Feeling All Right
Sign in to track this film in your collection or want list.
Educational film about syphilis tells the story of Roy, an African American farmer, who learns about syphilis the hard way when he catches the sexually transmitted disease from a fling in the nearby rural town. This sex ed film shows how the venereal disease is transmitted and how and where to get treatment. The film addresses peer pressure and emotional issues (fear, embarrassment) associated with the disease. Marshal appears as Roy Jackson; Mrs. Marshal appears’ as Roys’ Mother; Micks appears as Jim; Lindsay appears a Ruby; Bonds appears as Linda
Credits
Columbia University Educational Films (contributor); Southern Educational Film Production Service (contributor); William T. Clifford (contributor); Fred Lasse (contributor); Nicholas C. Read (writer); George Stoney (writer); Gordon Weisenborn (cinematographer); Louis Appelbaum (music); Eldred Marshal (actor); Mrs Marshal (actor); George Micks (actor); Margaret Lindsay (actor); Thelma Bonds (actor)
Complete catalog record
Cfa collection: Jack Behrend Collection
Sponsor: Mississippi State Board of Health; Southern Educational Film Production Service
Subjects: Sex; Diseases; Health; African Americans; Medicine
Places: North America > United States > Georgia > Athens
Language: English
Shot log: 00:14 - MLS FA black farmer rides a mule up to a barbed wire fence to moody music reminiscent of film noir score a la “Touch of Evil”. -AU; 00:20 - MS SA farmer dismounts horse, opening credits; 00:53 - MLS two farmers in field, one driving tractor, the other walking, jumps onto tractor; Narrator says the actors are everyday people giving time and effort to fight against syphilis. Introduces actors, CU of each character.; 01:34 - MLS SA farmer on tractor and farmer following on horse up hill POV through trees; 01:56 - Var MS black man (Jim) and woman (Ruby) working in field with garden hoes, man (Roy) riding in cart behind two horses in background, Roy waves Jim to come over, men shake hands. Looking around, Roy tells Jim he is in trouble, shows him a rash on his genitals. Jim diagnoses the rash as a “haircut,” or syphilis, asks if he fooled around with that girl that was sweet on him. Jim says don’t worry about a doctor, he has the miracle cure at the house. They walk down the road.; 03:09 - MLS pregnant woman (Ruby) working in field in sun dress and hat; 3:12 - MS (Jim) man walks into house, (Roy) man paces back and forth, nervous; 03:42 - Jim and Roy go into town, Var shots walking around rural African American town, people walking and cars driving in the street, men sitting in rocking chairs and on business front porches, wave to each other, friendly; 04:09 - Var interior shots men enter busy cafe, playing pinball, CU jukebox changing records, two “good looking” girls come in, friends of Jim, Linda flirts with Roy; 04:49 -Var MS, MCU shots Jim, Roy and two attractive women sit down at four top table to share a drink, i jug, 4 glasses, inter-cut with people dancing, Roy says he and the girl “got too friendly later on”; 05:33 - Var shots dark exterior house with picket fence, Roy leaves girl’s house, walks down the road as she looks on from the porch, walks into house; 06:25 - MLS, CU of feet as Roy paces back and forth, worried, Jim walks out of house, tosses the miracle cream to Roy, MLS men walk down dirt road together; 07:22 - MLS RA black farmer rides on hay rake behind two horses; 07:27 - MLS black farmer (Roy) rides up to house standing on wagon full of hay; 07:36 - MLS Roy hops of wagon and walks up to parents house,Var MCU, CU father walks by, Roy takes off shirt looking in mirror, says his folks have not noticed the spots on his hands, he feels ashamed hiding his sores, washing face in wash bin outside when mother walks up, inspects his back, they argue about going to the doctor; 09:39 - Var shots exterior church, gravestone, road, CU church steeple; 09:53 - Var shots interior church, congregation, choir singing, narrator says the County Health Department has come to spread the gospel of good health, Reverend Harris introduces African American woman Mrs. Green, people cover widows and set up a screen and projector, Mrs. Green gives sex education information on syphilis, its symptoms, how it is transmitted, and treatment information, invites the church to come to health clinic to get a blood test for syphilis, disease prevention; 11:02 - Var MS Mrs. Green shows slides of babies, men and women with syphilis symptoms projected on screen,CU of images on screen, Var CU people in congregation looking at each other knowingly, asks people to come to clinic to get treatment, creams will not work; 13:57 - MS congregation leaving church taking pamphlets; 14:07 - Interior church, Mother talks to clinic workers about son, man writes her an appointment for a blood test; 15:02 - MS Roy, Jim, Ruby standing by car, looking at pamphlet, CU comic, characters have syphilis, mother gives Roy appointment slip, tells Jim and Ruby to get tested before she gives birth; 16:25 - Roy walks up to group of men in front of store, will not shake his hand discuss fears of taking the cure; 17:09 - MLS handicapped man limps across street; 17:27 - Var MLS SA, FA Roy walking beside train cars, horse and buggy passes in front of him, pondering whether to see a doctor, walks to clinic, passes women and children exiting Health Department as he walks in; 18:14 - MS SA doctor taking x-ray of patient’s chest; 18:23 - HA mother handing baby to nurse, puts baby on scale to check weight in clinic room; 18:29 - Var shots interior Health Department, Roy walks into clinic feeling welcome, they offer Malaria control, dental care, venereal disease (VD) clinic, got over fears and embarrassment, narrator describes the process, Montage - Roy gets check up, blood drawn for blood test, tested positive for syphilis; 21:02 - MCU, CU of hands, secretary typing on Model Seventeen typewriter; 21:13 - LS, MS group of African American adults exiting bus, coming to stay at syphilis treatment center, enter the door to the center; 21:28 - MS, CU crying baby on table getting shot in bottom, mother pats baby’s back; 21:41 -Var shots interior doctor’s office, checkup with doctor listens to heart with stethoscope, puts a sample from sore on glass slide, Jim and doctor look at syphilis under microscope, ECU syphilis on slide; 23:25 - Black men wait in line to get shot from white female nurse, shot in the butt or rear; 24:53 - Var shots men playing horseshoe in yard of clinic, CU horseshoes landing on stake, men cheer in bleachers; 25:12 - MS Black men standing in cafeteria line, CU men eating and laughing in cafeteria; Roy says goodbye to friends at clinic in cafeteria, RA takes bag and walks down long deck; 25:47 - LS SA PAN RIGHT vintage pickup truck driving down dirt road, fields in landscape, stop at house, drops off Roy at funeral of Jim and Ruby’s baby, died of syphilis; 26:00 - LS six people standing around burial plot praying at funeral; Var MS preacher praying, parents crying, dropping flowers onto open casket; 26:45 - FA exterior shot of man and woman (Roy and Irma) talking inside a car; Roy takes Irma to the doctor for her blood test, interior doctor’s office; 28:13-28:54 - Montage picnic, Roy and Irma with new baby, friends and family, THE END
Cfa elements: Print, 1,056 feet
Cfa records: https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/3404
Sponsor: Mississippi State Board of Health; Southern Educational Film Production Service
Subjects: Sex; Diseases; Health; African Americans; Medicine
Places: North America > United States > Georgia > Athens
Language: English
Shot log: 00:14 - MLS FA black farmer rides a mule up to a barbed wire fence to moody music reminiscent of film noir score a la “Touch of Evil”. -AU; 00:20 - MS SA farmer dismounts horse, opening credits; 00:53 - MLS two farmers in field, one driving tractor, the other walking, jumps onto tractor; Narrator says the actors are everyday people giving time and effort to fight against syphilis. Introduces actors, CU of each character.; 01:34 - MLS SA farmer on tractor and farmer following on horse up hill POV through trees; 01:56 - Var MS black man (Jim) and woman (Ruby) working in field with garden hoes, man (Roy) riding in cart behind two horses in background, Roy waves Jim to come over, men shake hands. Looking around, Roy tells Jim he is in trouble, shows him a rash on his genitals. Jim diagnoses the rash as a “haircut,” or syphilis, asks if he fooled around with that girl that was sweet on him. Jim says don’t worry about a doctor, he has the miracle cure at the house. They walk down the road.; 03:09 - MLS pregnant woman (Ruby) working in field in sun dress and hat; 3:12 - MS (Jim) man walks into house, (Roy) man paces back and forth, nervous; 03:42 - Jim and Roy go into town, Var shots walking around rural African American town, people walking and cars driving in the street, men sitting in rocking chairs and on business front porches, wave to each other, friendly; 04:09 - Var interior shots men enter busy cafe, playing pinball, CU jukebox changing records, two “good looking” girls come in, friends of Jim, Linda flirts with Roy; 04:49 -Var MS, MCU shots Jim, Roy and two attractive women sit down at four top table to share a drink, i jug, 4 glasses, inter-cut with people dancing, Roy says he and the girl “got too friendly later on”; 05:33 - Var shots dark exterior house with picket fence, Roy leaves girl’s house, walks down the road as she looks on from the porch, walks into house; 06:25 - MLS, CU of feet as Roy paces back and forth, worried, Jim walks out of house, tosses the miracle cream to Roy, MLS men walk down dirt road together; 07:22 - MLS RA black farmer rides on hay rake behind two horses; 07:27 - MLS black farmer (Roy) rides up to house standing on wagon full of hay; 07:36 - MLS Roy hops of wagon and walks up to parents house,Var MCU, CU father walks by, Roy takes off shirt looking in mirror, says his folks have not noticed the spots on his hands, he feels ashamed hiding his sores, washing face in wash bin outside when mother walks up, inspects his back, they argue about going to the doctor; 09:39 - Var shots exterior church, gravestone, road, CU church steeple; 09:53 - Var shots interior church, congregation, choir singing, narrator says the County Health Department has come to spread the gospel of good health, Reverend Harris introduces African American woman Mrs. Green, people cover widows and set up a screen and projector, Mrs. Green gives sex education information on syphilis, its symptoms, how it is transmitted, and treatment information, invites the church to come to health clinic to get a blood test for syphilis, disease prevention; 11:02 - Var MS Mrs. Green shows slides of babies, men and women with syphilis symptoms projected on screen,CU of images on screen, Var CU people in congregation looking at each other knowingly, asks people to come to clinic to get treatment, creams will not work; 13:57 - MS congregation leaving church taking pamphlets; 14:07 - Interior church, Mother talks to clinic workers about son, man writes her an appointment for a blood test; 15:02 - MS Roy, Jim, Ruby standing by car, looking at pamphlet, CU comic, characters have syphilis, mother gives Roy appointment slip, tells Jim and Ruby to get tested before she gives birth; 16:25 - Roy walks up to group of men in front of store, will not shake his hand discuss fears of taking the cure; 17:09 - MLS handicapped man limps across street; 17:27 - Var MLS SA, FA Roy walking beside train cars, horse and buggy passes in front of him, pondering whether to see a doctor, walks to clinic, passes women and children exiting Health Department as he walks in; 18:14 - MS SA doctor taking x-ray of patient’s chest; 18:23 - HA mother handing baby to nurse, puts baby on scale to check weight in clinic room; 18:29 - Var shots interior Health Department, Roy walks into clinic feeling welcome, they offer Malaria control, dental care, venereal disease (VD) clinic, got over fears and embarrassment, narrator describes the process, Montage - Roy gets check up, blood drawn for blood test, tested positive for syphilis; 21:02 - MCU, CU of hands, secretary typing on Model Seventeen typewriter; 21:13 - LS, MS group of African American adults exiting bus, coming to stay at syphilis treatment center, enter the door to the center; 21:28 - MS, CU crying baby on table getting shot in bottom, mother pats baby’s back; 21:41 -Var shots interior doctor’s office, checkup with doctor listens to heart with stethoscope, puts a sample from sore on glass slide, Jim and doctor look at syphilis under microscope, ECU syphilis on slide; 23:25 - Black men wait in line to get shot from white female nurse, shot in the butt or rear; 24:53 - Var shots men playing horseshoe in yard of clinic, CU horseshoes landing on stake, men cheer in bleachers; 25:12 - MS Black men standing in cafeteria line, CU men eating and laughing in cafeteria; Roy says goodbye to friends at clinic in cafeteria, RA takes bag and walks down long deck; 25:47 - LS SA PAN RIGHT vintage pickup truck driving down dirt road, fields in landscape, stop at house, drops off Roy at funeral of Jim and Ruby’s baby, died of syphilis; 26:00 - LS six people standing around burial plot praying at funeral; Var MS preacher praying, parents crying, dropping flowers onto open casket; 26:45 - FA exterior shot of man and woman (Roy and Irma) talking inside a car; Roy takes Irma to the doctor for her blood test, interior doctor’s office; 28:13-28:54 - Montage picnic, Roy and Irma with new baby, friends and family, THE END
Cfa elements: Print, 1,056 feet
Cfa records: https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/3404
Sources
- Chicago Film Archives · record ↗ — title, year, creator, length, format, color, sound, genre, description, credits, catalog record, video
Record added 2026-11-08 21:25:05