THE CURIOUS HABITS OF MAN

Year Published: 1968

Creator: Addiction Research Foundation of Ontario

Description: The Addiction Research Foundation of Ontario (0:21) presents: “The Curious Habits of Man” (0:15). Directed by Robert Barclay, this somewhat obtuse 1968 film compares the unseemly behavior of drinking and smoking humans to behaviour exhibited by wild animals. Ice cubes dropping into a glass of alcohol (0:30). It’s a cocktail party. Jay, our sober protagonist, takes soft drinks (0:37), before mingling with other guests (0:45). More guests (1:09); Jay greets them. All are holding alcoholic drinks (1:13). A short drink poured over ice (1:24). A man laughs, saying “you don’t want to pass out like you had the last time, hey?” Jay turns on an old television set by turning a knob (1:38). A red bird chirps as Jay settles down into a floral-print sofa, soda bottle in hand (1:43). On the screen, a loon with intense-red eyes gives a loud, wavering tremolo (2:00). Somewhere behind Jay a woman starts to cackle (2:03). Jay notes the similarity (2:09). She shrieks in laughter with her drink in her hand (2:17), in competition with the loon (2:27). A man joins Jay (2:34) to watch the show, “Audubon Wildlife Theatre”. A black bird (2:46) flaps its wings and caws. A man laughs with a bellow, flapping his hands (2:55). “There’s a lot of wildlife” (3:01). From 3:03, different partygoers eating (3:03); drinking (3:09); smoking (3:11); then pouring and more drinking (3:15). An onscreen wolf howls (3:24); a man looks about (3:26), a wolfish look in his eyes (3:34). He spots his prey: a woman in a pink dress with a keyhole cutout exposing her cleavage (3:38). The scene is punctuated with footage of a male ruffed grouse drumming his wings, puffing out his chest. Then more drinking, kissing, cackling (3:52). Jay squirms as Pink-dress Lady approaches (4:09). The ruffed grouse (4:26) beats its wings again. Jay gets another drink from the fridge (4:45): a Coke (4:58). His friend guzzles down a frothy alcoholic drink (4:59), like a hippopotamus slurping muddy river water. A dancing couple (5:18) is compared to a pair of giraffes, flailing their heads around. A woman pops her bubblegum (5:40), like a male frog calling for a mate (5:46). Another lady grooms herself (5:53), like a cheetah grooming its paw (5:56). More scenes from the party: black pumps abandoned on the dance floor (6:08); dancing feet (6:09); musicians (6:12); the Cheetah woman plays with the jaw of a taxidermied animal (6:15); dancing with drinks and cigarettes (6:20). At 6:24, Jay’s Coke bottle can clearly be seen. Musicians play in the background (6:36). Jay watches this all, unimpressed (6:48). The people sing in drunken French — Quebecois children’s song “Alouette” (6:56). A cigarette squashed into a wine glass (7:29). From 7:40, all the drunken lips singing “OOOOOHHHHH” — cut to wolves howling (7:49), a raven cawing (7:53); a zebra braying (7:55), a bird screaming (7:58), more wolves howling (7:59), and back to wild humans singing (8:04). A woman checks Jay’s watch (8:12). A man shoves chips in his mouth, double-chin wobbling (8:25). A noisy bird is handfed (8:35). Jay is bored (9:21); a musician leaves. It is getting late. 9:34 Wolf-eyes dances with Pink-dress Lady (9:34). Her husband notices when Wolf-eyes reaches his hand down toward her buttocks (10:00). A rhinoceros represents the husband’s territorial aggression (10:06). Husband decides to confront the man (10:18). Like a charging rhino bull (10:22), he runs past Jay towards the pair (10:26). A kissing couple (10:52); a pair of cheetahs (10:59). A sleeping man, hiccuping loudly (11:06); a toad (11:11); a yawning woman (11:15); a cheetah (11:18). Jay puts his empty bottle down, and leaves (11:23). Outside (11:45); the sound of insects and birds. An owl sits silent and calm (11:57). Jay smiles, recognizing the serene, unperturbed bird, then walks off. End credits (12:19).

Complete Record: The Addiction Research Foundation of Ontario (0:21) presents: “The Curious Habits of Man” (0:15). Directed by Robert Barclay, this somewhat obtuse 1968 film compares the unseemly behavior of drinking and smoking humans to behaviour exhibited by wild animals. Ice cubes dropping into a glass of alcohol (0:30). It’s a cocktail party. Jay, our sober protagonist, takes soft drinks (0:37), before mingling with other guests (0:45). More guests (1:09); Jay greets them. All are holding alcoholic drinks (1:13). A short drink poured over ice (1:24). A man laughs, saying “you don’t want to pass out like you had the last time, hey?” Jay turns on an old television set by turning a knob (1:38). A red bird chirps as Jay settles down into a floral-print sofa, soda bottle in hand (1:43). On the screen, a loon with intense-red eyes gives a loud, wavering tremolo (2:00). Somewhere behind Jay a woman starts to cackle (2:03). Jay notes the similarity (2:09). She shrieks in laughter with her drink in her hand (2:17), in competition with the loon (2:27). A man joins Jay (2:34) to watch the show, “Audubon Wildlife Theatre”. A black bird (2:46) flaps its wings and caws. A man laughs with a bellow, flapping his hands (2:55). “There’s a lot of wildlife” (3:01). From 3:03, different partygoers eating (3:03); drinking (3:09); smoking (3:11); then pouring and more drinking (3:15). An onscreen wolf howls (3:24); a man looks about (3:26), a wolfish look in his eyes (3:34). He spots his prey: a woman in a pink dress with a keyhole cutout exposing her cleavage (3:38). The scene is punctuated with footage of a male ruffed grouse drumming his wings, puffing out his chest. Then more drinking, kissing, cackling (3:52). Jay squirms as Pink-dress Lady approaches (4:09). The ruffed grouse (4:26) beats its wings again. Jay gets another drink from the fridge (4:45): a Coke (4:58). His friend guzzles down a frothy alcoholic drink (4:59), like a hippopotamus slurping muddy river water. A dancing couple (5:18) is compared to a pair of giraffes, flailing their heads around. A woman pops her bubblegum (5:40), like a male frog calling for a mate (5:46). Another lady grooms herself (5:53), like a cheetah grooming its paw (5:56). More scenes from the party: black pumps abandoned on the dance floor (6:08); dancing feet (6:09); musicians (6:12); the Cheetah woman plays with the jaw of a taxidermied animal (6:15); dancing with drinks and cigarettes (6:20). At 6:24, Jay’s Coke bottle can clearly be seen. Musicians play in the background (6:36). Jay watches this all, unimpressed (6:48). The people sing in drunken French — Quebecois children’s song “Alouette” (6:56). A cigarette squashed into a wine glass (7:29). From 7:40, all the drunken lips singing “OOOOOHHHHH” — cut to wolves howling (7:49), a raven cawing (7:53); a zebra braying (7:55), a bird screaming (7:58), more wolves howling (7:59), and back to wild humans singing (8:04). A woman checks Jay’s watch (8:12). A man shoves chips in his mouth, double-chin wobbling (8:25). A noisy bird is handfed (8:35). Jay is bored (9:21); a musician leaves. It is getting late. 9:34 Wolf-eyes dances with Pink-dress Lady (9:34). Her husband notices when Wolf-eyes reaches his hand down toward her buttocks (10:00). A rhinoceros represents the husband’s territorial aggression (10:06). Husband decides to confront the man (10:18). Like a charging rhino bull (10:22), he runs past Jay towards the pair (10:26). A kissing couple (10:52); a pair of cheetahs (10:59). A sleeping man, hiccuping loudly (11:06); a toad (11:11); a yawning woman (11:15); a cheetah (11:18). Jay puts his empty bottle down, and leaves (11:23). Outside (11:45); the sound of insects and birds. An owl sits silent and calm (11:57). Jay smiles, recognizing the serene, unperturbed bird, then walks off. End credits (12:19).