What About Drinking?
What About Drinking? is a short film from 1954 released on 16mm. It is held in the Prelinger Archives collection.
A group of teenagers discusses the use of alcoholic beverages and present various opinions. In conclusion, their points of view are summarized and question is left open for audience to discuss. Produced in cooperation with the Yale Center for Alcohol Studies.
15:13:30:11 CU 1940s to 1950s young man takes swig from bottle then speaks to camera �This isn�t a very unusual scene. You�ve probably been to parties like this yourself; lot�s of them.�
15:13:39:23 Two 1940s to 1950s young couples slow dance in living room of a house at a house party; couple in background talks and flirts; phone rings and woman walks to answer phone; one-ended phone conversation conveys there has been a car accident; CU woman on phone �Now what did you say? When? Who was driving? How bad was he hurt?� Young woman hangs up phone and tells her group of friends what happened. VS reactions to the news: CU confused man with crew cut �hey Bob and Ted have been in an accident?�; CU young man with greased hair �Gosh, I be they feel awful�, CU young woman �They ought to, the police found a bottle in the car�, LS tall muscular man responds �Oh brother they�re really in trouble�; LS young woman upset �Well, it serves them right. Anybody that would be dumb enough to drink� young man interrupts �Nobody should drink and drive� young woman answers in return �I mean there is no excuse for drinking under any conditions� CU adamant woman �That�s just what I always thought. Drinking is just about the worst thing you can do.� Young man interjects to defend his friends; another man calls young woman prejudice; young woman defensively states �I am not prejudice, alcohol is poison and you know it!�
15:16:21:13 CU young man apologizes to young woman �Gosh yes Sally, I�m sorry. I didn�t really mean to hurt your feelings. You see it one way and I see another.� Group of late teenagers sit down on living room couches and discuss alcohol.
15:17:28:15 VS Father holding pipe sits down with late teen son to discuss alcohol: �You see Jack, an occasional drink never hurt anyone. Sure liquor can cause you plenty of trouble. It will make you drunk if you drink too much of it. And I think it�s criminal if anybody drives after he has been drinking. But let me tell you something. I drink before dinner in the evening and it�s just about the best thing I know of to do, settles your nerves and gives you an appetite. My father always had it around the house and we�ve had it. And I don�t object to your taking a drink once in a while. But I just don�t want to ever hear of your being drunk.�
15:18:34:22 Reverend wearing a suit leans up on a desk then gets up and speaks to classroom of teenagers with backs facing camera. Reverend speaks out against alcohol: ��It is a question of right or wrong. For the things people do when they have taken alcohol�spiritual values and human dignity are forgotten��
15:19:16:12 VS teenagers seated in living room continue debating the issue of to use or not use alcohol.
15:19:50:06 CU young man in profile speaks out �What about the people who become alcoholic, doesn�t that bother you Susan? Well these alcoholics they��; LS young man interrupts �If you mean my Dad, go ahead and say it� CU �Sure he�s an alcoholic, everybody knows it. I�m used to it��
15:20:24:04 Young man seated at desk across from doctor in white coat. Doctor leans back in chair and educates young man on alcoholism: �Alcoholism is a type of illness that affects different types of people.� CU doctor talks about alcoholism.
15:21:05:26 Young man stands up in an outburst and addressing group of teenage peers says �That�s what I say, if you want to be one of the gang, you�ve got to act like one of the gang. You don�t want people to think you�re a square do ya��, CU teenager reacting to boy�s comments �I don�t drink and I get along alright with the gang.�
15:21:24:02 CU 1940s girl looks into camera �There are plenty of guys who have a drink with their families. But when they get outside the house they drink deliberately, just to get high and put on an act. I think that�s what our parents are concerned about as much as anything.�
15:22:22:28 CU religious adamant: 1940s teenage girl states �I think it�s wrong. I believe what Reverend Brewster says. I think drinking is wrong for anybody.�
15:22:34:22 CU 1940s teenage boy with crew cut sates his view on alcohol �And my Dad says a drink now and the never hurt anybody. And I think if you want to be one of the gang, you�ve got to act like one of them.�
15:22:48:29 CU 1940s teenage boy it greased hair �The chances of being an alcoholic don�t worry me. Some people can drink, and some can�t. You can�t blame it all on alcohol.�
15:23:00:02 CU 1940s teenage girl �In my church they don�t say the use of alcohol is wrong in itself. Personally, I don�t care on way or the other about drinking. But it�s alright with me if other people want to. That is if they behave themselves.�
15:23:19:22 CU energetic young man says �That�s what I say if you want to be one of the gang, you�ve got to act like one of the gang. You don�t want people to think you�re a square do you?�
15:23:45:06 CU young man looks down to left and right while saying �Each one of us must make up his own mind. It isn�t easy�, then looks up into the camera �What do you think? What about drinking?�| What About Drinking? | |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Centron Productions |
Production company | Centron Productions |
| Distributed by | Centron Productions |
Release date | 1954 |
Running time | 10:25 |
| Language | English |
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