INFORMATION PLEASE
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Year Published: 1938
Format: 16mm
Description: One of a series of short films that made up the "G.I. Movie Weekly", a news magazine shown to troops, "Information Please" features radio commentator Clifton Fadiman peppering a team of noted experts with questions, many of which take the form of pantomimes. Host Clifton Paul "Kip" Fadiman was the Alex Trebeck of his era -- an intellectual, author, editor, radio and (after WWII) television personality who had "encyclopedic knowledge" spanning many topics. "Information Please" ran as a radio show on NBC from 1938 to 1951. The title was the contemporary phrase used to request from telephone operators what was then called "information" and later called "directory assistance". During World War II, the show frequently went on tours from its New York City base to promote the buying of war bonds. In "Information Please" Clifton fires questions at a quartet of experts. If any of them get it right, a cash register sound is heard and a $25 defense bond is donated by Pathe to the Red Cross. Although this performance was filmed, the show is presented the same way it was recorded for radio broadcast. Three men and a woman answer the questions: Oscar Levant, pianist, Cornelia Otis Skinner, actress and author, Franklin P. Adams, newspaper columnist, and John Kieran, sports expert. Questions are asked (:49-2:58). A pantomime about Sir Francis Drake -- a man practices bowling while the four watch him. The group then answers questions. A man plays cricket, referencing the Duke of Wellington's famous quote about the fields of Eton. The four sit at a table. A man runs shirtless, he then collapses, referencing Pheidippides. They are to guess what this represents -- the marathon (2:59-5:01). Clifton talks with John Kieran. Clifton asks them to identify a famous man based off the action of actors. A man enters handing out a newspaper. He then writes something down and then sits down and another man enters and whispers into his ear. Skinner correctly guesses this represents Thomas Edison. Next a man collects his winnings at a window and then the man who paid boxes before putting on a mustache. Levant correctly guesses James J. Corbett and jokes that he read about Corbett in Kieran's book "The American Sporting Scene" (5:02-7:24). Clifton announces the next pantomime of famous shootings. First, a couple plays cards and another man enters and plays the piano before drawing a gun on the couple -- but the other man draws a gun as well. Adams announces this is the death of Dan McGrew, the subject of a poem by Robert W. Service. Next two men are shown in a room, one man fixes a picture while the other man enters and shoots him in the back. Kieran correctly identifies this as the death of Jesse James (7:25-9:00). Next, a segment in which the experts have to guess the national origin of various dances. Skinner guesses oriental and then Indian. Oscar guesses Japanese, but it turns out it is Javan or East Indian. This costs the group a $25 defense bond. The performer does another dance move. This time Skinner guesses correctly that it is a Scotch Saw Dance. The performer does a final dance. Levant guesses it's an American dance -- the jitterbug. (9:01-11:09). End credits (11:10-11:14).
Complete Record:
Transcription
[Music] if you've ever listened to information please on the air you know it's unprepared and unrehearsed and that's the way we'll run it right now here's the layout I fire questions that they've never seen or heard before at a quartet of experts any expert who thinks he knows the answer raises his hand and when a question is muffed we ring a cash register and that means that path is contributing a $25 defense bond to the American Red Cross and now let me introduce our four authorities from right to left first we have Oscar Levant The Pianist composer and author next comes Cornelia otus Skinner famous actress and writer then we have Franklin P Adams conductor of the conning Tower and finally John Kieran our Sports expert all right puzzle your brains over this one we know that out of the sea we get uh fish mainly what other Provisions can we get from the sea not merely food but other things Miss Skinner well you can get U medicine from what medicine seaweed yes what medicine particularly from sea iodine yes iodine iodines dered from seawe that gives us one Mr line you can get astrays from the those little you put them on your ear and you're supposed to hear something 4,000 years and Miles Away what do you call those seashells seashells yes you you don't pick them up as Ash trades but they can be made into Ash trades perfectly true well we have at least uh three or four William BB if you have an appointment Mr Adam you can get firewood if you play your cards right and wait for the Driftwood right you can also get Carl which is used in jewelry Jew that's right well there are a number of things therefore that we get from the sea you get the First Act of the third Act of of the G third Act of gon from the sea yeah okay now what historical event is suggested by these Sportsmen that you'll see represented on the stage now each one of them should suggest to you some historical event whenever you're ready we'll have the first in no no in in just in general history how about it Mr SK it's Drake who was playing bowls when the Armada was cited that's right say do you remember what did he say what did he say when uh they told him the Armada was cited probably a Lusty oath no was he bowling at the time he was playing he probably said strike well if he were lucky he may be dead Mr Kieran he was bowling on the hole which is a little flat height above the Plymouth Town and he said we have time enough to finish our game of bows and lick the Spaniards out very good Mr Kieran that's exactly right and thresh the Spaniards too and uh that turned out to be correct very well let's have the next one now the game here Mr Kieran is what the game is cricket and it's uh the Battle of watero was won on the cricket fields of Eaton the playing field of e oh very well but he was playing cricket by uh the Duke of Wellington yes the Duke of Wellington said the Battle of water was one of the playing fields of Eden at least we attribute that saying to him I don't know whether it's historically I never heard him say it's true it was in the moving picture oh that that settles it for you any rate Mr now what historical event does this suggest to you just a runner as you can see don't run walk to the nearest exit how about that a man in Greek history who brought the news of the uh Battle of oh dear uh Marathon Marathon that's right and he fell dead after and he fell dead as he did so uh Mr Kieran his name was P was 490 PC that all clear now and what did he say as he fell dead well he was supposed to have said Rejoice we conquer yes again we don't know whether he did or no pipes the famous Runner and we get Mr Kieran from that we get the marathon Race by remote control by the way is uh the distance in the modern marathon Race the same as that which viip no it is not the distance of the mo modern marathon race is the distance from Windsor Castle lawn to uh a stadium Shepherd's bush in the London area how about how long would that be that would be 26 M 385 yard how would you like to have a mind like Mr Kieran M SK that wonderful amazing man how about this one now you're going to see uh a number of actions represented on the little stage here to my right and each of these actions represents three stages in the career of a famous man identify the man from just watching these three stages in his life let's have the first uh Miss Skinner Edison Edison is right yes uh first as a hawker of candy and papers in a train then as a telegraph operator and uh finally as a man at his laboratory uh with a hearing device because Edison was deaf I'm going to try to make these harder for you here we go on the next one Mr lant James J Corbett James J Corb I read it in Mr Karen's book last night I really did he was uh worked in a bank and then uh as Mr Kieran tells it Mr Solomon was on his way to Australia and stopped off and they sparred for a few rounds that was their first encounter not the subsequent battle in New Orleans is that right John that's right say you've got a very faithful reader Mr Karen what's the name of that book John the American sporting scene very good that's right well now I think we'll uh $5 now you're going to watch some pandamine s and each of them will be a a shooting famous shooting of fact or fiction identify each one in turn let's have the first bang bang positive Mr Adams I'm not positive that but that might be the shooting of Dan mcgr you're right just as good as if you were positive very good the shooting of Dan McGrew Mr Lan I thought it might be the Oscar well don't shoot the Pian play he's doing his best uh are you ready for the second of these representations of shootings if so draw the curtain bang bang Mr Kier that's the death of Jesse James I believe that's right you shot while he was hanging a picture that's right uh is that true Mr Kieran or is it just a legend well that's the story I don't I wasn't there well we'll stick to the story now we're going to uh look at some dancers Miss Skinner and gentlemen and each of them should suggest a particular Nation to you look at the dance tell me what uh Nation originated these dances let's have the first it's very good it is good thank you now what uh what country or race does that seem to suggest to you Miss Skinner it seems to me you had your you did that think it was Oriental it was yes it is Oriental but we have to narrow it pardon me probably I bet you got tury no it isn't turkey India uh no it isn't India either Japanese no it isn't that either it's East Indi it's Java oh Java yeah I'm afraid that'll lose us a $25 defense Bond Javanese or east Indian Dan now let's have the second uh sure Rob it Miss Skinner I think so yes a scotch sword dance yes the scotch sword dance from Scotland that's very good and now the third of these dances Mr lant that's American uh yes what is he doing Mr L he does everything wonderfully I don't know what the best dancer I ever saw if it is a dance it's called what well it's all a uh the Shag yeah Jitter bugging I suppose rug cutting wish I could talk to him he can't speak that'll be enough information for today save the rest for next time
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