WORKING FOR SHELL

[Music] coming around in a cornfield chasing a squawking end did he catch it sure he caught it of course i had to give him a little hand what in the world did you want it for what does anyone want a chicken for to eat raw oh we got a fire and cooked it right out in the field with the war going on uh-huh you see we were pretty hungry weren't you afraid sure i was afraid if they hit you they hit you i don't know i guess we're always really afraid of something now that i'm back home it's about a job a lot of time to think about it when the fellows get together at night and some bill it or at chow time they do a lot of talking about the future well you wouldn't have much to worry about you can have your own job back yeah i know that don't you want it back dear i don't know i don't think so you see when you look at a must-up world through a slit in a 20-ton tank it changes your outlook applicable i think i understand how you feel son you don't have to decide right away certainly not take your time son you decide what's the right thing to do thanks dude of course you know mom there's a another woman in all my plans [Laughter] don't you think you're going to make me jealous hell is a fine girl she sure is and if i were you i'd listen to what she has to say all right since you insist i'll start listening right away [Laughter] does that prove anything well it helps but i mean it helen i want the kind of a job that'll make you proud of me i know you do bill and i want to be but what's your rush you just got home today i suppose there isn't any but when you've lived for two years dreaming and planning and talking about getting back home so that you can get a job with a future so that you can get married have a home of your own now that you're here you want to get at it i understand how you feel bill but what's your problem there's lots of jobs to be had sure i admit that but i want a job that pays good money or or at least one that you can get ahead at fast well after all bill that's up to you if you tried hard enough you could get a hit at most any job in time or even your old one now i wouldn't care to do that i'm two years older now and i can't believe that that's two years out of my life that's gone waste i suppose it's two years training i'll never get but i feel for what i've lost there i've gained an experience how do you mean experience well i've been on my own for two years had to accept individual responsibility and couldn't make excuses about getting results oh so you want to start right out in the position as boss huh well maybe not boss but at least i want a job that puts a man on his own resources so that if he has anything on the ball it'll pay off i've got a bill we'll write a letter to to the governor of the state let's see now dear god i am an honorably discharged soldier and i would like to apply for the position of i thought i had crazy dreams such as what well i used to picture myself picking up a newspaper and seeing an ad on something like this wanted man to take over the presidency of united states steel and then bingo i'd be president of the united states steel oh good for you congratulations i'd see myself walking into the office of the vocational guidance counselor looking at him and saying now look here mr constable i want a job with security i want something with standing in the community now what hey how about that that's just about as brilliantly thought as we haven't thought up for some unknown reason all evening vocational guidance counselor i do get a bright idea once in a while once in a while you're pretty wonderful all the time well i'm glad that settled yes so am i how about that coffee and cake you promised okay what are you going to see him build tomorrow morning early vocational guidance oh hiya bill joy as a boy i see oh you know me pal freaking the trigger oh not in there yeah oh pal it's just a waste of time what can a guy like this do for you it's strictly for the kind of guys who ain't going anywhere anyway you got a cigarette look i'll let you in on something i wanted to see this guy see the checkup and what kind of a racket it is i ask him to suggest some kind of a job and this is a laugh you know me build more million dollar ideas than morgan thought well you suggested me me being a night watchman yeah that's right a night watchman or and get this a chauver let those guys know about outstanding ability pal look if you want help getting into some kind of work don't go in there it's just a waste of time well thanks george but i've come this far i think i'll have a try at it okay but don't say i didn't warn you look i'll call you up soon let you in something really worthwhile all right george but in the meantime i think i'll just keep digging okay so long digger that stuff will give you an idea of my record right now i'm looking for the right kind of job well in a particular line in mind no except that i want something that will afford me the opportunity to make good something that could lead into running my own business someday yeah i see yeah how about this assistant manager at a chain grocery store no i don't think i'd like that mr target well would you be interested in the service station business there's not much appeal in being a grease monkey well i don't know one of our neighbors operates a service station we often get together for a game of cards your idea of a grease monkey certainly doesn't fit him but i'll read you off some more of these shoe salesmen truck driver refrigerator inspector hearty cultural business or milling machine operator a radio shop i don't think any of them quite fill the bill well if you know definitely what you don't want at least gives us a slant on what you do one i've got my sights set on the future what i do go into has got to offer something see here's something maybe hardware it's a fairly small outfit but growing they need a man to cover the upstate territory well that may be all right but it's just selling isn't it i guess tears i have a cigarette thank you you know sanders you've had charge of a bunch of men for a couple of years you were responsible for a fighting unit a man-sized tank yes and we took pretty good care of it i certainly wouldn't want less now that's why i thought you'd go in for this service station business well a service station business just doesn't seem to click that kind of a job probably doesn't pay much anyway oh you can make pretty decent money immediately well a lot of other things about it that don't hit me quite right well there's a way to make up your mind why don't you drop around a few of the oil companies and have a talk with them well i suppose i have nothing to lose they can certainly give you the straight fights better than anyone else here let me give you a couple of names and addresses i'll try it thank you very much that's all right here i'll let you know how i come up thanks i'd like to know sanders and if you still don't like the idea well we'll try something else good luck thanks again goodbye sir goodbye i think i know what you mean saunders but running a service station is different today a lot of men in the service station business have its highest ending in the community as men in any work you can mention well hardly the same as a professional man like a doctor a pharmacist or a bank manager why not don't sell the service station business short today it not only requires the qualifications of a skilled profession it brings the income of a skilled profession as far as prestige is concerned run your business right and you will be looked upon with respect equal to that according to the most prominent member of your community i think you'd be surprised if you looked into the possibilities of this business you're speaking from shell's point of view of course shell primarily but for the service station business in general too i'd like to tell you mr jackson i've talked to a couple of the other oil companies of course you want to look around let me ask you mr jackson just what do you people have to offer a dealer who uses your products on that question hinges the relationship between our organization and all our dealers it's the 64 question but i think this time you asked one that i can answer you see something is there's a tremendous organization behind every service station it controls productive territory and some of the richest oil fields in the world it has big modern refineries located all over the country out of which come the finest petroleum products and the same goes for both plants storage depots and warehouses it operates pipelines tank cars and fleets of trucks that are the lifelines of the service station business and something that's of great importance an army of the best trained chemists physicists and technicians in the world works constantly to improve our products works out new ways for us to give better values to our customers out of these laboratories have come many new products which have had an important part in the victories of our armed forces among these is the stuff from which 100 octane aviation gasoline is made rust preventives that keep battleship turbines on the job longer toluene the chemical that puts the kick in tmt and butadiene the essential ingredient of synthetic rubber all of this know-how which shell has gained and doing its share to help win the war will be made available to the customers of shell service stations in the form of better automotive products and to help shell dealers a lot of money spent for widespread publicity and advertising that's carried on through almost every possible medium because we're inherently a dealer organization we provide our dealers with a great variety of training helps in promotional materials such as textbooks motion pictures periodicals to further assist our dealers the company makes constant checks of market trends it has even gone so far as to solicit thousands of customers ideas as to the best possible type of service station and the likes and dislikes of motorists all over the country that's how we know shell is one of the great names in the petroleum industry does that answer your question cylinders i think it answers it pretty well but you still have to be convinced well after all the money you're planning to invest you were in the hard way well suppose i did become interested in the service station business do people have any spots open it doesn't work quite that way we're not directly in the business of operating service stations they're operated by individuals all of whom are customers of ours however if you're willing to make the necessary investment we'd be interested in discussing a station lease with you oh wait a minute not so fast i'm not ready to sign those papers yet maybe i wouldn't like the business isn't there some way you could try it out first as i said the stations are run by individuals we do hear of stations where they need some help i have one in mind i'd be glad to speak to the man who operates it there's no harm in talking to him i'll give you the address the man's name is stone see what he has to offer see what we have to offer and let's see what you have to offer that sounds fair enough thank you mr jackson you've given me a lot of your time let's say maybe i have sold a new account for show one of these days good luck soldiers thank you mr stone yes can i help you i'm bill saunders oh he has mr jackson phone about you about a job excuse me hey ellie keep your arm in the front willie i'll be busy a couple of minutes maybe mr jackson told you that i'm not sure i want to go into the service station business well he said you were just out of the army and we're looking around what i really want is something that'll put me on my own when i make a choice i want to make sure it's the right one i know how you feel bill i was in the last war i floundered around for a couple of years before i found what i wanted did you pick this business yes i did i've been operating this station for 15 years but you don't have to jump in anything exactly when you find what you want you'll warm up to it and be happy after for the rest of your life well then i'd be leaving for instance if i did go to work for you and liked it i'd leave to run my own station well that'll be all right as a matter of fact i'd like to help you find what you're looking for if i could could ask you a few questions i added to be temporary no matter what happened would you care to give me the job well it just happens that alec my second man has to go to florida on some family business for a number of weeks so it'll work out all right when can i start how about tomorrow station opens at seven okay i'll be here at seven you know what the job pays yes i understand that well here's wishness both luck bill thank you mr stone until this particular car takes four quarts of oil others take five and some six always check that chart over there to be sure you have the right number of quarts hi john hello ralph dr basco this customer of mine you go ahead and take care of them see how you do check your own sir what oh yeah go out ahead oh bell this is dr bascom this is bill saunders doctor just out of the army started to work with him this morning fine how do you do doctor how are you and by the way bill never ask a customer if you can check his oil just go ahead and do it you know lots of times they think it's all right and it isn't besides we sell more oil that way i want to get away for a day's fishing next friday how about coming along i can't make it this week ralph i'd like a rain check on it though that's right that's right thank you one moment please if you pull over the air tire i'll check your tires your right front's pretty low well yes i will thanks very much i'll get it oh no the tube's all right just a small nail in it yes it'll be ready you're welcome sorry i'm up that one oh that's all right bill i always said a man never made a mistake never did any work not a tire sure needed here well the point is he to found out about it sooner or later than he blamed us not without cars and we've lost a customer our principal concern is to see that our customers cars in first-class running condition i'm beginning to see how you've made a success of this business you can't afford to be careless about anything that's the reason i make such a point about keeping the office swept out and the wind is washed down and the restroom too only more so you know most customers judge a station by the condition of the restroom as i guess swabbing the decks part of it well i've always looked at it this way bill you can't expect the public to have confidence in you or your products if you don't think enough of them to keep them clean will you please hurry young man it shouldn't take all day to put in a few gallons of gas don't run it all over the car the tank only holds so much that's caused by pouring it too fast the tank isn't full man i'd like the windshield clean and see that it's clean young man that's all right don't take all day i'm in a hurry never mind that i don't need any oil i hope you intend to wash this side young man after all this is the side i looked through you rub harder you might get it a little cleaner there's a spot there you haven't even touched sorry right there will you be so kind as to put this parcel in the rear compartment it might help if you use the key may i have the key i should think you'd had sense enough to ask for it in the first place if you're going to tear the car apart never mind bring it back up here you may keep the change well well well bill zonder hiya george hi i heard you were working here to fill in time eh well i don't blame you couldn't figure a guy like you in a job like this for keeps how about throwing a little gas fella huh yeah sure hey how do you like the heat all right the greatest little buggy henry ever built pneumatic tire self-starter of course i'm only driving a temporary while my cadillac's in the garage getting fixed about that much hey fella quarterboy will you hey listen bill i've got a surefire deal cooking right now everything's just about lined up big offices tables everything i'm to be president of the company so if you want to get on something really big i can fix it for you i think i'll be talking to you george when you get started that's your spirit now you're getting smart thanks fellow you're welcome fella oh phil one more item could you help me out fella i left my wallet up in the office oh sure george i'll be glad to take care of it for you thanks a lot fella i'll be seeing you boy look when you want to get on that big thing let me know will you i sure will hold on george still on fella but bill the first week's about over how's the job stack up all right i guess say how'd you like to come over to the house for dinner tonight you and a girlfriend sure john we'd like to well it's a date come over as soon as you can after you close up huh okay swell what number did mr phone say it was 541 i guess it must be on the other side of the street oh there it is why isn't it nice yeah i guess mr stone wasn't kidding when he said he did all right in the service station business you know i've heard a lot about you helen bill must do a lot of talking behind our backs mr stone i've heard a lot about you too well sit down make yourselves comfortable thank you i'll go get mrs stone she's out in the kitchen finishing things grace john dear there's no need of shouting i'm sorry darling i didn't see you there come on out and meet the people yes uh i'd like to present mrs stone this is miss esper and bill saunders how do you do how do you do music very glad to know you mr sanders i hope you'll excuse me for just a few minutes i'm right in the middle of making the salad well couldn't i help you well there's really nothing to do but if you'd care to come out of the kitchen uh don't let her put you to work don't worry i won't let me show you where to put your things sit down bill over there i think you like that chair better thank you i was just about to have a glass of beer will you join me i sure will you weren't entirely happy that first week were you i was a little rough in spots some of that stuff i can't take that being ordered around like a flunky that woman with that young man this young man that young man this that's stuff i can't take oh well there's good and bad in everything that includes people figure it out this way you wouldn't enjoy the nice people so much if you didn't have the other kind to compare them with but not for me i'd hate to put up with that sort of thing all my life well i've always found the best way to get respect is to earn it and i go out after it i feel i'm just as much respected as the bank manager of the liar they perform a specialized service so do i you've been at it a long time john well i probably wouldn't have made a success of my business if i hadn't become interested in civic affairs as it is the business has done all right with me you can see how i live i've got security as well as a standing in the community i'm telling you these things bill because i want to help you don't make the little things seem too big i honestly believe you're on the right track you can make a success of the service station business i'm sure you can but you've got to contribute a little the customers good and bad and to the community as a whole but i'm not cut out to be a civic leader well i probably wasn't either but from the day i went into the service station business i made up my mind to get interested in neighborhood activities i joined the businessmen's club and took part in all the charity drives well i guess i could join the american legion well from a selfish point of view it pays dividends and i don't mean the number of gallons of oil and gas to sell a month i suppose you mean prestige respect to the people you associate with well as i said before bill that's very important to me sure it is to me too that's the reason i don't want you to become discouraged well be hard for a fellow to stay that way with you helping straighten them out next week everything will look different i sure hope so let's go in and see if we can hurry the women folk i'm hungry fine oh grace [Music] hi bill hi tommy i want you to meet my father this is my father bill this is uh mr saunders i know you're mr han tommy insisted i come over and meet the new sculpt master the boys sure like you bill i like kids hope to have a bunch of my own someday i'm happy that tommy's going to be in your charge at the troops we're going on a hike cindy aren't we bill we sure are you better get your land legs in shape tommy don't worry i will i wonder if you could lubricate the car if i left here in the morning sure i'll be glad to take care of it for you i'll drop it by about nine glad to meet you same here mr han i know so long tommy nice going bill i don't get it i've been trying to get mr herron in this station for over two years he's got two personal cars in the fleet of five trucks looks like the job of scoutmaster is a combination of business and pleasure a lot of such activity often works out that way [Applause] by the way bill you think you could run the station yourself for a few days sure why well i'd like to do a little fishing some of the fellas down the club have arranged the trip and i'd like to go along well jump at it john i can manage things all right yeah i think you can hello now this is bill saunders well that's all right of course i'll be right over what's your dress sorry to get you out of bed bill but the tire was flat you had to spare down the station ready for the last couple i know i know i should have picked it up but that's all right doctor i can go back to bed again but how about you a boy on a farm about 20 miles out of town has pneumonia i have to get there oh in that case i'm glad to win some help tell the kid i'm pulling for him doctor [Applause] oh hello mr jackson hello bill how you been great stone tells me you're getting along here fine well it's thanks to his help good station will be available right away are you interested hello ed what's up tom chapman across town is going out to california he's retiring bought himself a little chicken ranch tom chapman huh i was asking bill if he wants this station say that's a good spot yeah i'd sure like to have it but i wonder if i could handle it financially i mean i wouldn't worry about that too much i think any bank in town will handle it that's a cinch bill you can get the veterans loan yeah that's right but i hate to run out on you that's perfectly all right we have that understanding when you started when does the lease expire the 10th that gives me a week you think you could get along without me starting tomorrow now wait a minute you couldn't make it the day after could you ellick will be back then okay thanks i've got one important thing i've got to do before i start my new career [Applause] [Applause] [Laughter] [Applause] [Applause] you'll find a few mount tubes with its lubricant they'll last longer thanks you've given me plenty of assistance in getting the station started frank that's part of a retail instructor's job well anyway i appreciate the help last week you've taught me things about a service station that i've never thought of you want me to go to the books again so you'll understand how they're set up i'm pretty sure i have it straightened out well i guess i've told you about all i know bill i think you have a good basic knowledge of how to run a station you know the lubricatorium and you have the office worked down pat and you have a fine insight on the customer situation i think i'll make that all right the district service representative will stop by at intervals and give you any help you need it's been a pleasure working with you bill it has been for me thanks a lot for the help like to see you once in a while frank i'll drop in well so long [Music] how many no please no gasoline you are mr saunders yeah this is for you for me you must be making some mistake oh no please i don't make a mistake dr bascom you're telling me where i can find you this is something of my little boy he's a maker himself and he asked me to give it to you but i don't understand my boy was a very sick you helped to savor his life one night do you get up and you fixed the car for dr bascom to come to my farm oh sure now i remember but that was just part of my job that's all right but now my boy he's all right he's well again he's going to get stronger me and my collater we are very grateful to you you are fine man we ask a god to bless you always thank you no please senator you want to thank me we thank you [Music] foreign hiya phil george it's good to see you but next time lay off the horn will you what's the matter a bit jumpy this morning my fine friend i see you finally struck it rich guess i've done pretty well at that tell me about it i haven't seen you for weeks where you been well i've been traveling around the country looking after my interest say how about a little gas yes sir looks like you're doing okay kid it doesn't get awfully tiresome no i like it doing all right too not as good as you may be but not bad cigarette no thank you you know i really have to backtrack on you george i didn't think you could do it don't let it hear george no no look bill if you'd like to buy a string of these stations one of these days why don't you get in touch with me i'll see what i can do about buying them up for you would you really well i'd be glad to it's kind of nice here george [Applause] stick around a minute george okay saunders shell service now i haven't seen any chauffeur in here today yeah if he comes in i'll tell him what's that a blue and gray cadillac now wait a minute i think he's here now yes i'll be glad to tell him goodbye you really meant what you said that if i wanted to pick up a string of stations you'd see what you could do about financing i sure will kit just let me know okay morgan oh and by the way on your way home the boss wants you to stop and pick up two pounds of horse meat for his dogs he just phoned oh that's so temporary bill i'm really really i'm working on that big deal really i am okay pal i'll call you up huh it's a long journey so long pal horsemeat hi honey here you are bill watch it today oh you'll find out i don't give that much service to all my customers this happens to be my favorite but i'm doing my best and if hard work plus ambition mean anything plus the respect i'm building for myself in the community and the prestige that goes with shell i think we'll make out all right drop in and see us again and say six months and again in another year find out for yourselves [Music] you