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Whispers (1941)
Character: Narrator (voice)
In this John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short we see how gossip can be used to spread propaganda or to ruin a person's reputation.
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Trifles That Win Wars (1943)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short looks at how a few specific inventions made a major contribution to the U.S. war effort.
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It Looks Like Rain (1945)
Character: Narrator / Radio Announcer
This short film takes a look at the tools and methods used to forecast the weather.
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Your Last Act (1941)
Character: Narrator
This short looks at the odd bequests that people have made in their wills over the years. They include a woman who left her fortune to her pet cat and a murderer who ensured that his corneas would be donated to a blind girl after he was put to death in the electric chair. At the end, the will of Charles Lounsberry, who died with no earthly possessions, is read in its entirety.
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Hobbies (1941)
Character: N/A
John Nesbitt takes a look at hobbies in this Passing Parade short.
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The Little Match Girl (1954)
Character: Narrator
Adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of a destitute little girl who sells matches, and uses them to escape the cold on Christmas Eve, whisking her into fantasies of seeing Santa Claus and her lost mother.
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Good Wrinkles (1951)
Character: Narrator (voice)
Sunny-sweet the prune shows us how prunes are made from certain kinds of plums, why they're so good for you, and, in live action, some recipes made with prunes. As a subplot, he also explains why California prunes are better than those from the Pacific Northwest and other areas. (Of course, Sunny may be a bit biased, since this film was sponsored by a California organization of prune growers).
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The Fabulous Fraud (1948)
Character: Narrator (voice)
In this John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short, we learn the story of Dr. Franz Anton Mesmer, the man who discovered hypnotism.
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That Mothers Might Live (1938)
Character: Narrator (voice)
That Mothers Might Live is a 1938 American short drama film directed by Fred Zinnemann. The short is a brief account of Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis and his discovery of the need for cleanliness in 19th-century maternity wards, thereby significantly decreasing maternal mortality, and of his struggle to gain acceptance of his idea. Although Semmelweis ultimately failed in his lifetime, later scientific luminaries advanced his work in spirit like microbiologist Louis Pasteur, who provided a scientific theoretical explanation of Semmelweis' observations by helping develop the germ theory of disease and the British surgeon, Dr. Joseph Lister who revolutionized medicine putting Pasteur's research to practical use. In 1939, at the 11th Academy Awards, the film won an Oscar for Best Short Subject (One-Reel).
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That's Why I Left You (1943)
Character: Narrator (voice)
Young couple Joe and Mary Thompson love each other and their children despite the struggles that they have that are typical of most young couples early on in their married life, such as the basics of trying to make ends meet. But after Joe leaves Mary and their inner city life, she finds an unpostmarked envelope under their apartment door with her name written in Joe's handwriting. It contains a letter explaining why he left. It has primarily to do with his feeling that another part of his life was being left behind for his married life, that other life which consists of a want to travel, especially sail the south seas. The actual impetus to leave was inadvertently fostered by Mary through the birthday present she bought for him. So what actually did happen to Joe and will he ever return to his loving wife?
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Out of Darkness (1941)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short tells of the Nazis' efforts to shut down an underground resistance newspaper in occupied Belgium.
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The Woman in the House (1942)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This short looks at the illness anthropophobia, the fear of people. In 1901, young Catherine Starr, who lives in a small English coastal town, has an argument with her fiancé. He leaves her house, goes off to serve in the Boer War, and dies of malaria. Catherine blames herself for his death and fears others will also blame her. She does not leave her house for forty years. Groceries are delivered to the house, but no one sees who retrieves them. When the Nazis bomb her house in September 1941, she is forced to cope with the outside world.
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Stranded (1957)
Character: Himself--Host
Rural Minnesota school teacher, Miss Enter (Bette Davis) becomes a courageous survivor during a snow blizzard that leaves her stranded with several students in a 1 room school house 9 miles from the nearest shelter. With a snow plow plodding a course through a snow-packed dirt road that circles the school, at less than 1 mph, Miss Enter cleverly plans an escape route that could lead to their rescue.
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Return from Nowhere (1944)
Character: Narrator (voice)
In this John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short, a man recovers his lost memories when he is forced to relive events in his dreams.
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Forgotten Victory (1939)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This MGM John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series short tells the story of Mark Carleton, a worker for the USDA who travels across the world trying to find wheat that farmers can grow despite various disasters.
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Passing Parade (1938)
Character: Self - Narrator (voice)
Three specific and separate stories of life's passing parade are presented.
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The Amazing Mr. Nordill (1947)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short takes a look at the gentlemanly life and masterful counterfeiting exploits of Everett Nordill, one of the cleverest counterfeiters who ever baffled the agents of the U.S. Treasury department.
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Mr. Whitney Had a Notion (1949)
Character: Narrator (voice)
Historical short showing how Eli Whitney (best known for the invention of the cotton gin) played a significant role in the introduction of mass production techniques to the USA in the late 18th century.
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The Story That Couldn't Be Printed (1939)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short tells the story of John Peter Zenger, who in Colonial New York was tried for sedition based on what he printed in his newspaper.
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The Great American Mug (1945)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short takes a look at the typical American barbershop throughout the years.
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American Spoken Here (1940)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This MGM John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series short takes a look at the origins of North American slang.
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New Roadways (1939)
Character: Narrator
The "new roadways" of the title refer to various projects, carried out in the USA's research laboratories, that benefit mankind. These include solar energy projects, making glass that can be rolled up like a carpet, and diet experiments with mice that might lead to a cure for color blindness.
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The Giant of Norway (1939)
Character: Narrator
This short tells the story of Norwegian explorer and diplomat Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930). After a life of adventure, he was instrumental in resettling tens of thousands of refugees and displaced persons resulting from World War I. He continued this work in 1922 after the war between Greece and Turkey. The film ends by reminding moviegoers to think of the plight of contemporary refugees caused by the fighting in Europe.
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We Do It Because (1942)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short explores the origins of various customs such as shaking hands, kissing, and why ships are christened.
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Strange Testament (1941)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This MGM Passing Parade series short tells the story of Julian Poydras, whose encounter with a girl at Mardi Gras had a profound effect on his later life.
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Nursery Rhyme Mysteries (1943)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This Passing Parade series short examines the origins of three popular Mother Goose nursery rhymes.
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Magic on a Stick (1946)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This MGM Passing Parade series short recounts how English chemist John Walker invented the wooden friction match during the 1820s.
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One Against the World (1939)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This short film presents the story of Dr. Ephraim McDowell, who came under scrutiny for his pioneering of surgical practices.
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Storm (1943)
Character: Narrator (voice)
A look at how the weather bureau tries to warn farmers and businessmen about approaching large storms. Although some precautions can be taken to lessen their impact, storms have to run their course, and there is really not much we can do about them.
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Don't You Believe It (1943)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This Passing Parade entry looks at several historical "truths" that just aren't so: Steve Brodie never jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge; Mrs. O'Leary's cow did not start the great Chicago fire; Nero didn't fiddle while Rome burned; and Lady Godiva never rode naked through the streets of Coventry.
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This Is the Bowery (1941)
Character: Narrator
In this somewhat whitewashed documentary on Manhattan's Bowery a newcomer to the area takes his first step toward redemption after a meal, bed, and inspiring talk.
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Watchtower Over Tomorrow (1945)
Character: Narrator (voice)
Short documentary film about the Dumbarton Oaks plan and the proposed formation of the United Nations.
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This Is Tomorrow (1943)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short takes a look at the evolution of the American city, from the initially small farming village, to the eventually hectic, congested metropolis, to the future planned suburban community.
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City of Children (1949)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This final John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series short looks at a community, Mooseheart, in Illinois that orphaned children call home.
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Screen Actors (1950)
Character: Self - Narrator (voice)
This short film takes a look at the off-screen personas of screen actors. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2012.
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Music in the Sky (1945)
Character: John Nesbitt
A film recreating a broadcast of the Westinghouse Radio Program starring John Charles Thomas and John Nesbitt. Program narrator was Gayne Whitman and musical director was Victor Young. The Ken Darby Chorus backed up the great American baritone.
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Tennis in Rhythm (1947)
Character: Self - Narrator (voice)
A "Passing Parade" MGM short featuring tennis star Alice Marble
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Willie and the Mouse (1941)
Character: Narrator
John Nesbitt's "Passing Parade" purports to show how the behavior of mice can be studied in relation to the interaction of school children.
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Trifles of Importance (1940)
Character: Narrator
Part of John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series, this short shows how three seemingly unimportant things can affect people. The first is how the number 7 affects a student accused of theft charges. The second segment shows that a person's doodles can reveal personality traits. The final segment shows why certain items are on men's suits, such as lapels.
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Annie Was a Wonder (1949)
Character: Narrator (voice)
In this John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series short, narrator John Nesbitt tells the story of Scandinavian immigrant Annie Swenson, who worked as cook and housekeeper in his family's home while he was growing up.
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Mr. Blabbermouth! (1942)
Character: Narrator (voice)
Following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, America was rife with rumors about the size of Japan's armed forces and how well-equipped they were to wage war against the U.S. Using animation, the first part of this film dispels these rumors by showing that the U.S. had more raw materials and more fighting ships. The narrator also cautions moviegoers against spreading rumors (which are often initiated by enemy infiltrators to create fear and dissention) and believing everything they read in the newspapers. Just because "they say" something, that doesn't make it true.
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Stairway to Light (1945)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short tells the story of 18th Century French physician Dr. Philippe Pinel, who initiated enlightened, humane treatment of the mentally ill.
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Souvenirs of Death (1948)
Character: Narrator - Voice of the Gun (voice)
This MGM John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series short tells the story of how a Mauser pistol used on the battlefield by Germans during WWII makes its way into the hands of an American gangster.
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Clues to Adventure (1949)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This MGM Passing Parade series short presents how separate events led to the creation of three provisions - freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and prohibition of the infliction of cruel and unusual punishments - in the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights.
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Madero of Mexico (1942)
Character: Himself - Narrator (voice)
This Passing Parade series short chronicles the political life of Francisco Madero, who tried to bring democracy and land reform to Mexico.
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Dreams (1940)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This entry in MGM's Passing Parade series looks at the meaning of dreams, including one by Abraham Lincoln that foretold his death.
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To My Unborn Son (1943)
Character: Narrator (voice)
A Yugoslav man, dying after being shot while attempting to help defend his village, writes a letter of encouragement and hope to his unborn child, explaining what he was fighting for in resisting the Nazi invasion of his homeland. A John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short.
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Yankee Doodle Goes to Town (1939)
Character: Narrator (voice)
Made just before America would be forced into the Second World War, this short subject is a brief dramatized history of American democracy. It targets a perceived threat to democracy from board room and soapbox fascists who advocated a government based upon contemporaneous European models.
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Famous Boners (1942)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This Passing Parade series entry looks at three instances of people who either caused or were the victims of errors.
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Main Street on the March! (1941)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This Best Short Subject Academy Award winning film begins in the spring of 1940, just before the Nazi occupation of the Benelux countries, and ends immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It chronicles how the people of "Main Street America", the country's military forces, and its industrial base were completely transformed when the decision was made to gear up for war. Original footage is interspersed with contemporary newsreels and stock footage.
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Unseen Guardians (1939)
Character: Narrator
The "unseen guardians" of the title are the Postal Inspection Service, which investigates mail order racketeering; the Underwriters' Laboratories, which are shown testing electrical equipment, fire extinguishers, and large floor safes; and those who run orphanages, who assure that the children in their care are placed in proper adoptive homes.
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A Lady Fights Back (1944)
Character: Narrator (voice)
The saga of the Normandie is recounted from her life as a luxury liner, the horrific fire that nearly destroyed her, and her resuscitation to join in the war effort. A John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short.
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The Film That Was Lost (1942)
Character: Narrator (voice)
In this John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short, a look is taken at the problems of film preservation efforts in the 1930s and early 1940s.
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Forgotten Treasure (1943)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series short highlights the film preservation efforts of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Several scenes from early newsreels are shown.
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Grandpa Called It Art (1944)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This MGM Passing Parade series short takes a look at changing definitions of art in the United States.
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Utopia of Death (1940)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This short film focuses on the mysterious and legendary Seri Indians who live in a utopian colony off the west coast of Mexico.
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Inflation (1942)
Character: Radio Announcer (voice) (uncredited)
The Devil works with Adolf Hitler to cause inflation in the United States.
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Of Pups and Puzzles (1941)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This short film shows how the war department utilizes a Ph.D., a chimp, and three dogs to help design aptitude tests for men applying for work.
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The Story of Alfred Nobel (1939)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short tells the story of Alfred Nobel, who invented dynamite, and later established the Nobel Prize.
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Main Street Today (1944)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This patriotic short film promotes America's war effort at home. The story looks at a fictional small town's main street, seeing where additional workforce, for increased production of materials needed by the military, might come from.
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Who's Superstitious? (1943)
Character: Narrator
This short film examines the origins of several superstitions including crossing your fingers, knocking on wood, rabbit's feet, and breaking champagne bottles to christen ships, plus the role of superstitions in the Flying Dutchman tale.
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The Incredible Stranger (1942)
Character: Narrator (voice)
In December 1892, a silent mysterious and very private man, for whom a new house has just been built, arrives in the small town of Bridgewood to keep a promise.
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The Forgotten Step (1938)
Character: Narrator
An American art collector, living in France in the 1870s, who loses his fortune in a stock market crash devises a scheme to get back his wealth through insurance fraud with the added consequence of potentially killing hundreds of people. His scheme is to place his art collection aboard a ship, insure the collection far beyond its value, and place a barrel of dynamite with a clock-piece timed to go off when the ship is at sea.
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People on Paper (1945)
Character: Narrator
Americans are preoccupied with the news, but need an escape from many of the events reported in the news. These escapes in the past have included dime store novels. The most accessible of these escapes is what are known as the funny papers, the set of serialized comic strips that are included within many newspapers. They appeal to all socio-economic classes, and all ages. Some of the earliest known from the late 19th century include the Yellow Kid, Little Nemo, Happy Hooligan, the Katzenjammer Kids, Mutt & Jeff, and Bringing Up Father. Many cartoonists are seen in action. Some originated their characters, while others have taken over following the passing of the originator. The joy of many comic strips are the absurd and the fantastical, which are limited only by the imagination of the cartoonist. Others are grounded in reality, which add to their poignancy within the public mindset.
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A Way in the Wilderness (1940)
Character: Narrator
This Passing Parade entry tells the story of Dr. Joseph Goldberger (1874-1929), a Hungarian immigrant who devoted his life to finding the cause of pellagra, a disease that killed hundreds of thousands in the southern United States. Although the medical community believed that the condition was caused by a virus, Goldberger proved that a healthy diet was the cure.
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The Face Behind the Mask (1938)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This dramatized short film describes the historical mystery of France's "man in the iron mask". King Louis XIV imprisoned a man who was never identified, but who was forced to wear an iron mask for the length of his captivity, which ended only in his death. Several candidates for the identity of the man are investigated.
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The Seesaw and the Shoes (1945)
Character: Narrator
This short shows how two objects led to important discoveries. Children playing with a seesaw inspire French physician Rene Laennec to invent the stethoscope, and a pair of shoes made of caoutchouc lead Charles Goodyear to discover the process for vulcanizing rubber.
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Our Old Car (1946)
Character: Narrator (voice)
In this John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short, a man traces his history by the succession of cars his father owned. [This short appears in its entirety during MGM's short feature "The Great Morgan".]
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The Magic Alphabet (1942)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This MGM John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series short dramatizes how the work of Dutch physician Christiaan Eijkman, who searched for a cure for beri-beri on the island of Java in the 1890s, led to the discovery of vitamins.
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My Old Town (1948)
Character: Narrator (voice)
Narrator John Nesbitt reminisces about his hometown and childhood in this Passing Parade series short.
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Flag of Mercy (1942)
Character: Narrator
The 1939 dramatic short "Angel of Mercy," about Red Cross founder Clara Barton, is reedited to relate the story to America's involvement in World War II. Edited from Angel of Mercy (1939)
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Angel of Mercy (1939)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This MGM Passing Parade series short tells the story of Clara Barton, the founder of the Red Cross.
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The Great Morgan (1945)
Character: Narrator in 'Our Old Car' (voice) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Frank Morgan is hired to put together a movie using odds and ends from the MGM vaults. He does so by splicing together a string of completely unrelated short subjects and musical numbers, interspersed with a repeated loop of a scene from some melodrama. (Contains in their entirety the shorts, "Musical Masterpieces," "Our Old Car," and "Badminton," as well as clips from other projects)
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The Golden Hunch (1945)
Character: Self - Narrator (voice)
This entry in John Nesbitt's "Passing Parade" series is about the great moments in the lives of famous men who found found an answer or made a great discovery in the flash of a golden hunch.
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The Ship That Died (1938)
Character: Narrator (voice)
This MGM An Historical Mystery short traces the final voyage of the Mary Celeste, a ship discovered at sea, in December 1872, devoid - for no discernible reason - of crew, passengers and captain. At "the famed nautical court of Gibraltar", investigators propose three hypotheses.
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Goodbye, Miss Turlock (1948)
Character: Narrator (voice)
Narrator John Nesbitt laments the disappearance of the rural one-room schoolhouse in America. He reminisces about his own days as a student in such a school and how his teacher, Miss Turlock, influenced so many students. Many of them reunite at the school on Miss Turlock's last day, when the school was closed in 1940.
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Kentucky (1938)
Character: Commentator (voice)
Young lovers Jack and Sally are from families that compete to send horses to the 1938 Kentucky Derby, but during the Civil War, her family sided with the South while his sided with the North--and her Uncle Peter will have nothing to do with Jack's family.
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