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The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair (1939)

1939, sound, 55 min, Technicolor, 35mm. Transferred from a 35mm nitrate print.

See: Andrew Wood, "The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair," http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/wooda/middleton/index1.html.

This drama illustrates the contribution of free enterprise, technology, and Westinghouse products to the American way of life. The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair pits an anti-capitalist bohemian artist boyfriend against an all-American electrical engineer who believes in improving society by working through corporations. The Middletons experience Westinghouse's technological marvels at the Fair and win back their daughter from her leftist boyfriend.

Memorable moments: the dishwashing contest between Mrs. Modern and Mrs. Drudge; Electro, the smoking robot; and the Westinghouse time capsule.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Production Company: Audio Productions Inc.
Audio/Visual: sound, color
Language: English
Keywords: World's Fairs; technology; capitalism; communism; time capsules

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: criterion1884 - - May 27, 2009
Subject: time capsule
This film depicting the Westinghouse time capsule is itself a time capsule of middle American values (dare one say "self-satisfaction:?) in 1939. A classic.

Reviewer: mlwvandenberg - - December 24, 2008
Subject: Good story
People back in 1939 must have been more spiritual and aware because they understood the problem of communism, modernism and leftism.

Notice the judic, unhumorous and wining communist. Why would America accept people like this? They did not and that is why America was save from leftism... for a while. Now America is a socialist state.

Reviewer: HI-BRAZIL - - August 9, 2008
Subject: Electrics and hypocrasis
SHOCKING!!!

Reviewer: ERD. - - July 31, 2008
Subject: Early form of infommercial
A glossy, well done pre World War II film by Westinghouse that is now charmingly nostalgic, despite the fact most people didn't live in such an affluent and idealistic life as the Middleton's.
Jimmy Lydon and Marjorie Lord went on to better things in their acting career.

Reviewer: Greg B. - - July 30, 2008
Subject: World's Fair film with not so suble politcal overtones
All American familty visit the fair. Bab's commie boyfriend complains along the way how big business is keeping down the working man. Not to worry, Grandma gets him in the end (in a rather cruel trick that makes here granddaughter look foolish... that part was a little out of place in this film). Don't worry, they all live happily ever after and look forward to the great things to come (like WWII, the cold war, etc?).

Reviewer: Spuzz - - June 6, 2008
Subject: Fun!
Took me a while to get to this, but here it is, 1/3 family drama, 1/3 GWestinghouse Propaganda film and 1/3 Fair documentary. The film is about Babs and her new boyfriend. Babs, the Boyfriend and her family all go to the World Fair - Problem is, Jim, Bab's ex, also works there!
This is a amazing relic, with hardly a nick on it, the fair looks spectacular here, and there's a whole pile of GE righteousness going on. As for the story, I am not too sure if Jim is right for Bab either. Jim looks like the type of guy who flies off the handle too easily whenever The Wrong Thing Is Said. I'd give it 6 months before Babs is back at home again.

Reviewer: JudgeBear69 - - February 23, 2008
Subject: Not a "Fair" representation of the FAIR
I have been wanting to see this film ever since the mid 1980s.

At that time, there was really good a documentary about the "1939 & 40 NY World's Fair" [narrated by Jason Robards] and they showed some of the more "tolerable" clips from THIS "Middleton" movie.

This film however, shows hardly anything of the fair itself -- just the actors portraying "naive Americans" who believe all other countries besides the USA are "trash" or something!

My dad [who was a kid back then] didn't like this film either, but he said that alot of people DID think & act this way back then.

I AM a conservative and I LOVE nostalgia as much as anyone and I'm NOT a "trouble maker" either!

But THIS film is unbelievably irritating & corny propaganda.

The scene where they infer that ANYONE who "draws abstract drawings is evil" is one of the stupidest numb-skulled ideas I've ever heard!!

If this film had lots & lots & lots of ACTUAL FOOTAGE of the "fair" itself, THAT might be worth it!

But no, this is 95% "fake American family drama" with 5% reference to the fair. Not a "fair" representation of that great FAIR, I think.

All the people who love to WHINE about President Bush should be forced to sit thru THIS film. They'd just LOVE living in a USA that THIS film portrays, heh heh.

Reviewer: Visual16 - - January 2, 2008
Subject: Wonderful addition to Prelinger Archives!
Thanks so much for this great film. Great digital rendering! Very enjoyable viewing! A nice lookback at the 1939 New York World's fair. Prior to this, there were the silent "home movies" on the archive. This is a dramatic upgrade for students of film history.

Reviewer: Scribble - - December 5, 2007
Subject: Perfect Transfer
On a technical level, this is a beautiful transfer, no artifacts and full frame. This should be the standard by which all films on the archive should be made available!

Credits

Sponsor: Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co.
Production Company: Audio Productions Inc.
Director/Writer: Robert R. Snody. Camera: William Steiner. Music: Edwin E. Ludig. Editor: Sol E. Feuerman.
Cast: Marjorie Lord (Babs), James Lydon (Bud), Ruth Lee (Mother), Harry Shannon (Father), Adora Andrews (Grandma), Douglas Stark (Jim Treadway), George J. Lewis (Nick Makaroff), Georgette Harvey (Maid), Ray Perkins, Helen Bennett.
Based on a story by G.R. Hunter and Reed Drummond.