181 Another "minute movie"––really a 60-second commercial––made to show in movie theaters of the 1930's. Three teen-aged girls are upset when Daddy won't pay for new dresses for the big party––a friendly Singer salesman takes them to the local Singer Sewing Center where they learn to sew––they are the belles of the ball in their new homemade dresses and everybody lives happily ever after. Already the condensed story form of the commercial is down. Though one wonders how many in those Depression-era movie audiences could relate to this at all other than as pure fantasy. Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****, Overall Rating: ***. Also available on Ephemeral Films. Three Smart Daughters Christine Hennig 2002-10-09 00:00:00 2002-10-09 00:00:00 3 9534 This snappy ad opens with the story of three girls who want to go to a party, but need new dresses. Their stressed out father refuses to buy them and stomps out the front gate. The wise-cracking narrator says what the girls feel about him—“ny-a-a-ah! the old meanie!” Then, what appears to be the man of their dreams shows up at the gate—the “Miracle Man” from Singer Sewing. But all he does is send them to the nearest Singer Sewing center for sewing lessons. If these girls want dresses, they’ll have to come up with them themselves. We cut ahead to the party. The girls are all decked out in their new dresses—“three for the price of one!” The ad closes not with the girls acquiring romance or marriage as a result of their new dresses; it ends up back at the Singer Sewing store. “See you there, girls!” the announcer breezily signs off. All the men in this ad disappoint the girls: the father won’t pay for their dresses, the “Miracle Man” merely dumps them at the sewing store and none of the men at the party propose marriage (or even a date). Otherwise, why would the girls find themselves back at the sewing machine store? This ad, made in 1940 as America came out of the Depression, paints an unsentimental picture of women’s lot. Stuck at the Sewing Machine Marysz 2004-02-14 21:51:04 2004-02-14 21:49:39 5 34598 This ad for Singer sewing machines was sharp, witty and stylish when it was first made-- and it still is now. The announcer's knowing, be-bop tone is fantastic. He calls the one daughter-- whose bodice shows off her bodacious nosecones "one tasty tit-bit". Pretty risqué joke for its time. And frankly I wish young women still dressed in flowing gowns like this. Highly recommended... rasputin2 2005-03-11 04:44:34 2005-03-11 04:44:34 5 This is an incredibly short ad for the women to not worry about dear old dad giving them enough money for dresses, why you can just let the nice Singer Man into your household and he will show you the way to the Singer store to show you how you can sew your dresses for the formal ball! This features the type of narration which I love, the “I’m not really here, but I’ll participate too!” In other words when the Singer people invite girls into their store and then the (male) narrator pipes in, “Yes, I’ll come in to, thank you”. Just in case you were’nt sure of the true intentions (or, I’ll say it here, his sexuality) the narrator charms in at the end about the Singer store, saying “See you there girls!” making you wonder, yes, why would they expect to “see him there?”. Highly recommended! See You There Girls! 5 Spuzz 2005-07-18 06:22:58 2005-07-18 06:22:58 This is a very clever and entertaining ad for Singer Sewing Machines made in 1940. Extremely effective for 1 minute. Historically interesting to watch the styles of that era. Good color. Smart ad ERD. 2009-03-27 23:35:58 2009-03-27 23:35:58 5 5 4.60