You Are the Switchman (1951)

★★★★ · Yay, no more lip cancer! Well, back to my pipe.. · Spuzz · 2005-05-02

Interesting, but curiously naive film that tells of the danger signs of cancer. First off, the comparison between you and a train switchman is awkward at best. Secondly, the main focus is of John Doe and his family. John has it all, nice job, a family and a nice house. But what's this? A nagging sore that his son first notices as he's lighting a cigarrette for his father? (Proof that you can get your kids to do anything) Pshaw! It's nothing! Pretty soon, the sore becomes bigger, the wife complains more, then finally, the dude finally goes to see the doctor. When the doctor paws the sore…

★★★★ · All warning signs except one. · nnnick777 · 2003-12-01

The ironic thing about this film is that the dad is constantly smoking and gets lip cancer, yet there is no mention made of the connection. It is his refusal to see a doctor, rather than his smoking habit, that puts the future of his family in jeopardy. Once he's cured, he goes right back to his pipe.

★★★★ · So young · telluride · 2008-12-06

At 70 years and lived in this film, my dad was an engineer on the D&RG, and I held a match for his pipe. He died and I went on to smoke, chew, and now I'm dealing with it. You young people are so judgmental and can't see the lesson here. In 1951 this was the way it was. Now look at the silly things thrown at you by the government, drug companies, Insurance, etc and you will find you are buying from the back of a medicine wagon also. Grow up and deal with the problems you cave men have now and learn from the past. What a wonderful site this is for education, use it. pence

★★★ · 1953 · justinwstephens · 2005-06-17

If I remember correctly, the link between smoking and cancer was not officially announced in the US until 1953, two years after this film was made. The link between the two had been suspected much earlier than 1953