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Holmes (Burton) Films, Inc.Communications and Our Town (1947)

A telephone technician explains to two young boys how different types of communication foster links and interdependence between people.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Holmes (Burton) Films, Inc.
Sponsor: Vocational Guidance Films, Inc.
Audio/Visual: Sd, B&W
Keywords: Communication: General; Interdependence; Sociology

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: eb4423 - - October 23, 2007
Subject: narrated
This is one of those films that doesn't have dialogue from the actors but instead relies on a narrator retelling the entire story. Informative though, but repetitive probably because it is intended for children.

Reviewer: ERD - - June 11, 2006
Subject: Communication And Our Town
A very good 1947 film for children that educated them about local communications. I found the narration, direction and filming well done for its time. Historically, you get the feel of the late 1940's watching "Communication And Our Town."

Reviewer: Marcus Tee - - June 11, 2006
Subject: Not Jerry Mathers
This is a typical film used to educate children in the 50's. The two boys, though they do look somewaht like Jerry Mathers and Rusty Stevens, or NOT in fact those boys. Jerry Mathers has never been in any film like this save a short for US Savings Bonds. If you would like to learn more about Beaver and Jerry Mathers, visit The First Leave It To Beaver WebSite at:

www.litb.com

Marcus Tee

Reviewer: jas72 - - September 20, 2005
Subject: 1947?
According to imdb.com, Jerry Mathers (aka, the Beaver) was born in 1948. How did he appear in a 1947 film? He looks maybe 9 years old here, so maybe 1957 is the correct date?

Reviewer: Christine Hennig - - July 28, 2004
Subject: Hey, It's Better Than Working!
A telephone lineman rescues a model plane from some telephone wires and returns it to the two boys who threw it there, one of whom is Jerry Mathers as the Beaver, while overly-dramatic music plays on the soundtrack. Rather than bawling them out, the lineman takes a large chunk out of his workday to talk with them about the various forms of communication in their community, including the telephone, mail, and radio. The Beave points out that an obvious form of communication is ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂjust talking to people,ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ but the lineman, although agreeing with this, never lets the boys talk for themselves, but insists upon narrating the entire film in voice-over. He then creates an elaborate, though primitive, model of their town on the sidewalk, using rolls of tape, a pocketknife, and other lineman stuff, and connects everything together, including the ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂchurch,ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ with short lengths of telephone wire, which coincidentally form a pentagram. Just when youÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂre beginning to wonder about the wholesomeness of this linemanÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs influence on young minds, he decides to get back to work, after giving the boys the ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂfunÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ assignment of making a list of all the different kinds of communication they can find in their town, the better to spread his Satanic philosophÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂno, no, forget I said that. That pentagram means nothing, actually. Granted, Eddie Haskell did grow up to be Alice CoopÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂno, no, itÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs just a coincidence, folks. Move along, now. Nothing to see here.
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - April 6, 2003
Subject: Failure to communicate?
A sweet curious charmer of a movie, it starts with a telephone repairman acquiring a model plane caught in telephone wires. Soon, to hammer down the point, a voice booms "I'm a telephone repairman' in a voice so announcer-like you're like "riiiiiight.." Soon, the kids and the repairman are discussing the many modes of communication. Curiously though, the talk that they have is all alluded to by the announcer. You never hear the kids talk, it's always "Timmy said that he.." What kind of communication is that? Soon, it dissolves to the repairman making pentagrams with telephone wires and the kids, for fun, find out all the ways people can communicate. Now, if that's not fun, I don't know what is.

Shotlist

SHOWS A VARIETY OF TYPES OF COMMUNICATION, DIVIDED INTO THOSE SEEN & THOSE HEARD. THIS WEB OF COMMUNICATIONS IS EXPLAINED IN TERMS OF ITS SOCIAL EFFECT ASA LINK BETWEEN PEOPLE. A nameless telephone company lineman spends an amazing amount of time explaining "communication" to two young boys.


COMMUNICATIONS PEOPLE TOWNS NEWSPAPERS RADIO MASS MEDIA