Remember the post-WWII buzz about the great new products being produced out of the strange but useful materials called plastic, Mylar and Plexiglas? This DVD has six fantastic old films from the 1940s and 50s that showcase the production, testing and usefulness of these futuristic materials. You can?t find this special compilation of rare filmstrips anywhere else!
Included Films:
Plastics
Plastics
Produced: 1944
Length: 15 Minutes
A prophetic vintage video, this promotional film seeks to educate the public about a new and exciting technological breakthrough material: plastic. The thrust of the film is a reaction to the ramped up production of World War II, thus the need to promote peacetime manufacturing with wartime materials. All the same, the video discusses the history, production, and use of plastics in great detail, creating a high educational value. The science and chemistry behind the production is also touched upon, adding further historical value. Overall, this film is a highly informative piece on a material that is hardly recognized today, yet ironically is invisibly pervasive in nearly every facet of daily life which is enhanced by technology.
Whats It to You
Whats It to You
Produced: 1955
Length: 23 Minutes
An expensively produced mixture of infomercial, science fair, and game show, this film is the perfect look at vintage marketing. Demonstrating the wonders of DuPonts latest product, Mylar, the film takes camp to the next level. A super strong transparent polyester film, Mylar is resistant to temperature changes, stress, acid, and more. Its durability is apparent, because this film documents many dramatic (and hilarious) tests being performed on this new material. Narrated and hosted by a scientist and his cute female assistants, the film shows Mylar being used as a trampoline, being boiled in acid, catching a bowling ball, and trapping odors by enclosing a live skunk! Bizarre and fun to say the least, this film excels with all the charm, creativity, and general wackiness that simply cant be found in promotional videos today.
The Kingdom of Plastics
The Kingdom of Plastics
Produced: 1945
Length: 10 Minutes
In the old days, there were only the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms, but this film adds a new one: the plastic kingdom. In this cute educational film, little Susie doesnt know about the fourth kingdom as she plays twenty questions, though, so her engineer dad has to set her straight. Unfortunately for the other kids at Susies party, dad then launches into a lesson on plastics, thermoplastics, thermosetting compounds, and plastic production. This film was sponsored by GE, and shows all the wartime and peacetime applications of plastics. Then to the best most entertaining part, the film goes on to speculate wildly about the ways plastic might be used in the future: plastic shoes, fabrics, and more. The Kingdom of Plastics illuminates the post World War II demand for peacetime plastic uses, as well as providing campy entertainment in a wonderful vintage film.
Looking Ahead Through Plexiglas
Looking Ahead Through Plexiglas
Produced: 1940
Length: 20 Minutes
Witness the wave of the future through Plexiglas! This short film, Looking Ahead Through Plexiglas, displays the wonder and creativity that became available with the advent of this synthetic material during the 1940s. Its versatile properties are enumerated in this historical movie, amazing for viewers even to this day! While magazines, fancy décor, and useful home appliances benefited from the transparent plastic, it was also used during wartime as airplane windshields, canopies, and gun turrets. This video expresses the historical benefits and practicalities Plexiglas was able to accomplish and serves as a nifty snapshot of a time past in technological development.
Looking Ahead Through Rohm & Haas Plexiglas
Looking Ahead Through Rohm & Haas Plexiglas
Produced: 1947
Length: 5 Minutes
Imagine a whole house filled with amazing Plexiglas material – so useful, it even lives in your shower! Easy to manufacture, and even easier to use, this short vintage film depicts all the different ways the versatile plastic can be employed – the possibilities abound! From shelves and sliding doors to cabinets and racks, this manufactured substance was truly all the rage. With this 1950s video, the seemingly limitless Plexiglas household improvements are examined, and the style it created was nothing short of glamorous.
Plastic Age Anniversary
Plastic Age Anniversary
Produced: 1940
Length: 8 Minutes
Hooray for the development of plastic! This film shows the emergence of factories all over the country able to mass-produce essential materials like plates that wont break, WWII model airplanes, saran, and much more. With each snapshot of diligent workers, viewers are able to comprehend the speedy development of industry in the United States during the Second World War, and how that changed the rate of production. This industrial video takes a perfect look at the impact wartime manufacturing and production had on the world.
