2096 In this so called salute to the american woman, which is really about easier gear shifters, we start out in a 'typical' household, watching a woman sweat herself silly over house chores. Methinks she's sweating because she's wearing awfully high heels for the chores. We then go fast forward and marvel at how much work she does (this scene is remniscent of 'Requiem For A Dream') we then (of course) switch over to car manufacturing. Realizing that women exert too much pressure on themselves shifting gears, scientists have created a much easier gear shifter, thereby easing the load. What makes this conclusion weird is that the narrator poo-poo's the idea of the woman being 'The weaker sex' now. If that's the case, then why make the gears easier? The ladies are weak! Spuzz 2003-04-28 20:15:01 2003-04-28 20:15:01 3 This optimistic film, made in 1940 as Hitler marched across Europe, extols the virtues of “muscle-saving” household devices for “the little woman.” All the more time to listen to the news of the Battle of Britain on the radio! This All-American fixation on efficiency would come in handy because in 1941, the Japanese would bomb Pearl Harbor. The men would go into battle in Europe and the Pacific and the women would do war work instead of sitting at home sewing with an “ergonometer” strapped to their wrists. The film innocently claims that because of all the new “muscle-saving” gadgets “we’ll all have more energy left for playtime!” Little did ordinary Americans know that World War II was around the corner. Not So Easy After All 5 Marysz 2004-02-20 22:11:27 2006-05-29 08:30:14 Silly Jam Handy film that spends most of its time arguing that the members of the “weaker sex” do just as much hard work as men do, so therefore lots of time and energy has to be put into developing an easier gearshif for them. Yeah, I know, it doesn’t make much sense to me, either, but since it’s a Jam Handy film, it’s bright and breezy and fun. I like the proposed automatic makeup machine portrayed at the end of the film––I want one for the Film Ephemeral Museum of Quirky Devices. Lots of great gender role stuff to mine here. Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****. You've Got to Hand It to the Fair Sex; They're Anything but Slow... 4 Christine Hennig 2006-03-11 16:47:38 2006-03-11 16:47:38 Yeah, we dumb USA Americans [not to be confused with our Canadian, Mexican or South American neighbors] had the so-called "good life" during the 1930s, when the depression all but sucked the life out of everyone's moral. I take it the previous reviewer is British, and I have ALOT of British friends, as well as a high regard for Britain. But this film is ABOUT effeciency. It's NOT about [USA] people living in "the land of milk & honey" while at the same time our neighbors in Europe [not just Britain] suffer. The FILM itself? A great time peice. SOUR GRAPES & sarcasm from ONE English reviewer ALL these years later? Unnecessary. Yes, WW2 when the USA was respected... JudgeBear69 2008-03-17 05:18:07 2008-03-17 05:18:07 4 Out of all ther films in the Prelinger archive, It's the Jam Handy films I enjoy the most. Anyway, This film features some good footage of 1940 America, and it contains plenty of good footage of lifestyles and stuff. Jam Handy didn't create art, But their films are almost always entertaining. Light, Bouncy and Breezy; Just how I like my car commercials. I Love Jam Handy! Robin_1990 2008-03-17 06:06:26 2008-03-17 06:06:26 5 5 4.20