Science

Easy to Get (US Army Service Forces, 1947)

In story format, over footage of soldiers picking up girls in a drug store and in a night club, the dangers of sexual intercourse with pick-ups and prostitutes are emphasized. The results of untreated gonorrhea and/or syphilis are shown ina man with swollen knees, a man having a heart attack, an infected penis, a bed-ridden older man, and a man whose speech and memory have become defective. Over and over, the narrator urges the viewer to use condoms, visit the pro station, and report to his medical officer immediately if he suspects that he has contracted a venereal disease.

Drinking Water (US Navy, 1945)

A United States Navy training film In humorous animated cartoon format, the soldier is instructed to drink only water from safe supplies. The consequences of not rationing one's individual water supply when away from camp are shown. The dangers of drinking from untreated water supplies are shown. The locale is the Asian jungle; the enemy is Japan. Film aimed at marines engaged in jungle warfare.

Don't Leave it All to the Experts (USPHS, 1969)

This U.S. Public Health Service film is aimed at the general public and discusses the need for citizen involvement in implementation of the Federal Clean Air Act of 1967. The message is narrated over shots of such major air pollution problem areas as traffic-clogged cities and smoke-stack industrial centers, as well a community meeting of citizens and "government experts." Citizens are urged to take an active part in the setting and carrying out of the standards for reduction of air pollution. There are also shots of patients hospitalized with respiratory problems.

Die englische Krankheit (Third Reich and UFA, 1941)

To toggle captions between German and English, select Settings button to the right of the “CC” symbol (place cursor in the movie frame itself, lower right). In Subtitles/CC box, change preferred language by clicking on the arrow. Captions: Leonhard Link. Made during World War II by the German Ministry of Health in collaboration with UFA, Germany's largest movie studio, this short film combines Nazi propaganda with a discussion of the symptoms, treatment, and prevention of rickets in infants and young children.

Countdown to Collision (Airlie Productions, 1972)

There is an opening poem describing a pristine land as the camera scans the landscape. Then the film shows bulldozers plowing up the land. It then shows the area being paved with concrete and construction on the site. Trash is strewn everywhere. People are interviewed about the quality of life they have. Older people reflect on the changes that have been made to the land over their lifetimes. Other people comment on pollution, over-population, and other environmental issues.

Competition and Dominance Hierarchies in Rats (O.H. Mowrer, J.S. Kornreich, Isabelle Yoffe, 1940)

This film shows experiments on competition and dominance hierarchies in rats. From an economy of abundance, rats are put into situations where competition for food is essential. At first the rats behave very similarly; they compete but do not fight. When insufficient food for their complete satisfaction is given, savage fighting develops. A definite dominance hierarchy (i.e., dominant, intermediate, subordinate) soon emerges. Personality typing based on this kind of social experience seems to be relatively permanent.

Cloud in the Sky (National Tuberculosis Association, 1940)

This film deals with the problems of pulmonary tuberculosis among Hispanic Americans. In one family, the mother dies of tuberculosis. A young adult daughter becomes ill with fatigue and coughing. Her father urges her to see a doctor, but she denies she is ill with claims that she has been working too hard. Eventually, she can no longer deny her illness and asks her parish priest to pray for her. The priest strongly advises her to see a physician, accept treatment, and not use patent medicines.

Beware the Wind (Airlie Productions, 1967)

The films opens with smoke everywhere, so much smoke that it obscures the ground. The smoke is a result of burning to clear land, to create power, and run cars. There is also the problem of dust from grinding and crushing. These are two of the many sources of air pollution. The pollution leaks into the air and is concentrated in cities. The combination of industrial pollution and automobile exhaust causes cancer in the people who breathe the air. The same pollution is found in Europe. Dr. Brandt at the Robert A. Taft Center in Cincinnati reports on the damage air pollution does to plants.

Ask Your Dentist [Silent] (Producer unknown, 1928)

The dangers of dental caries and how to prevent them are emphasized in this film. A class of grade-school children learn about the teeth. Written on the board are questions and answers: Why you need teeth--to cut and grind food--a model set of teeth is used to demonstrate chewing; to give form to the face--this is shown on models of heads and teeth of people with malocclusions; to aid personal appearance--shown in footage of a boy before and after repair of his teeth. The causes of caries in teeth are presented using a large model tooth. Immediate repair is advocated.