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Handy (Jam) OrganizationAll-American Soap Box Derby (1936) (1936)

Official film of early Soap Box Derby competition in Akron, Ohio; tribute to ingenuity of the American Boy.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Handy (Jam) Organization
Sponsor: Chevrolet Motor Company
Audio/Visual: Sd, B&W
Keywords: Car culture: Children; Soap Box Derby; Gender roles

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: info@mooersrealty.com - - April 8, 2007
Subject: Northern Maine Soap Box Derby!
This film is a hoot! Good old fashioned values...not hokie...how America was built on hard work, fair play and determination. One review wonders if this sport still exists...sure does. From 1934 to present! Houlton Maine built is own hill fashioned after the three lane Akron Ohio world series of racing venue. Please visit www.samhahockey.tripod.com/nmsbd for rich information on the Northern Maine Soap Box Derby Race Program that is 12 years young. Houlton Maine in Aroostook County was the largest USA race five years running with close to 200 youth competing for the trip to Akron, Ohio!

Reviewer: Karma Hawk - - April 3, 2005
Subject: Go Speed Racer! Go Speed Racer! Go Speed Racer Go!
Does this sport even exist anymore? Anyways this is a nicely produced short detailing the "All American Soap Box Derby" which if you didn't know was baisicly where kids were encouraged to build thier own cars and then race them down a hill in hopes of winning a college scholarship. Cool overexagerated naration, my favorate part is when he takes you for a "ride" down the track via some camera attatched to a car. Cool little short overall. Oh and as Spuzz already mentioned the intro montage is indeed gold.

Reviewer: Steve Nordby - - August 29, 2004
Subject: Jam Handy Checklist
Pompous anouncer? Check.
Cute kids? Check.
Promotes automobiles? Check.
Promotes the sponsors? Check.
Seems fair? Check.

First prize is a college scholarship. Second prize is a car. Which is worth more?

Reviewer: Christine Hennig - - April 27, 2003
Subject: All-American Soap Box Derby
General Motors sponsored this film, as well as the derby, which was supposed to be a tribute to the "All-American Boy." The bombastic narration lends a campy air to the proceedings, which is good, because otherwise they'd be pretty dull, especially the awards banquet at the end. Campy moments include the opening montage of "friendly competition," which goes from friendly games of marbles on to progressively more aggressive sports, such as football, wrestling, and boxing, all while the narrator expounds on how this builds character; the closing montage of faces of boys dissolving into each other, seemingly communicating a message of conformity, and the closing assertion that these boys would go on to fight other battles which is superimposed over an American flagconsidering the timing of the film you can't help wondering how many of them would die in World War II. A ripe film for msting.
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - December 21, 2002
Subject: All Hail The Boys!
Wonderfully patriotic soap box derby short which features the 1936 races. Plenty of exciting races is blended well with the almost drooling narration, which is somewhat perverse in it's passion for the 'boy'. Great scenes of other boys playing sports too, such as tug of war, football and a great boxing scene. Reccomended.

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CHILDREN AUTOMOBILES MODELS HOBBIES SOAP BOX DERBY CHEVROLET DAYTON OHIO TEENAGERS ADOLESCENTS BOYS FADS TRANSPORTATION CULTURE 1930S