Thanks to the Internet Wayback Archive, this movie is available to anyone who wishes to watch it. I'm extremely grateful for such an opportunity - since there wouldn't be any other way to watch Elektro in action, and the Trylon and Perisphere in a movie.
I was reminded of Donald Fagen's "I.G.Y" (International Geophysical Year). It seems that back in 1939, optimism was rampant. The future was bright, and we'd all be dressed up in spandex jackets (oh, wait...). As a showcase of the 1939 Westinghouse Exhibit at the World Fair, this movie is unbeatable.
As far as propaganda goes, it's extremely dated, though. A cheating commie professor trying to marry the capitalist's daughter; the all-American engineer nabbing her at the end, African-Americans working menial jobs, the blind faith in technology and electricity to solve all of our problems. It's just too much - people and situations are nothing more than caricatures of their counterparts.
I'm not really surprised about the demise of Westinghouse after watching this piece, though. Then again, hindsight is always 20/20, isn't it?
I was reminded of Donald Fagen's "I.G.Y" (International Geophysical Year). It seems that back in 1939, optimism was rampant. The future was bright, and we'd all be dressed up in spandex jackets (oh, wait...). As a showcase of the 1939 Westinghouse Exhibit at the World Fair, this movie is unbeatable.
As far as propaganda goes, it's extremely dated, though. A cheating commie professor trying to marry the capitalist's daughter; the all-American engineer nabbing her at the end, African-Americans working menial jobs, the blind faith in technology and electricity to solve all of our problems. It's just too much - people and situations are nothing more than caricatures of their counterparts.
I'm not really surprised about the demise of Westinghouse after watching this piece, though. Then again, hindsight is always 20/20, isn't it?