8mm Forum: Once Upon A Time

This is topic Once Upon A Time - Safety Cartoon in forum 8mm Print Reviews at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Zechariah Sporre (Member # 2358) on February 09, 2015, 10:50 PM:

A little while back I picked up a print of Once Upon A Time, printed by Steel Valley Film Services, which was a company I hadn't heard of before I got this film. It is a short, 200', cartoon from the 30's promoting driving safety from Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. The over all plot/story is kind of lame, however, it is more interesting from a historical film perspective. The gist of it is that Discourtesy and Carelessness character get let out of a chest and they go around to different driver's causing chaos. In the end they get locked back in the box. It is filled with singing pretty much throughout the film. As stated right on the box of the film the nitrate film suffered from decomposition. It says it took the effort of 4 film labs to rejuvenate it. So at times it is a bit distracting, especially towards the beginning.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on February 10, 2015, 12:35 PM:

Nice!

I remember when I was in grade school they showed a safety education film about a bunch of chimps riding to a picnic on bikes. One by one they did something dangerous and had an accident, until only one made it to the picnic, and he turned out to not be a chimp at all.

(You'd think with all his friends in the hospital,...or maybe dead, he'd have the decency to just go home!)

The premise is silly of course...

-but do you think I'd remember it 40+ years later if they played it straight?

Jeeze! It's on YouTube!

Note the lack of helmets!

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on February 10, 2015, 12:56 PM:

Wonderful review of one of those "lost films".

This reminds me of some of the Blackhawk later releases, which were old "Coronet" teaching films and in some cases, they were released on LPP!

Posted by David Ollerearnshaw (Member # 3296) on February 20, 2015, 03:20 PM:

Steel Valley Films I recall were available from the Widescreen Centre in the UK. Not sure but I think the owner first name was Curt.

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