Handy (Jam) OrganizationDeath to Weeds (1947)

Shows new herbicides incorporating 2-4-D.

This item is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Handy (Jam) Organization
Audio/Visual: Sd, C
Keywords: Herbicides; Chemical industry; Agriculture: Herbicides and pesticides

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: Christine Hennig - - January 5, 2006
Subject: The Final Solution to the Weed Problem

Thats right, death to weeds! Kill em all!! Theyre EVIL!! Thats the attitude of this Dow Chemical film from the 50s. Certain plants are labeled weeds by human beings and are thus deserving of death by chemical means. And the film shows us how effectively Dow insecticides blast them off this mortal coil for good. Granted, some of the plants shown are genuinely problematic, but the strident note of this film gets to you after awhile. Like some of the fly control films made at the same time, you start to feel a sense that the bright, clean 50s world could only exist through diligent efforts to root out impurities growing underfoot, such as flies, weeds, dirt, and Communists. Organic food lovers and environmentalists will find this film upsetting. Plant-haters will delight in all the scenes of gruesome plant death and the ending declaration that all weeds, everywhere, must be eradicated by chemical means.
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - April 16, 2003
Subject: Before and after..

The whole line of Dow's new weed killers are shown in 'Death To Weeds', a boring infomercial designed to wow farmers on how 'safe' the chemicals, such as d-44, were to your plant and animals. It pretty much follows this standard.. A state is shown, an overgrown field is shown, then the spraying, and the effect after it's done. Fairly numbing.

Shotlist

NEW PESTICIDES, INCORPORATING 2-4-D, ARE SHOWN. GOOD CROP-DUSTING. BEFORE-AND-AFTER SCENES OF CROPS & FIELDS. "DEATH SENTENCE" TO WEEDS AT START. TIME-LAPSE SHOT OF WEED WITHERING IN POT.


CROPS FIELDS FARMS AGRICULTURE PESTICIDES SPRAYING TRUCKS AIRPLANES CROP DUSTING BEFORE AND AFTER 2-4-D DIOXIN TOXIC CHEMICALS HEALTH AND SAFETY WORKERS FIELDS PLANTS WEEDS WEED KILLERS Danger Lurks SCENICS HUMOR PROCLAMATIONS DEATH SENTENCES POISONS VEGETABLES CANS DISPLAYS FARM MACHINERY PACKAGING CONTAINERS TIME-LAPSE PHOTOGRAPHY WITHERING