Kansas City Newsreel

Transcript (Download)

You There are little jobs and then again there are some pretty big ones and one that definitely fits this latter category But is rarely if ever given a thought by most of us is how when and where the thousands of pieces of rolling stock That pass over our railroad network ever get a bath Well a few years ago.

It was a chore that demanded a tremendous crew today.

However, it's a streamline as the streamliner itself Located in major railroad yards across the country are short stretches of track that without a doubt Handle more traffic than any of the others the roots of the dirty Pullman Here 24 hours a day cars are run through a machine Consisting of two sets of cleaners and two sets of brushes that in no time at all have any car looking like new Yes, and the entire operation is controlled by a single man from the closing of the brushes on the train Right down to the final rinse pretty soft one man.

Did we say okay? We'll make it too Somebody has to give them that final loving touch But you'll have to admit it's still a pretty modern type of a laundry tub you The way of life for the elephant has changed radically from the leisurely days spent in the jungle today He must work for a living But then it does have certain Compensations or never in error at jungle career that he find some kind and considerate animal friend Who would lend a helping hand to the good old bathing ritual? here in the civilized world it's a different story and Cleopatra with her milk baths and her many attendants had nothing on this pachyderm For every single morning error at is soaked and scrubbed from head to foot Lifting his feet to make sure that not one square inch of his 4800 pounds is missed But error at isn't the only one that received such kind attention Cleo the hippopotamus gets her morning scrubbing too and loves every minute of it Well, she should for in her nearly 20 years of civilized life.

She's had approximately 7300 soaking But bathing Cleo is no simple matter But it's a lot of surface to cover and a squirt here and a squirt there won't quite do the trick Taking care of her each morning in this manner demands tough bristle scrub brushes Pounds of powdered soap and a good bit of that well -known elbow grease However, she does offer a happy solution as to where to put the bucket Yes Cleo for one is firmly convinced that civilization is the thing There are many unsung heroes among the towering buildings of our numerous metropolitan centers People whose job it is to make the living and working of others just as pleasant as possible.

Take this man for instance There's nothing unusual about his disappearing into this tall man -made structure But the work he does ah, that's a different story For his profession carries him high over the heads of most of us well up the sides of our mightiest buildings Where with little thought to himself he goes about his daily chore of letting the sunshine Into the otherwise dreary interiors of many an office To him it's just routine Shuffling along a windowsill hundreds of feet above the city streets to the faint of heart Certainly not a job to be recommended Inside looking out it seems like nothing at all However, there are angles that the common housefly might find just a wee bit disturbing But to the experienced window washer armed with pale brush and squeegee Hanging from a safety belt eight hours a day is just another job Including the precarious swing from one window to the next to the casual sidewalk observer well, we know how it affects us and Anyway, it's much safer inside looking out Yes, a hazardous task it is a man -sized task that requires a great deal of courage on the part of the men that undertake its accomplishment but it's a job that must be done to keep the building inmates happy and contented and What reward is there for these men that daily risk their very lives? Well, there's always the assurance that their work is never done At least as interesting as a hobby and a good deal more practical looking than most of them is this Mechanical fly that came to public attention two months ago Designed to travel to the scene of a fire and then fasten on to and climb up the permanent gear track That would bolt onto the outside of the building if passed effective demonstrations With the rotary gear fastened to the stationary one on the left side of the building The two -cylinder gasoline engine went into action and the elevator like mechanism started up carrying inventor Willis J Burnett on its maiden voyage Eight persons can easily be carried on the platforms that pulled up when the fly is running along the ground the 62 year old inventor worked on the mechanical fly for eight months and Hopes it will be used to assist in fighting fires throughout the country The fire department has not yet committed itself Boys in the LaSalle hotels crown room came up with something a little different in the way of dance floor pastimes a few weeks ago Dancing under the bar they call it and that pretty well explains the game for the first few minutes Then things begin to loosen up a little bit The five or six couples who have been talked into trying their luck and size Stoop a little lower as the crossbar comes down another peg You don't want to play all right sit and watch them.

It's almost as much fun and by now you can begin to place your bets Naturally, you don't want to see anybody get dirty, but you know that mop is going to have a little help before it's all over These contestants obviously have what it takes They intend to get just as low down as they have to to win that bottle of champagne in that orchid And don't think it isn't going to be a battle Now we're really getting into it the rule book says they have to hold hands all the time They're going through and sometimes that makes the operation a little bit complicated.

Oh Yes, they have to do it first on the stomach and then flat on the back It's a nasty place to be when your girlfriend mutters something like Who's been putting on a little weight in the wrong places honey or make some remark about fat being a curse to more than the poor female and When the battle reaches the point where you have absolutely no privacy left and you hear a disgusted That didn't come from those exercises you brag about you're sorry you ever got into the thing Obviously, you're never going to hear the end of it You help it if you just happen to mention once that you had a small waist You Go ahead break the arm off honey anything to win You couldn't get Joe there down on the floor for a million dollars But there are other people who'd rather win a stunt of this sort than have that million well almost Boy, what a thrill when that last doubtful bump slips under the bar and you and the gal friend move up to the winners table Free bottle of champagne and a beautiful orchid for her and best of all the satisfaction of proving you could get lower than any of them

Date Of Production

circa 1948

Abstract

Independently-produced newsreel featuring brief human interest stories. Subjects include: cleaning Pullman cars at the Kansas City Terminal Yards; bathing elephants and hippos at the zoo; washing windows at the Kansas City Power and Light Building; Willis J. Bernett's "mechanical fly" invention, used for scaling the sides of buildings during fire rescues; and an amusing couples contest called "Dancing Under the Bar," held at the Crown Room of the LaSalle Hotel.

Format

16mm

Extent

325 feet

Color

B&W

Sound

Optical

Reel/Tape Number

1/1

Has Been Digitized?

Yes

Language Of Materials

English

Element

Work Prints

Genre

Magazine

Form

Amateur
Newsreels

Subject

Railroads
Laborers
Cleaning
Animals
Architecture
Rescue work
Inventions
Contests
Leisure
Hotels

Related Collections

Robert and Theresa Davis Collection

Related Places

North America ➜ United States ➜ Missouri ➜ Kansas City

Main Credits

Davis, Robert C. (is filmmaker)

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