American Portrait (1940)

[Music] the [Music] 12:00 right on the nose there you are Miss Cinderella home right on the stroke of midnight I'd better scram before my Chariot out there turns back into a pumpkin you turn back into a mouse I resent that okay if you're not a mouse stick around and explain things to Grandpa not me Barbara this is where I came in good night good night Mr [Music] M Barbara is got you Barbara what are you doing up at this hour of the night what are you doing up at this hour of the night I asked you first H well honey I just had a few things to do Grandpa you make more work out of being retired than anyone I know well you know how it is with we Smith we never retire what' you say you then all right Mr Busy Body I give in I was at Muriel Fleming's birthday party oh Senator Fleming's daughter h m mixing with kind of important people aren't you oh sure and Rodney sprag was there you know judge spr's son mhm and um Harriet Hillary her father's a scientist that won the Nobel Prize and oh yes Bobby Brunson the inventor's son o it was a very very distinguished Gathering well how'd you do oh pretty good except when it came to family traditions and history you know I think we Smiths take up too much space in the phone book and not enough in the Blue Book would you have a good time oh so so we danced a while to the radio and I helped Muriel get something to eat for the gang and Muriel's father phoned her from Washington at 10:30 we all waited for that and then bill and I left nothing exciting trouble with you kids is you're spoiled you got a lot of good things there they are and you take them for granted still I suppose we're all that way we never stopped to think that somebody had to invent them and somebody had to have the courage to back them up yes and what's more somebody had to have the get up to go out and sell them why look here this evening you made a 40m trip over a smooth Highway you danced in a room lighted by electricity over the radio you had the pick of the best bands in the country and maybe the music you tuned in came from 3,000 miles away you heard a girl telephone her father in a distant City when I was a Youngster a letter would have been carried a good part of the way on Horseback and that was the best we could do you scurried up a meal for that crowd of youngsters in no time at all and in a kitchen that had all kinds of time and work saving gadgets an electric refrigerator ELC El percolator and toaster gas range hot and cold water at the turn of a faucet 100 years ago not one of those things could have happened the telephone and radio hadn't even been imagined the house would have been lighted by candles you'd have cooked over a fireplace and carried water from a well and that 40 miles you covered this evening to the party and back would have taken two days by horse and wagon over a bumpy Country Road the same kind of a road my Uncle Calvin he was your great grand Uncle used to drive over Uncle Calvin sold a brand new invention an invention that would make life better it was the kerosene lamp [Music] [Music] evening Miss Withers I've got something here I'd like to show you well I'm might busy right now what is it this right here it's a coal oil lamp a coal oil lamp yes well I low as how I never even he of it what's the matter Mary what has he got it's a new invention a cool oil lamp oh well we've got no time to bother with it we're just about to have our supper now hold on Mr Withers let me tell you about this lamp it's going to make things a lot easier and pleasanter for you you see it takes a place of candles my father got along without using new fangled Contraptions and so do I it gives a brighter light than a candle no flickering easy on the eyes why you can read the finest print by my father got along without reading fine print and so do I it's a lot cleaner too you know Miss Withers how candles are always dripping grease on your clothes and on your tablecloth and candles make wash my father got along without washing and show R never mind how do I know what you're telling me about this lamp is the truth you just let me come in and light it I'll show you if this lamp don't beat any candle all the holla I'll make you a present of it well I don't know I ain't so keen on letting strangers come into my house and I don't seem to recollect you my name's Smith well there's a lot of Smiths I'm Calvin Smith say maybe you know my brother David he's in the Life Insurance business well howdy Calvin haven't seen you around for a couple of days no I've been up in Ashford County how's the lamps going oh might slow you know David I just can't understand it those lamps are so much better than Candles there just isn't any comparison why anybody can see they're better yet I don't know it just seems like they want to go on using candles well human nature is slow to change Calvin yes but when you offer a man something that's going to make his life a lot better you'd think they'd be coming to me instead of me having to go to them no I wouldn't I know better I found that out a long time ago with life insurance that's something that makes life better too A whole lot better nobody could argue with you on that Dave but they do just the same I have to ride around and sell it I've got to show every man I talk to just where and how it fits into his scheme of things oh say that reminds me if you're not going to be busy for a while I'd like to have you mind the office for me I'm riding out to see John Campion sure I'll mind your office first bill but you make make David John campion's a hard stubborn man I know that I've talked to him before a good many times when I called on him he ordered me off the place well I wouldn't go back there again if I never sold a lamb you better let him go David I'm afraid I can't life insurance and its benefits are too important to neglect anyone especially when they're your neighbors and you know their families well I don't know but I think I'm going to get along all right with John Campion howdy John John I think maybe I've made a mistake maybe the reason you and I haven't been hitting it off is because I haven't explained life insurance right you see well it isn't like I've been coming out here trying to sell you something I'm asking you to join into a partnership a partnership with a lot of other men so as you'll have security that's what life insurance is a partnership for security I don't need no security but look John suppose something should happen to you who's going to provide for your wife and your family who's going to look after him I'm offering you peace of mind and protection peace of mind for yourself and protection for those you love I told you I didn't want to be bothered I'm tired of listening to you now you get off my land Dave Smith and stay off cuz if you don't I'll put you off [Laughter] up well John I guess you're going to have to put me off because I've come back to talk to you about your life and the lives of those young that afternoon John Campion took out his first policy and later when he died of typhoid the Campion children were well cared for David was my great-grandfather wasn't he yeah my father one evening he went out to settle a claim and while foring a creek swollen by Spring rains with Dr if Dave Smith the a soldier a Statesman they have called but your great grandfather was just a Salesman going about his regular work I was about uh 18 years old then I don't want to discourage you Sam but as your father's lawyer I am bound to tell you what I think you understand that yes sir you're pretty young to take over your father's business well there's no one else sir and besides I know quite quite a bit about it you see I've been sort of studing up yes there's a lot of new things coming up endowment policies and the likes you see the insurance business is improving right along with everything else I know that Mr wils besides uh there's something else Sam sit down I'd like to talk to you about it you know this life insurance business means a lot of hard work I know that I'm not trying to influence you son I'm merely making sure that you know your own mind I'd hate to see you start out and then want to give up the business for something more interesting well I don't know what would be more interesting well all of the young fellows are going west now railroads have opened up the country it's a big boom in real estate and building and you might want to get into it I I will be in at sorta by Mr wils where do you think the flow of mortgage money is coming from to make those real estate developments possible from life insurance money yes but I mean uh you say the railroads have opened up the West well in a way life insurance has helped to build the railroads life insurance funds have gone into sound railroad security just as fast as they've developed I know Sam and another thing Mr wils I was reading in the paper by Thomas Edison opening up the first electric generating plant down in New York City of course there's only one of those now but this country is going to need hundreds of them scattered all over the landscape to furnish power for factories and to light homes and I'll admit that the country's going ahead all right Sam but don't you think we're uh getting just a bit off the subject of life insurance no sir that's exactly what I'm talking about well I'm afraid I can't quite see the connection well look here Mr wils it's going to take money to build those generating plants and a lot of that money is going to come from Life Insurance Fund you wait and see life insurance is one of the big reasons why this country is going ahead well I don't know but I sought to get the idea that you want to sell life insurance yes sir your father would have wanted it that way he was a great man Sam I don't mean famous I mean great there are a lot of Great Men we never hear about there was one thing more that he bequeathed to you in his will and I waited until now to give it to you she at 8:32 if I'm going to get anywhere I guess I better get [Music] started I [Music] hello yes this is Sam Smith who George not cousin George I'll sakes alive I haven't seen you in 20 years say where are you what are you doing over there huh well when I haven't seen a man in 20 years I guess I can take a day off huh oh sure I'll find you be right over [Music] George Smith your cousin s you bet you well you haven't changed a bit you've gotten a little heavier manbe you haven't changed much yourself well the last time I heard from you you were out in Kansas somewhere selling threshing machines I got the agency for those machines now wow but I've been invest my money lately along with another fell in the new invention that's why I'm here I'm demonstrating this oh a new kind of thresher no no no this is something all together different wait till you see it there there she is well a Horseless carrot well some folks call it that but we call it an automobile well sakes alive I've read about him but but say what are you doing down here with it I'm going to race it race it against what against a horse imagine racing this thing against a horse that man must be crazy [Music] [Music] on [Music] and here's something else for you to remember with this machine you can travel around and see and learn things about your country it'll speed up your business and it'll give pleasure to millions of people we won't be pleas speeding around the road talk where I live hey you get enough of these automobiles on it and they'll fix your road they'll fix all the roads they'll put in Great Highway systems what you're looking at here is the beginning of a new and better way of life how much did it cost you to Builder shebang George oh about $20,000 well how many people can afford to pay $20,000 for a luxury like this well not many that's true but this is only an experimental model we can build duplicates quite a bit cheaper well it have to be cheaper a lot cheaper they will be well I'll venture to say someday we'll be able to sell them for $1,000 maybe less and that's no dream either all we have to do is get out and sell them by broadening the market by getting more and more people to buy automobiles we can build them cheaper and better this is only the start why say you'll be driving one yourself someday no sir not me what [Music] good morning M Smith good morning Mary hello Sam George Well when did you get in town just got in this morning well you're certainly looking fit and prosperous judging from this new office you seem to be doing all right oh I managed to keep up with the times but I still have to get around and sell you certainly get around in style huh oh oh oh yes uh that's my 10th car and it does more things and gives me more for my money than any car I ever own and I recall when you said you'd never ride in one well I guess salesmanship finally got me do you remember what I said that day at the County Fair about broadening the market what I said would happen when more people bought cars yes and everything you said came true but don't you think you've got an exclusive patent on this broadening the market business we've done the same thing with life insurance and it's worked out the same way now Sam you you don't have to sell me I'm just telling you why life insurance does more things now than back in the old days we we never dreamed of but by broadening the mark market and broadening its use well the company's risks have been reduced and you get more for your money you seem to be collecting quite an audience well hello Francia what can I do for you my mom is going to the store she sent me in here to wait for her well well listen honey that's fine you just come right over here and sit down right there make yourself at home oh and here's a book with some pretty pictures in it why look there's a picture of an automobile this man here is making I are you making an automobile mhm that's right will you give it to me when it's finished well now I I don't know do you think that would be proper for me to give you a present on on such short acquaintance Mr Smith gives me presents he sends me money he does why because my papa was in an accident and he can't come back ever no now Fran you will you go on and look at the pictures honey and mama says if it hadn't been for Mr Smith we now Francy you you mustn't bother us honey why uh we're talking business what's business my job and you be quiet what's your job why uh he's a Salesman honey and someday I think you're going to be awfully glad he is well I guess all of us would be glad there were salesman if we stopped to think of what an important job a Salesman FS we talk about being so when we're being served now you take Mr MacArthur down at the grocery store I'll admit Ben MacArthur doesn't look important but when he started in business you bought cereals and crackers out of open barels and butter out of a tub MacArthur's was the first grocery in this neighborhood to sell its customers on package goods and while maybe Ben didn't think of it in that way he was really selling con convenience cleanliness and better health and then there's Tony Briggs just a clerk in a drugstore selling merchandise but it's been salesmen like him who have helped put over the idea of hygiene and it's salesman like him the community depends on for emergency service when there's a sickness or an accident and speaking of sickness that reminds me of Dr West today you'd never think of him as a Salesman yet I can remember when he was a young doctor making his rounds and selling folks on vaccination now take your dad if you'd ask him what he is he'd say an insurance salesman Yeahs lots and lots of time ride at his desk serving his clients handling problems of security and because nowadays life insurance covers such a wide range of security he has a lot greater responsibility than I had in my time he has to work harder he has to know more he has to know about retirement policies and family income educational endowments life insurance trust and a lot of other improvements which have come in since my day he has to tailor and fit an insurance program to fit each client's particular needs planet to meet all contingencies so far so good but what if something things should happen that I couldn't go on working protecting the business yes I provided for that too it's outlined on pages six and seven he has to continue to serve his clients All Through The Years Mr Gilmore your policies have been building up life insurance values for your family and yourself and now that your family has grown up and is well provided for and your own life insurance needs are somewhat reduced I'd suggest that you exercise your privileges under your policy and convert some of your insurance and provide yourself with some retirement income suppose you take this plan and look it over he has to service clients beneficiaries yes Mrs Paige part of the insurance was to be paid monthly on a family income basis and a balance to be paid in a single son but if you prefer you have the privilege of taking it all on a family income basis and after looking over your expenses and obligations that's what I'd suggest yep you can talk about the good old days but for me I'll take these better new days oh but sake's here at his way after midnight and I'm rambling on I guess it that Grandpa this is a pretty darn good country to live in you bet it is and you can than men like Uncle Calvin who showed folks they didn't have to go on using candles yes men like cousin George Who Sold sold them automobiles men like your great grandfather and your dad who brought the benefits of life insurance to 64 million people you know Grandpa when the other girls have bragged about their ancestry and their family trees I never had much to say because well we were just a Smith and all my relatives have been salesman but from now on I'm going to have plenty to say you know what I think I think the Smith should have some kind of a metal or coat of arms mhm and you know what I think what I think you better be getting off bed how about you getting a little sleep oh I'll be turning in pretty soon I got a few things here I want to attend to all right good night good night dear C arms huh of arms for the Smiths Shucks we got one