Synopsis
Trains teenagers to act according to the rules of proper social etiquette. Promotes proper behavior as a means of gaining social poise and self-assurance. This film seems clearly to be a document from the postwar "behavior offensive," aimed at retraining adolescents to learn to be kids once again after experiencing premature adulthood during World War II.
Synopsis from TMDb
Details
- Released
- 1946-01-01
- Running time
- 13 minutes
- Language
- English
- Collection
- Prelinger Archives
- Internet Archive item
- HowDoYou1946
Subjects on the Internet Archive
- Social guidance
- Social guidance: Etiquette
- Teenagers
Reviews on the Internet Archive
★★★★★ · 29 time's the charm... · DrKnapp · 2004-01-05
This is the film that answers the question: "Is it possible to say 'HOW DO YOU DO?' 29 times in under 14 minutes"; preposterously, the answer is "I'm afraid so". The question left unanswered is "How do you do WHAT?!". Note the wallpaper -- diamonds in the entry hall, vertical (jail bar?) stripes in the living room. This concoction is improbably hysterical! Watch this one with friends.
★★★★ · How DO you do? How do you DO? · Spuzz · 2003-10-30
In this IMPOSSIBLE gigglefest, proper introductions are discussed. The problem with this Young America production that it's SO poorly put together that's it's almost a 'how do you NOT do' of a classroom film. Atrocious acting, ridiculous editing, actors standing around waiting for a scene to start and how the (bad) leading actress playing Peggy talks to the unseen narrator. The funny thing is, is that it's to her LEFT, which makes for truly bizarre viewing. Reccomended!
★★★★ · Boners and Wood · autoguy · 2006-05-16
Ok, so Peggy is apt to make a boner now and then. Hard for us to say whether that was the case with Frank and Bill or not, there were no camera angles that made that obvious. Maybe her friend Joan Wood can make boners? Either way, our friend Peggy obsesses over the 894 different ways and combinations of introducing two people. Luckily for the neighborhood, it was all done properly. God forbid that she jumble a single word. Surely all hell would break loose, and the house would be come a mad violent brawl! All is well in the end, and we see the friendly, and properly introducted group, dancing…
★★★ · Prerequisite Film For A Wellesley Matriculant · JayKay49 · 2015-05-15
The acting, the editing, the actors' speech, and the décor of the doctor's house are all as cumbersome as the etiquette rules they attempt to convey in this movie. Lest younger viewers get the wrong idea, even in the 1950's I recall that this sort of thing was strictly upper crust; and otherwise only pretentiously and awkwardly attempted by people who thought they were.. "Normal" people were clueless about this stuff. Believe me.
★★★ · Well I think.... · theblahmunchkin · 2008-02-01
I think the majority of these reviews have it all wrong. Yes the acting is a little stiff and the offscreen narrator is a bit pointless. However, the content is spot on for back then (and for now) for those of you who think its preposterous to introduce people in a subtle, respectful and logical way then more fool you. At University I constantly have to introduce people to each other and although there are no hard and fast rules in this social arena (as we're nearly always peers in the sense that we're mostly students) there is often a sense of having it done it 'wrong' Moreover I think this…
★★ · "How Do You Do" passe · ERD · 2006-04-26
Times were more formal in 1946. Some of the rules don't really hold today. The direction of the film was only fair. Peggy looking left at an unseen narrator was extremely awkward. She also had a slight speech impediment. Most of the other actors seemed stiff.
