Goodbye, Mr. Germ (1940)
A doctor explains to his children the dangers of tuberculosis, what it is and how to prevent against contracting it.
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I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.
As Good As It Gets
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.
Features actor (and sometime director) James Kirkland, this short film apparently predates the TB vaccine, or at least its widespread use. Kirkland is the doctor (or scientist) father of two youngsters. His lab consists of various different animals and pets. He imagines inventing a radio that can hear germs speak, and that he can understand their language. Most of the film features Kirkland talking to a tuberculosis germ (he views through his microscope) as they discuss how TB is transfered from one person to another, how the body fights it, and how it can live dormant for years in a person's body waiting for a moment of physical weakness that allows it to escape. TB causes one to cough until eventually it ruptures blood vessels such that the discharge contains blood. Kirkland then tells the germ that they've been able to discover "him" in the body now, which is then verified with an X-ray. The "cure" is not specifically discussed unless the X-ray itself causes the germs to harden and die (I thought this was unclear).