6th Chair, The

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Moving Image:6th Chair, The
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6th Chair, The is a short film from 1949 released on 16mm. It is held in the Prelinger Archives collection.

HIGHLIGHTS SUCH PROBLEMS IN EDUCATION AS BUILDING CONSTRUCTION & MODERNIZATION, CLASS SIZE, MORE TEACHERS & UP-TO-DATE EDUCATIONAL TOOLS. PORTRAYS DANGERS OF PUBLIC COMPLACENCY TOWARD EDUCATION.

19:17:56:00 The 6th Chair 08030 19:18:09:00 MCU - American flag waving in the breeze VO - All of us, whether or not we serve in uniform, are veterans of a war in which freedom and free government are at stake (19:18:19:00) 19:18:20:00 wide shot of troops marching through streets (19:18:22:00) 19:18:25:00 med wide shot of marching troops (19:18:27:00) 19:18:28:00 med shot of marching troops (19:18:29:00) 19:18:30:00 another med shot of marching troops (19:18:32:00) 19:18:33:00 wide shot of capitol building - VO - ...we are equipped mentally, spiritually, and physically to defeat every... (19:18:37:00) 19:18:38:00 med shot of capital building VO - attack. Such fullness of knowledge is the direct function of education. (19:18:44:00) 19:18:45:00 med wide traveling shot down suburban street VO - Most of us work hard to provide our homes with every possible comfort for our children (19:18:52:00) 19:18:53:00 med shot of doctor examining child VO - We safeguard their health (19:18:54:00) 19:18:55:00 med shot of boy scouts raising flag VO - We strive to set before them good examples of moral living, of manners and deportment. (19:19:01:00) 19:19:02:00 med shot of mom saying goodbye to kids at school bus VO - Possibly, we even pamper them. (19:19:05:00) 19:19:06:00 wide shot of playground VO - Yet, complacently, even carelessly... (19:19:08:00) 19:19:09:00 med shot of kids playing on concrete tube VO - We commit our children to schools... (19:19:10:00) 19:19:11:00 med shot of kids on jungle gym VO - ...of which we know but little. (19:19:13:00) 19:19:14:00 med wide shot of group of kids heading toward school VO - We can not meet the complexities of modern life with outmoded school systems. (19:19:19:00)

19:19:32:00 wide shot of NYC(?) VO - The American way...Is it a city?... (19:19:36:00) 19:19:37:00 wide shot of field of wheat VO - Or a farm? 19:19:38:00 med shot of baseball team VO - It s the Tigers! 19:19:40:00 wide shot of baseball game VO - It s the Yanks! 19:19:41:00 med wide shot of living room with two men in arm chairs reading paper, two women talking VO - It s our home 19:19:42:00 MCU of man operating machine VO - It s my job! 19:19:43:00 MCU of newspaper press VO - The free press! 19:19:45:00 wide shot of church VO - Our father, which art in heaven 19:19:47:00 MCU of flag waving VO - Freedom...what does it mean? 19:19:50:00 cross fade to med shot of framed portrait of George Washington camera moves back to reveal five people sitting at table - older guy speaking - a lot of things: it s individual opportunity, the right of private ownership... foreign man interrupts- It s more than that! (19:19:57:00) 19:19:58:00 MCU of foreign man - It s freedom of speech...People can live without fear, and man has the right to work where he wants to... (19:20:08:00) 19:20:09:00 med wide shot of room with table where people are seated foreign man - ...with incentive. camera slowly moves to MCU of another old guy - Freedom is an ode to achievement. It permits the discovery of science. The American way eliminates the master and slave. And we who have no master, better serve the world. (19:20:22:00) 19:21:31:00 med shot of one side of the table VO - We fought a war against the isms of foreign political groups, and we re here to win the peace in our schools (19:21:38:00) 19:21:38:00 med wide shot of people at table - businessman speaks - There s no room in our schools for anything that attacks democracy. (19:21:41:00) 19:21:42:00 - CU of doctor - Foriegn isms are like germs; they can t attack a healthy body (19:21:45:00) 19:21:46:00 -- MCU of foreign guy - For years, I dreamed of coming to America. I hoped my children could be raised without fear and oppression. When you see how they live, over there, then you know. You know maybe even better than a native-born American. (19:22:06:00) 19:22:07:00 med wide shot of people at table - other jump down his throat about native Americans 19:22:18:00 med wide shot of people at table VO - Now tell me, how did you all vote on increased school funds? (19:22:23:00) 19:22:24:00 same shot businessman - Well, my business has been off, my taxes are high, I voted against it. (19:22:32:00) 19:22:33:00 housewife - I had a luncheon appointment...It completely slipped my mind. (19:22:37:00) 19:22:39:00 doctor - Well, I don t think my excuse is even as good as that. (19:22:42:00) 19:22:43:00 VO - Then it is true, freedom is subject to attack from the inside as well as out. It s hard to get people to sense danger, just as it s hard to get people out to vote. (19:22:53:00) 19:22:58:00 people at table look at empty chair - voice from no where - Why should I come? I don t have any children. It s not my problem. Farmer - Who was that? VO - That was the voice of complacency. Or maybe I should say, half of the population of the united States. (19:22:11:00) 19:23:36:00 CU of housewife - Why I remember like it was yesterday... dissolve (19:23:39:00) 19:23:41:00 med wide shot of mom walking kid to school housewife VO - He was like a baby then..Guess to me he always will be. Leaving him on his own for the first time, I was a little afraid. And still, I was happy (19:23:53:00) 19:23:54:00 wide shot down dark school corridor Housewife VO - There were things I couldn t teach my son, things he d have to learn from others, like working and living in a world with other people, respecting their rights and assuming the responsibility of regular duties. Some want their children to be scholars, but what I wanted most was that he grow up to be a... 19:24:12:00 MCU of mom and son outside classroom door Housewife VO - ..good citizen. VO - Most people feel that way. Housewife - I know. I wanted my boy to like school, to feel at home, to have a pleasant place to go to, but.. VO - You sound... (19:24:25:00) 19:24:26:00 CU of teacher s hand opening door, small boy VO - ...disappointed. Teachers hand takes boy inside, leaving mom outside Another man - That first day is always hard Housewife - Any day in that room would be hard. (19:24:31:00) 19:24:32:00 med wide shot of crowded classroom Housewife - Why they haven t done a thing to that school since I was a girl. The desks, the lights. teacher leads boy to front of classroom VO - It s hard on the kids, and it s hard on the teacher too. Crowded schools exist everywhere, and there s a teacher shortage, or haven t you heard? boy has to share seat with another boy, who pushes him 19:24:48:00 Housewife - Well, they gave my boy half a seat. And ever since, I ve had the feeling he s only had half the chance that s rightfully his. (19:24:57:00) 19:24:58:00 med shot of high school kids in hallway VO - And there s a matter of safety too. (19:24:59:00) 19:25:00:00 MCU of high school kids in stairway VO - Fear of injury 19:25:02:00 med shot of high school kids in crowded classroom VO - And fear of ill health. Doctor - A crowded school is a breeding ground for communicable disease. VO - But the biggest loss is in education. Teachers cannot effectively instruct classes that number as high as forty pupils. (19:25:17:00) 19:25:18:00 med shot of classroom of little kids - two boys sharing desk push each other VO - You know how difficult it is to manage one child. Then consider - what would you do, with 40? (19:25:24:00) 19:25:25:00 man s voice - What s the reason behind this overcrowded condition? VO - There are many reasons, but it all comes under one heading:the increase in population. Our birth rate is up, and our school facilities have lagged behind. (19:25:38:00) 19:25:39:00 med wide shot of home construction Another man s voice - Young couples have been setting up... 19:25:41:00 med shot of more home construction man s voice - ...entirely new communities, where there s only been rural schools. (19:25:44:00) 19:25:45:00 wide shot of turn of century esque tenements with laundry hanging from fire escapes a different man s voice - Cities... 19:25:47:00 med shot of laundry hanging across tenement street man s voice - ...are certainly crowded beyond capacity. 19:25:49:00 med shot of kids playing jump rope on wooden steps VO - And for children, overcrowding means unsupervised play,...(19:25:52:00) 19:25:53:00 med wide shot of slum area - two boys playing on sidewalk VO - ...discontent, and the kind of insecurity that leads to crime and delinquency. (19:25:57:00) 19:25:58:00 med wide shot of boys doing gymnastics - long lines for two pommel horses, windowless gym (19:26:16:00) 19:26:17:00 med shot of incredibly crowded lunch room - girl looks for place to sit down (19:26:29:00) 19:26:30:00 MCU of two boys sharing desk seat - pushing each other (19:26:36:00) 19:26:37:00 MCU of teen boy kissing mom [in car] goodbye (19:26:39:00) 19:26:54:00 med shot - crowded classroom - bell rings - students rush for door, nearly crushing teen boy (19:26:59:00)

19:27:06:00 MCU - teen boy at locker - three bigger boys push him out of the way, take stuff from locker (19:17:18:00) VO Mom - Why can t our boy have at least some of the advantages in school that he has at home? male VO - He should have!

19:27:19:00 med shot of boy drinking from leaky water fountain great VO to be used out of context VO - His protection against unhappiness and dissatisfaction, two evils that ruin countless lives. (19:27:25:00)

19:28:07:00 med wide shot - school auditorium? man in suit stands in front of teens lined up as if for portrait or ceremony - on cue, they all step forward VO - Yet one third of our national school population drops out before finishing high school... (19:28:12:00) 19:28:13:00 MCU pan of two rows of high school students VO - ...because of conditions provoked by the shortage of facilities and teachers. (19:28:17:00)

19:28:35:00 med wide shot of single row of students lined up in school auditorium VO - These are the unhappy leftovers.Some become uncooperative,... (19:28:39:00) 19:28:40:00 MCU pan of leftovers VO - ...some are called maladjusted. Still others we pass off merely as being poor students. More VO about shortage of facilities, teachers MCU pan of leftovers ends with teen boy from previous scenes (19:29:10:00)

19:29:11:00 med wide shot of playground - kids standing in line for 2 seconds on the swingset (19:29:16:00) 19:29:17:00 med shot of extremely dark school hallway VO - Would you go to an office or a club full of gloom? (19:29:19:00) 19:29:20:00 med shot of classroom - teacher passing out books - there are only a few, so which ever kid grabs it first gets it VO - Can you work without tools, or cook with broken utensils, or what s more important, would you willingly go to a place, day after day, that depressed you? (19:29:31:00) 19:29:32:00 - MCU of boy being crushed in crowd leaving classroom VO - That made you feel unwelcome because there wasn t room for you? (19:32:35:00) 19:32:36:00 med shot of crowded stairway male voices - Certainly not! No etc. VO - Then we shouldn t expect out children to either! (19:29:40:00) 19:29:41:00 med wide pan of new classroom 19:29:29:00 VO - America s future is in the test-tubes... (19:29:31:00) 19:29:32:00 wide shot of school laboratory VO - ...of our school laboratories....Sometimes all a school needs is a little face lifting. (19:30:10:00) 19:30:11:00 wide shot of turn of century style classroom VO - Here s the old.. (19:30:12:00) 19:30:13:00 wide shot of same class room with new desks, minimal improvements VO - ...and here is the new miracle of modern posture seating and lighting. (19:30:18:00) 19:30:19:00 med wide shot of positively medieval foods room - looks like chem lab VO - Here s a junior high school foods room before remodeling... (19:30:22:00) 19:30:23:00 med wide shot of 50s home ec room - fluorescent lights VO - And here s the same classroom, transformed... (19:30:27:00) 19:30:28:00 med wide shot of same classroom with girls [still photo] VO - ...so that Daughter can practice the latest techniques in preparation of nutritious economical meals. (19:30:32:00) 19:30:33:00 med wide shot of old classroom with large table, chairs around it VO - And the old sewing room at the same school (19:30:39:00) 19:30:40:00 med wide shot of new sewing room with tons of fluorescent lights, smaller tables - no sewing machines (19:30:44:00) 19:30:45:00 med wide shot - sewing room with girls [still photo] (19:30:50:00) 19:30:51:00 MCU of girls working on various projects [still photo] (19:30:55:00) 19:30:56:00 MCU of two home ec teachers [still] (19:30:59:00) 19:31:00:00 MCU of two girls at sewing machine [still] VO - And what s more important, it s pleasant for the children. The girls like to work here. And what they like to do, they do well. (19:31:08:00) 19:31:09:00 med wide shot of home ec room - girls seated around dinner table - other girls watching - teacher stands by table apparently a lesson in how to have nice table manners VO - Yes, given the facilities and the model professional educator, our children can be equipped with the knowledge and experience of daily life.Sure the R s are important, Very important... (19:31:21:00) 19:31:22:00 med wide shot of kids playing on swing set - teacher breaks up school yard bullying (19:31:28:00) VO - ...and always will be. But there s more to education than that. There s fair play... 19:31:29:00 med wide shot of kindergarten classroom VO - ...and preparing a child to make a good home, and to dress better on less money... (19:31:33:00) 19:31:34:00 CU of little girl making rug-like thing VO - ...and develop a sense of good taste... (19:31:36:00) 19:31:37:00 MCU of girls in sewing room VO - ...and pride. To hold a better job. (19:31:39:00) 19:31:40:00 med wide shot of student orchestra (19:31:47:00) 19:31:48:00 med wide shot of kindergarten (19:31:50:00) 19:31:51:00 wide shot of kids at desks looking straight ahead VO - School can become an exciting adventure... (19:31:52:00) 19:31:53:00 med shot of movie screen at front of classroom with film appearing on it VO - ...a trip to far flung corners of the earth, an exhilarating, interesting experience, with the processes of learning speeded up to meet the many complexities... (19:32:03:00) 19:32:04:00 med shot of teens standing around teacher giving chemistry demo VO - ...of modern life. Our courses of study must... (19:32:06:00) 19:32:07:00 MCU of two girls helping chemistry teacher with demo VO - ...awaken the natural curiosity of youth... (19:32:09:00) 19:32:10:00 med wide shot of class room with teacher giving physics? lecture VO - ...for the future of our national welfare depends upon the product of today s classroom (19:32:16:00) 19:32:48:00 med shot of people seated around table. New guy in suit - When something makes sense, I m for it! (19:32:52:00) 19:32:58:00 same med shot of people around table - Business man - A real estate man can t show you a house without saying We have good schools in the neighborhood. (19:32:03:00) 19:32:04:00 Housewife - A good school is like a community house, a meeting place for PTA and the Boy Scouts (19:33:10:00) 19:33:32:00 MCU of businessman - I m going to get behind the schools in my community, and see to it that everyone I know realizes the importance of money invested in education. Yessir, I m going to look out for my child. VO - Good, that s fine. And don t forget to look out for the other man s child. (19:33:49:00)

19:34:15:00 MCU of housewife - I m going to let our teachers know that we appreciate their part in raising our children. And I m going to work with them because they need my help. (19:34:22:00)

totally self-important suburban mom

6th Chair, The
Produced byHandy (Jam) Organization
Production
company
Handy (Jam) Organization
Distributed byHandy (Jam) Organization
Release date
1949
Running time
17:08
LanguageEnglish
Thumbnail
ewid: 1972 | Fresh | || dopt: {{{dopt}}}