Centron ProductionsSpeech: Stage Fright and What to Do About It (1949)
Expressionistic film on dealing with fear of public speaking, filmed in Lawrence, Kansas.
Producer:
Centron Productions
Audio/Visual:
Sd,
B&W
Keywords: Communication: Speech; Psychology
Creative Commons license:
Public Domain
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Reviewer: Spuzz -
-
June 15, 2005
Subject: Eeek! Snakes on Stage! Eek! Hairy Knuckles!
Fred
gets all worried when he is chosen to make a speech about his trip to
Alaska. "Why is Fred so worried?" tha narrator asks.. Is it because
someone might shoot him? Snakes in the crowd? No, it's his own self
confidence, and this film essentially asks the audience to just slap
yourself in the face, make your speech ahead of time and dress properly
then all will be well. Sure. A bit of a fantasy here.
Reviewer: Mr. -
-
May 25, 2004
Subject: Great pratfall
This
was the first title in Centron's "Speech" series and it sold well in
1949. Fred Strong is walking down the street, minding his own business,
when the "high-powered chairman" of the luncheon club walks up and
"asks" Fred if he'd like to give a speech to the club about his trip to
Alaska. The reason I put "ask" in quotation marks is because Fred
doesn't really have a choice to decline or accept.
So, Fred is
just plain scared and nervous about THE Thursday on which the speech is
taking place. He can't eat, sleep, or read. The day comes, and Fred is
a disaster --- but we don't see the speech. But, the narrator takes
Fred back before the day of the speech and asks him what he is afraid
of. Is he afraid that there will be a snake on the stage? Is he afraid
that he will fall off the platform? Or is he afraid that a person in
the audience will stand up and take a pot-shot at him? (Lon Chaney, Jr.
is the man with the gun) (lol) No! He is afraid of himself. So now the
narrator tells Fred some of the things that will help be less-nervous
and give a better speech. Things such as planning your talk (a subject
for a seperate "Speech" film) and building up your self-confidence.
Yes, and Fred gets to do the Thursday over again, and this time his
speech is good, and he is congratulated by the narrator and the
luncheon club. Another Centron film shot without sound.
Director: Herk Harvey
Writer: Trudy Travis
Cinematographer: Norm Stuewe
Editor: Chuck Lacey
Producers: Russ Mosser/Art Wolf (Centron founders)
Reviewer: HuckleberryFinn -
-
April 12, 2004
Subject: Young America sez, "SAY NO TO STAGE FRIGHT"
This
is a pretty typical "this short film will solve your deep-seeded
problem" type of flick. Same narrator who does EVERY other movie.
Fred
loses his cool before giving some sort of speech. The narrator explains
some basic info about stage fright in a very repetitive way.
FIN
2 stars.
Reviewer: Wilford B. Wolf -
-
May 18, 2003
Subject: Snake Handling
Another
in the Speech series (Platform Posture and Appearence from MST3k being
the most famous), this film focuses on how to handle stage fright. It
is hard to tell how humourous they intended the film to be, but the
film is pretty unintentionally funny, especially recounting Fred's
fears (watch for a great pratfall).
This film actually has some pretty decent content, but is so over the top that it is hard to take it completely seriously.
Shotlist
MAN,
ASKED TO GIVE SPEECH BEFORE LOCAL SERVICE CLUB MEETING, CANNOT PREPARE
BECAUSE OF STAGE FRIGHT, SPENDS PANICKED WEEK BEFORE SPEECH.
EXPRESSIONISTIC PHOTOGRAPHY, HEAVY NARRATION.
Ken Smith sez:
"Fred Strong" is the silly-looking main character of this film. A
surreal fantasy section is its high point, where the narrator reviews
all the things we're afraid of when we speak in front of a crowd. Lon
Chaney, Jr. makes a cameo appearance as a guy shooting a gun.
SPEECH
SPEECHES STAGE FRIGHT FEAR PUBLIC SPEAKING EXPRESSIONISM EATING SNAKES
SLEEPING PODIUMS AUDIENCES NERVES NERVOUSNESS AGITATION ANXIETY MENTAL
ANGUISH QUESTION MARKS SURREALISM LILLIPUTIANS Speech Rhetoric Public
speaking Stage fright Psychology Anxiety Self-doubt Insecurity
Surrealism Nervousness Gunshots Assassination Fear Snakes Question
marks (animated) Animation DoppelgĀngers Doubles (person repeated
within frame) Rotary Clubs Luncheons Podiums Yawns Hostility Boredom
Listening Speaking Listeners (bored) Audiences (bored) Anorexia (male)
Appetite (loss of) Newspapers (reading) safety