- Title: PA-51A
- Summary: YOU ARE THE SWITCHMAN: FILM COMPARES ACTIONS TAKEN BY RAILROAD SWITCH MAN OF TIMELY SWITCHING TRACKS FOR TRAIN, TO TIMELY DECISION TO SEE DOCTOR WHEN SIGNS OF LIP CANCER ARE NOTICED. THE FACT THAT HE CONTINUES SMOKING PIPE AND CIGARETTES AFTER BEING TREATED NOT MENTIONED AS A CAUSATION. FILM SHOWS AWFUL RESULTS OF DELAY, THEN SHOWS THE REWARDING RESULTS OF TIMELY ACTION.
- Description:01:00:27 - TITLE "YOU ARE THE SWITCHMAN" SUPER-IMPOSED OVER PHOTO OF STEAM LOCOMOTIVE SPEWING HEAVY CLOUD OF STEAM AS IT TRAVELS TOWARDS CAMERA. SOUND OF ENGINE CHUGGING ALONG, AS IT PICKS UP SPEED, IS HEARD. MS SWITCHMAN WALKING PAST SWITCH AND TOWARDS CAMERA, IN FREIGHT YARD. HE STOPS AT SWITCH, PULLS LEVER WHICH SWITCHES TRACKS FOR SLOWLY APPROACHING STEAM LOCOMOTIVE IN B/G VOICE OVER TELLS HOW HIS DECISION TO THROW SWITCH AT RIGHT DETERMINES RIGHT OR WRONG TRACK. "YOU TOO ARE A SWITCHMAN", WHAT YOU DO OR DON'T DO CAN DETERMINE THE FUTURE OF THE ONES YOU LOVE". "IT MAY BE A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH AS IN THE DOE FAMILY". 01:01:01 - MS JOHN DOE SEATED AT DINNER TABLE WITH SMALL SON AND DAUGHTER AS WIFE (MARY) SERVES HIM COFFEE. CU BOY (BOB) SIPS GLASS OF MILK, THEN TAKES FORK FULL OF FOOD. CU DAUGHTER (JANE) ALSO SIPS HER MILK FORKS HER FOOD. YOUNG BOB GETS UP FROM CHAIR, LIGHTS HIS FATHER'S CIGARETTE. THE BOY NOTICES SORE ON DAD'S LIP, ASKS HIM TO FIX IT UP. MOM GETS CURIOUS, TAKES GOOD LOOK AT SORE. TELLS HIM TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT BY DOCTOR. DAD, WAVES HER OFF CONTINUES TO SMOKE. 01:02:47 - A FEW WEEKS LATER .... MS JOHN AND MARY HAVING QUIET EVENING AT HOME, SEATED IN LIVING ROOM READING. HE THE PAPERS, SHE A BOOK. SHE ASKS HIM IF HE NOTICES "HOW UGLY THAT SORE ON YOUR LIP IS WHEN YOU SHAVE IN THE MORNING?" HE ANGRILY SLAMS DOWN PAPERS, TAKES BOTTLE OF SALVE ONE OF THE MEN AT PLANT GAVE HIM. HE SAYS HE HAS BEEN USING FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. SHE SNIFFS IT, HANDS IT BACK. CU MARY SCOLDS HIM, SHOWS CONCERN. HE SAYS HE WILL GIVE THEW SALVE A LITTLE TIME AND IF IT DOESN'T WORK HE WILL TRY ANOTHER ONE. HE STILL REFUSES HER WISHES FOR HI M TO SEE DOCTOR UNTIL "LATER ON". 01:04:03 - WEEKS LATER ... MS MARY, DOING DISHES AT KITCHEN SINK, TWO KIDS DRYING (BACKS TO CAMERA. DAD COMES IN, WATCHES. CU JOHN TELLS MARY ALONG WITH HIS SORE ON LIP WHICH HAS GOTTEN WORSE, ALSO NOTICES LUMP ON HIS NECK. SHE WAVES HER FINGER AT HIM LIKE "I TOLD YOU SO". "TOMORROW, RAIN OR SHINE, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE DOCTOR BENJAMIN". HE AGREES. 01:05:08 - MCU DOCTOR EXAMINING SORE ON JOHN"S LIP, CU SAME. CU JOHN'S FACE, DOCTOR'S FINGERS FEELING THE OBVIOUS LARGE LUMP ON HIS LIP. DOCTOR SAYS WITHOUT QUESTION, 'THAT IS CANCER OF THE LIP". "MARKEDLY ADVANCED TOO". MS DOCTOR BENJAMIN TELLING MARY THE BAD NEWS, SAYING "IT'S TOO LATE, BUT WILL DO THE BEST HE CAN". 01:05:56 - BOY SEATED IN EASY CHAIR READING BOOK WITH SIS ON ARMREST READING IT OVER HIS SHOULDER. MOM ENTERS TIRED FROM WORKING( NOW THE BREAD WINNER FOLLOWING JOHN'S DEATH FROM CANCER), BOY AND GIRL OFFER HER THE CHAIR, SHE SITS, THEY CHAT. 01:06:29 - MS SCENE CHANGES TO SWITCHMAN SWITCHING TRACKS FOR TRAIN. "HE THROWS FOR CLEAR TRACK AHEAD TO HEALTH AND HAPPINESS". 01:06:43 - RETURN TO SCENE OF BOY LIGHTING HIS FATHERS CIGARETTE, THEN NOTICING SORE ON LIPS. MARY SHOWS JOHN CIRCULAR WARNING OF LIP CANCER. CU CIRCULAR: 01:07:49 - MS JOHN AND MARY IN DOCTOR'S OFFICE AFTER HEEDING THE DANGER SIGN IMMEDIATELY. MS DOCTOR EXAMINES JOHN'S LIP. CU SAME. HE RECOMMENDS TREATMENT. 01:08:37 - MS JOHN IN EASY CHAIR SMOKING HIS PIPE (???), THREE WEEKS AFTER CANCER TREATMENT. MARY SITS ON ARM OF CHAIR NEXT TO JOHN, TOUCHES HIS HEALED LIP, AFTER WHICH HE PLACES PIPE IN MOUTH AGAIN (?). KIDS ON LIVING ROOM FLOOR PLAYING GAMES. TITLE: "SURE! CANCER IS CURABLE". TILT DOWN TO STATISTICS SHOWING CURABLE RATE OF CERTAIN CANCERS WHEN DETECTED EARLY, AND DRAMATIC PLUNGE IN RATE OF CURE WHEN ADVANCED. THREE RECOGNIZED MEANS OF TREATING CANCER ARE LISTED (CIRCA 1950S) "SURGERY, X-RAY, RADIUM". CU TRAIN TRACK SWITCH WITH WORDS WRITTEN ON IT "CANCER DANGER SIGNAL". AND LIST OF DANGER SIGNALS. 01:10:51 - SWITCHMAN THROWS TRACK SWITCH, WAVES TO CAMERA, WALKS AWAY. MS TRAIN REAR TO CAMERA, MOVING AWAY. 01:11:09 - END
- Collection: Historic Films
- Producer:Historic Films
- Transmission Date:01/01/1940
- Rights:On request
- Decade: 1940s
- File Name: PA-51A