movies_creation
American Movie Archives (美國電影檔案)
- Title
- Selling America
- Year
- 1938
- Abstract
- A 1938 salesman speaks with Benjamin Franklin, “one of the greatest Generic version of a film originally produced for Frigidaire.
- Notes
-
Produced: Handy (Jam) Organization
Sponsor: N/A
Run Time: 21:29
Audio/Visual: Sd, B&W - Keyword
- Sales: Training;Franklin, Benjamin;Psychology;Franklin, Benjamin;Psychology
- Theme
- Ben Franklin: Spokesmodel
- Review
-
Another bizarre little training film from the studios of Jam Handy. The film starts out Ben Franklin arguing with a Quaker, and feeling that he may have won the argument but lost the battle. So, he devises some rules for sales. Or, so the narrator would have us believe.
The narrator goes on to tell us that Ben Franklin was the greatest salesman who ever lived (never mind that he's more known as a sciencist, inventor and statesman). Shift to a rather nicely dressed man in a dark, non-descript office, reading Ben Franklin's autobiography, and wondering how Ben's rules would apply to modern sellling.
Of course at this point, Ben Franklin's spirit appears and the movie takes a weird turn. Each of Ben's points about sales are translated into contemporary English, and then Ben Franklin illustrates the right way and the wrong way for each point. Watching Ben Franklin try to sell tires or a range is just surreal. The stilted faux Elizibethian English, poor acting and a bad bald wig don't help either.
The film has some good points, but the presentation pegs high in weirdness.
(Reviewer: Wilford B. Wolf) - Location
- A/V room, 2/F