Jack Behrend Collection

Feeling All Right

Transcript (Download)

You You You You You You The principal parts in this story are Acted by people from everyday life who have given their time and effort to help in the fight against syphilis Roy Jackson is played by Eldred Marshall His mother is played by mrs.

Marshall His friend Jim and Ruby are played by George mix and Margaret Lindsay Jim's friend Linda is played by Thelma Barnes and Roy's true love Irma is played by Blandy Pox You I Was in trouble big trouble it looked like So I thought go see Jim you've been around more than me Jim will know what to do Well Jim knew right off you got a haircut for sure Roy What you do put around that gal sweet on you any cafe? I? Told Jim maybe I'd better see a doctor don't be crazy Roy I Got just to think for you up to the house fix up in no time at all you Maybe Jim don't think I should worry, but I was scared The so I had that Jim called a haircut didn't hurt any but it looked mighty bad I Couldn't stay still thinking about the day in town when I got into this mess Ran into Jim this Saturday.

I hadn't been to town for a couple of months too much work to do on Papa's farm We took a walk down water Street Jim know most everyone around here.

He had a wave and a good word for everybody Maybe Jim don't take farming too serious, but he sure got a lots of friends I Then it all started a couple of good -looking girls came into the cafe Good friends of Jim judging by the way to say hello The one called lenses seem to take a liking to me right away I Now I'm the latest man like Jim, but this man was easy to look at and easy to talk to It wasn't long before we were laughing and kidding around like old friends Tell the truth I don't remember much what we talked about but it seems mighty nice and cheerful at the time That afternoon passed in a hurry and me and Linda got pretty friendly to friendly it turned out to be later on I That's the way it was and just when I've been thinking on acid armor about I'll get in married You are Roy the little miracle worker just what you need I I Mean are you in trouble stop worrying now? Dr.

Waldo's little miracle cure will dry up your trouble so as disappear in 10 to 20 days Your money back if you are not satisfied That sound like pretty big talk to me or don't be so stubborn Jim said man Ruby both use it for our sword like yours I Couldn't argue much Maybe this was the easy way out 20 days isn't so long if the cure really works I The folks haven't noticed the spots on my hand yet Make me feel really shame going around trying to hide them And taking that tiny Jim told me to get for about a week now Still no sign of it clearing up What's the matter with your back Roy it's all broke out Roy you got it on your hands, too.

Are you sick son? Nothing mama.

Just the Sun might have hot iron to feel It doesn't bother me.

I feel fine If it was heat rice son, it would be all itchy and fire Seems to me like it's something else.

You better see a doctor.

Oh I'm taking the time of the gym gave me he said he'll get rid of it in a hurry Oh that Jim and his silly ideas won't let Ruby even see a doctor and she is six months big.

Oh mama Cruddle you don't like Jim.

That's all I Had a sore last month He gave him some say that dried up fine.

You had a sore eye and didn't tell me know your papa about it We thought you were feeling low only Kyle you're in or my head are falling out leave her out of this mama Let me be I'm no baby anymore.

I listen to your mama Roy I think care of all of you when you were sick Not by just sending in a dollar for a bottle of tonic that claimed to cure man I'm you you get some sense into your head and go and see dr.

Jones Jim not guessing about this kind of trouble mama.

It works for him and will work for me, too Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh This is a special day at Mount Holly the county health department has come down to spread the gospel of good health The windows are covered so pictures can be shown and Reverend Harris introduces mrs.

Green to the congregation She's going to talk about a sickness.

Everybody should know about syphilis Some people call syphilis the part of a bad blood But whatever name you give it it's real bad You may be strong or puny Rich are poor, but when that syphilis germ gets into your blood you're gonna have a lot of trouble Syphilis is a very catching sickness you get it mostly by sexual intercourse By fooling around with someone who has syphilis already Babies can catch syphilis too before they're born See this poor little fellow His mother had syphilis while she was still carrying him and when a baby catches this was from its mother It will likely be born dead or worse than that all crippled up like the baby in the picture Some people get a warning sign when they catch syphilis Mostly it is a sore on that private Because that is where the germ gets into the body You've heard men call it a haircut a Woman might not see her sore if it's inside of her That first sign usually goes away after a while even without any treatment But syphilis doesn't give up this easy.

Maybe two or three weeks later you get a second time Maybe a sore in the corners of the mouth like this Our patches of hair may fall out Some get sores on their face people think they are ringworms.

I'll call them nickel and dime spots Sometimes it is a breaking out a spot on their hands and feet Lots of people get this kind of a warning and most all of these sores are as catching as can be That is how syphilis is spread from one person to another Now many people don't know that these are warnings of syphilis A lot of people who catch syphilis don't get any of these signs at all So they go for years not even knowing that they have syphilis They may feel alright But the germs are still eating away inside their bodies if they don't get the treatment Then years later they may get swellings in the joints like this woman.

I'll go crazy or get hot trouble They get sores like this that never heal up just eat deeper and deeper You can keep this from happening to you Go to your health department or your doctor and get a blood test If your blood test shows that you have syphilis There's only one way of getting cured Salves and tonics won't help you Go to your health department or your doctor for treatment right away It takes only a few days to kill the syphilis germs and make you healthy again My name is Mrs.

Jess.

How do you do? I'm worried about my son.

He has rash on his hands and his back Just like the picture you showed today Have you tried telling him to come to the health department? I see his doctor You know blood test is the only way of telling him to come to the doctor I'm telling him what his sickness really is.

That's the trouble Mrs.

Green I keep asking him.

He won't listen to me.

He's taking a tonic that his friends say would cure him Well you can be sure that those home remedies won't do him any good if it's syphilis he's got Here, I'll give you an appointment slip for him Then he'll know what day and hour to come to the health department for a blood test If your son has syphilis Mrs.

Jackson and doesn't take the treatment, he's going to have a lot of trouble Thank you.

I'll try to get my boy to come in for a blood test.

Thank you The lecture gave Roy plenty to think about.

That fellow has a breaking out like mine He went to the health department, but Jim can't see it.

Calls it a lot of fancy talk He insisted he and Ruby took care of themselves when they had it But Roy just can't get the pictures of the lecture out of his mind Maybe Jim and Ruby claim they feel all right, but the health lady says You never know when that syphilis is going to come back and cripple you up I had a talk with the health people Roy.

You were so bashful in talking yourself This is a slip they gave me to give you Man, you're in big trouble now.

They have your name and they're going to take you off and feed you full of shots Which will make you sick as a dog You see here Jim, you have caused enough trouble with your who do few Did you hear the lecture? If you were so smart, take Ruby to the clinic And see if she and the baby is all right.

Let Roy take care of his own business Let's go home son.

I have a dinner to get on the table That's a bad looking rest, you know Oh, it'll soon be gone.

Jim has picked me up with some special tonic he got If I were you, I'd get me a blood test How you know it ain't the pot? I feel all right.

Why should I go messing around with doctors and treatment? I don't blame you Roy.

They tell me to have knees out there that long Stick you up your back like you was a pig.

Oh, you're crazy Willie.

There's nothing to it Well, I took the treatment when I was in the army.

I'd rather do that any day than to be crazy A blind will end up like old Ben That simple is nothing to fool around with Remember the lecture Roy You'll have to make up your own mind Roy Who you gonna believe? The health department was new to Roy He saw the doctor look right inside of a man with one of those x -ray machines Saw the clinic that helps mothers keep their babies healthy There was malaria control, dental care, the VD clinic Looked like he should have come here long ago instead of fooling around with Jim's cures Roy was embarrassed at first seeing what his trouble was But he got over that The people acted like they were there to help him Not blame him for the trouble he got into Saw the man from the church lecture too He told Roy the doctor would give him an examination first And then he'd get his blood test That's what syphilis can do, the doctor told Roy That man had syphilis for years Didn't know it until he went blind We cured his syphilis The germs won't do any more damage But he'll never be able to see again And that's why it pays to get a blood test regularly Then you know for sure that you're all right The doctor didn't do any guessing Checked Roy's throat Looked at the spots on his hands Looked at the rash on his back Seemed like it was syphilis all right But the blood test would be the proof The doctor told Roy, be sure to take the treatment If your blood test shows that you have syphilis You can go to your doctor or to the medical center run by the health department The treatment you get there is free Time for the blood test Like he told Jim later on When you never had one, you get kind of scared No reason for it Everybody says it doesn't hurt But you just can't help worrying Wondering what it's going to be like The blood test Well, people weren't fooling Just like they say, there's nothing to it Roy's blood is put in a tube and sent away for testing In a couple of days the report came back Yes, Roy's trouble is syphilis Roy decides to go to the medical center for treatment The center is run by the health department They pay your transportation there and back home again You get a place to sleep and all the food you can eat Good food too, and it doesn't cost you a penny The doctor says it's not going to hurt One of the first things you do at the center is get another examination It always pays to double check when you're dealing with this syphilis Listen to that poor baby cry Makes Roy want to get home fast while there's time To talk some sense into Jim's stubborn head Ruby should have this treatment right away before her baby is born While the doctor listens to Roy's heart and lungs He sees a little sore on the side of Roy's nose The doctor takes a smear from it on a glass slide If there are syphilis germs in that smear Then there's no question that Roy has syphilis You want to take a look at this? See those corkscrew things moving around? You can only see those as so small with a microscope That's the germ that causes syphilis They're in the rash on your hands and back And in that little sore on your nose They got in your blood through that sore you said you had on your privates You can see now why salves and tonics could never be removed They don't do any good All they do is dry up your sores The treatment you get here will kill those germs in your blood You can put your shirt back on now It's a good thing you came in soon enough So those germs won't have a chance to do any serious damage Well, it will take only a few days to clear this up Before you know it, you'll be well again Then you won't be able to give syphilis to anybody else That's the big thing, Roy When folks get syphilis and don't get treated They can pass their sickness on to the people they go with Maybe someone they like very much Like their wife or their sweetheart That's right, doctor When you don't know what the syphilis is You can get other people into a mess or trouble Well, good luck, Roy You'll be all right as long as you take the treatment until you're cured Roy's had several shots by now But it's the first day for the others And they feel like Roy did the first time Can't take their eyes off the needle This is old stuff for Roy A couple of seconds and you've had your shot It's hard to believe that something as simple as that Kills those syphilis germs But it does No two ways about that What's going on? What about it? What about it? What about it? What's all the kidding about? Why, Roy has his bag all packed All set to go home See? The rash on his hands is gone The doctor says his troubles all cleared up Won't be long until he sees his folks in Irmer again A man that is born of woman Hath but a short time to live And is full of misery He cometh up and is cut down like a flower He fleeth as it were a shadow and never continueth in one's day In the midst of life we are in death For as much as it hath pleased Almighty God in his wise providence To take out of this world the soul of this little child We therefore commit his body to the ground Earth to earth Ashes to ashes Dust to dust Let us pray All praise the Lord, Lord of Heaven I will be in thy name, thy kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven And good morning to thee, O Lord Forever and ever, amen It took a deal of talking to get our man for a blood test She said she felt fine But when I told her some of the things I'd seen And why Ruby's baby died She stopped arguing Her mama wanted her to go to the family doctor And I said it didn't make any difference Just though she had the test Irmer was bashful about coming in for something like this But the doctor made us feel easy right away While I was waiting I got to thinking about Ruby's baby dying Too bad she and Jim had to learn about syphilis the hard way They are taking the treatment now The blood test showed they both had syphilis Dr.

Jones said I did the right thing coming in with Irmer Every couple should have this blood test before they are married He told Irmer, don't you worry Roy here has had the treatment and is healthy again When the reports come back on your test And it says you are alright Why, then you two go right ahead Have as many children as you want The End

Identifier
F.2004-02-0018
Date Of Production
1948
Abstract
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
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
Run Time
0:29:00
Format
16mm
Extent
1,056 feet
Color
B&W
Sound
Optical
Reel/Tape Number
1/1
Has Been Digitized?
Yes
Language Of Materials
English
Element
Print
Genre
Educational
Social guidance
Health
Form
Short
Subject
Sex
Diseases
Health
African Americans
Medicine
Related Collections
Jack Behrend Collection

Related Places
North America ➜ United States ➜ Georgia ➜ Athens

Distributor
Bureau of Health Education Film Library
Columbia University Educational Films

Sponsor/client
Mississippi State Board of Health
Southern Educational Film Production Service

Additional Credits
Columbia University Educational Films (is contributor)
Southern Educational Film Production Service (is contributor)
Clifford, William T. (is contributor)
Lasse, Fred (is contributor)
Read, Nicholas C. (is writer)
Stoney, George (is writer)
Weisenborn, Gordon (is cinematographer)
Appelbaum, Louis (music)

Participants And Performers
Marshal, Eldred (is actor)
Marshal, Mrs (is actor)
Micks, George (is actor)
Lindsay, Margaret (is actor)
Bonds, Thelma (is actor)

 
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