes, 1937] (04:39)

Date:
1937
Summary:
Black and white footage of homes and buildings that have been damaged and destroyed, possibly as the result of a tornado. Ends with a man scaling a catfish. Location unknown.

8198. [Skating spring 1937--Wilkinson family] (04:31)

Date:
1937
Summary:
Bernadine Bailey's sister, Joy, and her nephew, Paul Freeman Wilkinson emerge from the Wilkinson family home in Western Springs, Illinois. Paul is wearing roller skates. He roller skates down the sidewalk with an unknown girl as a collie plays alongside them. Bailey joins her sister, nephew, mother (Nellie Voigt Freeman), and an unknown man (possibly her husband, John Hays Bailey) as the group poses in front of the house. Brief shots of Paul Freeman Wilkinson riding a tricycle and a couple (possibly the Wilkinsons) working in the yard.

8199. [Wilkinson family, 1937] (02:26)

Date:
1937
Summary:
Shows a group of people posing for the camera in front of their house, including Nellie Freeman, Bernadine Bailey's mother. The rest of the group is likely Paul R. Wilkinson (the younger man with glasses), his siblings, and parents. Paul F. Wilkinson, Bernadine Bailey's nephew, is playing with a group of other children.

8200. A backward civilization (the Berbers of Northern Africa) (21:00)

Date:
1937
Main contributors:
Erpi Classroom Films Inc., Ellsworth Huntington, Ph.D. Yale University
Summary:
Presents study of economic and social conditions in a society isolated from the rest of the world by almost impenetrable natural barriers. Discloses representative aspects of the daily life of superstitions. Analyze the factors involved in continued existence of backward societies.