Instructional Videos/Social Guidance Films

[donnie]

Here's another interesting one I watched recently: Dial Comes to Town (1940) made by the Bell Telephone System. It's amazing that people needed this much help with something seemingly so straightforward and simple (or at least Bell thought they did).

I wonder if these types of meetings were actually held; I guess they were. And look at how dressed up these people are—to go learn to dial a phone.

I like the grandfather in this, and his granddaughter's affection for him, even when he is being cantankerous and grumpy over the new-fangled invention.

The woman in the demonstration in the last portion seems to me to be overacting. The way she looks down between phrases or sentences seems a little offputtingly (is that a word?) artificial and unnatural. What do you think?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p45T7U5oi9Q

[donnie]

I really like the boy and girl in this one. (The ones in the second house, that is.) Are they too good to be true? Totally. But I like them, anyway. Talk about being squared away! I wish I could have been this mature when I was that age.

Obligations, 1950
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQdJ-qsbrjg

[Kitty]

Dial Comes to Town (1940) made by the Bell Telephone System.

I like the grandfather in this, and his granddaughter's affection for him, even when he is being cantankerous and grumpy over the new-fangled invention.

I love that the granddaughter isn't all whiny at the grandpa because he's an old fogey. There's some kind of camraderie between the two. It's either that, or the girl is a good actress!

I think the part where the grandpa is talking to his friend would likely be confusing to younger people of today. They would probably be asking what he was talking about when he mentioned Eve's droppers and that story about airplanes.

The woman in the demonstration in the last portion seems to me to be overacting. The way she looks down between phrases or sentences seems a little offputtingly (is that a word?) artificial and unnatural. What do you think?

I think she's wearing false eyelashes, and that the looking down between every sentence is a learned behavior. I think it's a learned behavior that is meant to make her look cute and sexy, but to our modern eyes, it's weird and annoying, sort of like a strange choreograph.

I'm sure glad that the busy signal and dial tone sound evolved into a softer tone instead of that terrible buzzing sound!

It's really fascinating to know how things worked back in the day. What a job those phone operators had!

[Kitty]

I really like the boy and girl in this one. (The ones in the second house, that is.) Are they too good to be true? Totally. But I like them, anyway. Talk about being squared away! I wish I could have been this mature when I was that age.
Obligations, 1950

That daughter's bed in the second family's house is the tightest made bed I have ever seen!
At first glance, I totally thought that the chairs at the breakfast table were wheelchairs!

There's something about these unrealistic sickeningly sweet oh-so-perfect depictions of family life that is so alluring. Kind of like when I watch Hello Dolly and suddenly have the urge to play dress up. For me, they're inspiring!

Actually, I always did my homework right after getting home from school so I could just have it over with. That way I'd have the whole rest of the day to myself. I'm like that with bills as an adult, too. I just want to get the unpleasant stuff over with, get it off my shoulders, and then go antique shopping.

Love how the brother and sister hang out together. That was my brother and I when we were younger, and then my sister and I when she got old enough. Fun stuff, good memories. I was always kind of a homebody and she's almost 8 years younger than me, so we used to do each others hair and cute stuff like that.

Interesting that the narrator says 'sodas and cokes' at the part where they go to the movies.

By the way, the mother in the first house sure looks a lot like an older Jane Wyatt.

One more thing. Really, did they have to go over a second time everything we just saw played out? I think we got it the first time, bud. We could have seen more of this wonderfully perfect family.

[donnie]

I think she's wearing false eyelashes, and that the looking down between every sentence is a learned behavior. I think it's a learned behavior that is meant to make her look cute and sexy, but to our modern eyes, it's weird and annoying, sort of like a strange choreograph.

Yes, a learned acting technique, for sure.

I'm sure glad that the busy signal and dial tone sound evolved into a softer tone instead of that terrible buzzing sound!

Yes! That would have gotten old really quickly.

At first glance, I totally thought that the chairs at the breakfast table were wheelchairs!

The whole scene at the breakfast table seemed a little strange (but nice), the way they were crowded up together at the small table and were all so animated. I didn’t notice the chairs, but I noticed that the girl’s shoes look very unusual. Her hair also seems much longer than it was normally worn during that period—it was especially noticeable in that scene where they were listening to the radio.

There's something about these unrealistic sickeningly sweet oh-so-perfect depictions of family life that is so alluring. Kind of like when I watch Hello Dolly and suddenly have the urge to play dress up. For me, they're inspiring!

Yes! They often put me into a self-improvement kind of frame of mind.

Actually, I always did my homework right after getting home from school so I could just have it over with. That way I'd have the whole rest of the day to myself. I'm like that with bills as an adult, too. I just want to get the unpleasant stuff over with, get it off my shoulders, and then go antique shopping.

I admire you. I always waited until the last minute to do my homework—if I did it at all. As I say, I’d like to have been more like these two. (I have gotten somewhat better as an adult.)

Love how the brother and sister hang out together. That was my brother and I when we were younger, and then my sister and I when she got old enough. Fun stuff, good memories. I was always kind of a homebody and she's almost 8 years younger than me, so we used to do each others hair and cute stuff like that.

Nice!

Interesting that the narrator says 'sodas and cokes' at the part where they go to the movies.

I didn’t notice that. I thought…hmm.

One more thing. Really, did they have to go over a second time everything we just saw played out? I think we got it the first time, bud. We could have seen more of this wonderfully perfect family.

Yes, that did seem oddly repetitive. I could see repeating the main points briefly to sum up, but drawing it out that long seemed more like a rerun. I guess they wanted to hammer it home. This is the only film I’ve seen from this company. I wonder if they were all like that? Probably so.

Thanks for watching these!

[Kitty]

Thanks for watching these!

They're fun! Keep em coming. It may take a few days for me to respond, but I'll get to them!

[donnie]

Wow, this is one is rather bizarre. It ends, “Real enjoyment…that’s what a dinner party is for.” I sure couldn’t have enjoyed this one. Talk about an etiquette minefield!

Good manners are important to a degree, but going to that length so that you make yourself miserable with hundreds of little rules and potential missteps—it's kind of hard to understand. I didn't realize there would be this degree of formality with a teenage event as late as 1945. Poor Bob. I feel sorry for the guy!

And just when it came up about cutting your celery into pieces before eating it—I was sitting there having chomped down a whole stalk of celery—just the way I found it. Uh. Oh. My bad.

The way this film was made was rather odd, too. Only the narrator speaks, and it's a little confusing how he asks a lot of specific questions and immediately goes on without giving the audience any indication what the correct answer might be. Sometimes the answer is obvious, but sometimes not (at least to me).

It's also a little puzzling how the narration has the characters bouncing back and forth between humiliated self-consciousness and relaxed enjoyment.

Dinner Party (1945). Presentation of proper table etiquette for teenagers. Producer: Simmel-Meservey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLsLUclkU_E

[BettyLouSpence]

Wow, this is one is rather bizarre. It ends, “Real enjoyment…that’s what a dinner party is for.” I sure couldn’t have enjoyed this one. Talk about an etiquette minefield!

Good manners are important to a degree, but going to that length so that you make yourself miserable with hundreds of little rules and potential missteps—it's kind of hard to understand...

Yeah, I can understand the obvious ones that are meant so you don't gross everyone out: chew with mouth closed, etc. But I have no idea how anyone can relax when there's so many rules and even more exceptions to said rules. I would be on edge and just end up embarrassing myself in the end

[Kitty]

Good manners are important to a degree, but going to that length so that you make yourself miserable with hundreds of little rules and potential missteps—it's kind of hard to understand.
Dinner Party (1945). Presentation of proper table etiquette for teenagers. Producer: Simmel-Meservey.

I definitely agree that good manners are important to a degree, but I believe that degree is to not be messy and try not to talk with your mouth full. As long as you're not being gross, I think you're in the clear.

Wow! I don't think I could have enjoyed myself fully, either, if I had to constantly worry about making little tiny mistakes. I was surprised that they didn't make mention of the way they hold their spoons while eating their soup; I'd always heard that the 'proper' way to eat soup was to scoop the spoon away from you.

I'm a lefty, and I'd be holding my fork with the left hand, so I've been doing it wrong all along!
As for the celery, I probably wouldn't eat that at all if it was a full stalk. It's just too much trouble and adds nothing to the food. Or would it be bad manners to leave food on the plate? oh, no! I'd be a terrible guest to that dinner party.

As for being animated in a chat during the dinner, of course Bob went to far as to be careless, BUT I don't think there's anything at all wrong to be yourself anywhere. After all, they're all friends, right? So they all know how each one of them are on the regular. If you're too proper at a dinner party, isn't it just fake? And don't you think that if Bob were a constant slob that he probably wouldn't have been invited to the dinner party at all? (Wait, is this a birthday party for Bob that Betty gave for him? I forgot about that part.)

As for (lots of 'as for's' in this ramble!) the friends copying each other, how is that better, anyway? The narrator says something like Betty would rather be doing the same thing as her friend next to her etc. How is it better, if he's doing wrong, too? Isn't that the same as cheating in school?

I think it would be kind of fun to study an etiquette book and have a little etiquette dinner party. (Friendly, of course!) It wouldn't be good to have to be serious and self conscious the whole time, but I feel like it would be fun to give eachother a gentle ribbing. The only problem is that I haven't had this many friends at one time since elementary school

It's a shame that the audio is damaged in parts. This is a cute little, albeit, I agree, bizarre, video. I wonder if it was a companion to a text book or something, because, really, it's not very informative. It assumes that the viewer already knows the many rules of etiquette there apparently are!

[donnie]

I would be on edge and just end up embarrassing myself in the end

You mean...elbows on the table and everything?

Wait, is this a birthday party for Bob that Betty gave for him? I forgot about that part.

Yes, and that made me wonder why Bob has to be the one in charge of cutting and distributing the meat.

I wonder if it was a companion to a text book or something, because, really, it's not very informative. It assumes that the viewer already knows the many rules of etiquette there apparently are!

Yes, it doesn’t seem practical for teaching unless there was a study guide or textbook with it.

And this film, my friends, is the only place you will hear a line like:
“Bernie eats a radish and simply enjoys it, and he seems certain of himself.” [←imagine dancing radish here]


I hope I’m as confident as Bernie next time I eat a radish (which will be tonight, by the way; I’ll try to report back ).