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National Motion Pictures CompanyTold By a Tooth (1939)

An animated tooth lectures children about a balanced dental hygiene program.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: National Motion Pictures Company
Sponsor: N/A
Audio/Visual: Sd, B&W
Keywords: Health: Dentistry; Animation

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: Spuzz - - July 26, 2005
Subject: Brusha brusha brusha
Very strangely primitive (ok, maybe it WAS 1939 but wouldnt they have learned anything?) film about how important it was to take care of your teeth, Narrated by a scary looking animated tooth, the film is essentially a telling of how to take care of your teeth. Er, especially when a large one is in your living room. Waiting for you to feed it. Shirley Temple look-alikes preferred please. Make sure you exercise them regularily (by chewing crunchy foods! Not soft ones!) and of course, make sure you brush. But, uh, couldnt they make brushing your teeth a LITTLE more fun, instead of the zombie-looking girl they had for these shots? Just wondering.

Reviewer: Ja30fitz - - July 24, 2005
Subject: A GREAT FILM!!!
How could ANYONE not like this film? It is hilarious! An animated tooth lecturing you on things to do to "help him stay strong"? How can that miss?!?! The tooth advocates eating hard foods, and assures children that exercise is enjoyable. When it comes to creepy, bizzare films from the 1930s, this is the #1 film to see! It is a classic and VERY funny!

Reviewer: Bunko - - December 17, 2003
Subject: Beyond dull...
"Told By a Tooth" opens with a brief bit of amateurish animation (which smacks of early 30s Van Beuren Studios work) before plunging headlong into bland footage of bland children demonstrating proper dental hygiene. Like watching your Great Aunt's home movies.

There is something unspeakably creepy, however, about the scenes of the little girl pouring milk and food into the giant model tooth as though they were offerings to some bizarre pagan idol.

Shotlist

Illustrates the four points of a balanced dental hygiene program. Stresses proper nutrition, exercise of the teeth and gums, correct use of the tooth brush, and periodic visits to the dentist.
Ken Smith sez: This film teaches tooth care and brushing skills to children. It's narrated by an annoying animated cartoon tooth, who makes a brief appearance at the film's beginning. A slow-moving film, though there are some very weird scenes of a frozen-faced little girl spitting into a sink and dumping plateloads of food onto a giant tooth alter. You'll never forget this film's maddening xylophone soundtrack.
Child pours food onto three dimensional model of tooth.
Girl brushing tooth and spitting out toothpaste.
Girl visits dentist;
An animated tooth tells us how to care for teeth.
TEETH TOOTHBRUSHES MOUTH CARTOON ANIMATION FOOD WORSHIP IDOLS WEIRDNESS SURREALISM STRANGENESS