EASY OUT?

This 1954 black and white film "Easy Out?" is U.S. Navy Training Film MN-7904, produced by The Jam Handy Organization. The film was made to make clear to U.S. Navy personnel the devastating consequences of receiving a Bad Conduct Discharge from the service. Long story short anyone who is dishonorably discharged shames his family, won't be able to impress women, and will be unable to receive any veteran benefits, etc. (A Bad Conduct Discharge (BCD) can only be given by a court-martial (either special or general) as punishment to an enlisted service-member. Bad conduct discharges are often preceded by a period of confinement in a military prison. The discharge itself is not executed until completion of both confinement and the appellate review process.) It opens panning a neighborhood. A child rides a tricycle. A telegram delivery guy arrives by bicycle and hands the telegram to a woman wearing a full apron. She has a 1940s hairstyle with her hair tightly rolled up. A cuckoo clock hangs on the wall. She dials a rotary phone (:40-3:20). The family walks to the train station. A large advertisement for Camel Cigarettes is seen. The young girl wears a flower headband that ties under her chin and waves a flag. The mother wears a 1950s small hat and short dark gloves. A man wears a suit with small bowtie and hat. An elderly woman wears a two-piece suit, flower hat and corsage pin, multiple long necklace chains, and short white gloves. The train arrives. Paul, the discharged serviceman, wearing a white suit, receives hugs. He kisses his girlfriend, who holds her gloves and clutch purse (3:21-6:23). The dinner plates have bits of food left in front of the family. One stands to make a toast. Another smokes a pipe. The family asks the sailor questions. His mother wears a cameo pin as the top button. He angrily reacts. The dining room wall has a tall plate rail above the molding boxes. The little girl says good night to her brother. He gets up to take his girlfriend home (6:24-9:52). In the car in front of her family’s house, they kiss and hug in the dark. Her large double pearl earrings are seen as they sit and talk in the car. She is disappointed and then angry when he tells her he purposely received a BCD (bad conduct discharge). She jumps out of the car. He follows and grabs her arm. She takes her ring off and hands it to him. He looks down at it (9:53-14:27). Paul goes to the AJAX MFG Co. He throws down his cigarette and straightens his tie before going into the employment office. He is warmly greeted and given a chair. He puts a cigarette in his mouth, it wiggles as he talks, and lights it. The hiring man hands him a paper that needs to be signed by a VA representative. They shake hands (14:28-16:40). Filing cabinets line the wall at the VA office. After looking at the BCD papers, the VA man informs Paul he is entitled to nothing as a result. Close-up facial emotions are shown as they talk. They stand and shake hands. A large Navy Career for You poster hangs on the wall (16:41-20:27). Upset, he walks down the sidewalk and kicks a tricycle. He continues walking through the neighborhood. Dejected, he sits on porch steps, puts his face into his hands, and cries. He wears the engagement ring on his pinkie. He looks at his BCD paper. He stands up and walks again down the sidewalk, his hands in his baggy 1950s suit pants (20:28-23:20).

Complete catalog record

Transcription

[Music] [Applause] my voice is so long and this is when you say the service I'd be frightened to death of telegrams yeah you run down to Burnett and tell Mary a teller we expect her here for dinner I'll call their chickens I'll call him and tell him what I want tell mr. Coleman to save me you want ice cream [Music] hello Fred Alvin please Fred what do you think oh he'll be here tonight yeah he's been discharged and he's coming home kept telling your mother we have plenty of time do just about now dear well I hope we haven't forgotten anything there you were there to help out that I could never could have done it without use and you'll be so calm and all or she isn't much excited about its coming home how soon you're gonna have a wedding in the family now Mary don't know that it is there let's go in and check and see if it's on schedule I hope he isn't lace it is already some eyes being married when your dad and me came home from France the 1918 did we have a time so I'm not about things you haven't now don't start making up things about Mary's day you keep coming down to the station no he has a beat you meeting somebody separate father come on over after [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] how about the bags done how does it feel to be out huh great what do you think well I thought I'd like to wear civvies for a change that's all well here's to the returned warrior and the timely custom had only the brave deserves affair we'll all drink to that here you go no even the service anymore that's something we really learned I'll bet you ate plenty of good service food a son no the cooks rolling sighs don't give your time enough to eat work drill scrum ha funny I thought we said our service men pretty well these days they watch ouvea every minute rules regulations they never get a chance to do what you want to do but we all have to live by rules we've got ruled down at the shop but we get along all right don't bother the poor boy tonight what I said Paul's going to college mr. Sutton i'm indy neidell Harlem Arabic Allah before he went away maybe I will go down with him I did maybe you even gonna be a lawyer you may not go to school son you know I might get a better deal at the factory more money of them not more than a lawyer Paul certainly wish I'd had a chance to go to college but the government paying your way Paul you wouldn't pass that up I don't know maybe schools a lot of work but I thought which I know but I changed my mind can a guy change his mind once in a while [Music] well sure kiddo we'll try and fix it up there the keys done okay I remember you too I expect you to take us straight home [Laughter] wait a minute don't go in here but dad's waiting I can see the light waiting wait another couple of minutes I've been waiting a lot longer than that why didn't you write darling we've been so worried I told you I was busy I can give us time yeah the only time before well I I had different duty you know things change people change - meaning what you're different you've changed somehow oh well I don't know you nothing I'm just tired I guess let's go in dad wants to talk to you about joining the Legion he's district commander now you know when he takes it all so seriously yeah big wheel he's trying to get everyone coming out of the service now to join up to make a big head if you say yes I can imagine hey wait a minute you know before we go in maybe there's something you should know I'm the old man might not go far what hey sei I got out before my hitch with them didn't you notice what do you mean well on the books I still got nearly four months to go how did you marry simple you know your way around ever hear of a b c d no what is it it's an easy out if you in the military don't mix that fits me exactly what did you do I haven't done anything give me that tone hey get up want it out know what Terry stuff for the birds I overstayed leave a little mate give me a rough time all right well I just didn't like found out if you follow up often enough even though little things they tossed you out you mean you got into trouble on purpose just little things nothing much why won't they I'd like it these outfits like the Legion it pretty sticky you gotta have a white ticket honorable discharge what have you got I told you BCD what does that mean bad conduct discharge your mother and father know about this no they wouldn't understand and bother is that's why you didn't write yeah matter of fact it is if CI I had to do some time I don't want them to find out about for gosh sakes say something you act like I've committed a crime or something because I'm smarter than these other suckers you heard me two of those truckers happen to be my brother well I didn't mean them they get along alright in the service well so what I don't like it oh yeah oh I like let me go just because I want to get out of the service before my time like that sure you everybody else's this time well i smartened up well Paul welcome home awfully glad to see you well it's good to be back I ran into Judy yesterday in this she told me the good news she sure is proud of her brother yeah she to mention thing you said something about a job that's right but you're going to college well I'm been thinking about it but there's no hurry I look around for sure well we've got some openings I'm pretty good when you still yeah we can go over all that fill out this form okay and what I would suggest is we try to arrange on-the-job training for you what's that or didn't you know that you're a veteran the government will pay part of your salary well you learn a new job oh yeah they they did say something about that you'll get better training that way and you take home more money which I okay with you huh yeah sure we do that with all the returning vets now well how does it work you just go down to the post office with your discharge papers there's a VA representative there once a week today is Thursday I go down there right away okay I'll do it post office that's right then come on back here and we'll be all set then okay so mr. Sutton thought I should come down to you first good that's what we're here for got your papers with you yeah okay wait a minute I guess I didn't understand though what do you mean you've got a bad conduct discharge here given by a General Court how do you expect to get di benefit not even this on-the-job training thing great not as I understand it you don't get anything state or federal well I I knew I couldn't go to school no no on-the-job training no bonuses or educational benefits no home or business long nothing thank you the services give a man a pretty fair trial we find they don't pass these things out without good reason well what about getting this thing changed in six months I heard something about riding to Washington well you can write to Washington but getting a change is another matter these things are never changed without good cause do you think you got a fair shake well you got a fair trial didn't you yeah I counsel to represent you see that all your legal rights were considered but there was no prejudice yeah I guess well then and I doubt Elton that under these circumstances if something will want to thank you into his factory here why not well this is outside my bailiwick understand so let me ask you would you take on a man with a B C D I don't know it should depend that's it it depends on a good deal a b c d is a danger play it suggests a man's unreliable or irresponsible that's the problem you have to face once you get one of these things it stays with you well I I guess I'll live to it some guys aren't so particular I hope you'll find it that way then in your papers if you like we'll do what we can so I doubt it'll help much I'll get by okay try out the welcome good luck anyways thanks Charlie how's it guys hey great I heard you were back when you get in just yesterday oh my first thing yeah I put it down to the VA with your hand up boy you haven't changed a bit I don't know how about yourself all right finished up school on the GI Bill no I'm buying a farm no kid yeah the winter place I just came in to fix up so long and you'll have to come on see you sometime well I'd like to but I'm gonna be stall that's right you're going into the factory out there who told you that I just ran into him news travels fast around here boy sure that I'll try it out okay do that and remember me to your fault yeah sure [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] a BCG is a danger placement once you get one of these things [Music] [Music]

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