Retromercial: She Caught on Quick (1940)

[mewrth]

Ok good. New looking furniture. But that's not gonna stop the cat from ruining it again!

[hilarioph]

Now that's a history

[InweTaralom]

The whole decor cost only $18.30? That is WAY cheap compared to today.

Even if you got the whole bolt of fabric on sale, it'd STILL run you somewhere up in the hundreds.

[smeeling]

Wait... I thought there wasn't color film until the 50's?

[maryade]

@smeeling Oh no, Colour film came in in the late 30s, like Gone with the Wind, Robin Hood or the Wizard of Oz for example. Black & White continued to be used in films through the 40s and 50s for cost reasons.

Incidentally some stars (like Bette Davis) just didn't film as well in Technicolor, so they favoured Black & White into the 60s.

[arhuxtable]

Theatrical cartoons were filmed in color as early as 1934. MGM and Warner Brothers definitely did that back then while Paramount's biggest stars Popeye the Sailor and Betty Boop were seen in black and white with the exceptions of three Popeye two-reelers from the late 30's-early 40's.

[bagpussarah]

Poor cat. I think all it's claws got left behind in the armchair when the woman pulled it off.

[VideyoJunkei]

i love the way the guy just sits there while the cat tears up the chair...

[abigguitar]

Yeah, $18.31 + the cost of that very expensive Singer sewing machine and the lessons to learn how to use it. Not to mention, the time it took to make it all. Gotta love idealistic commercials.

[arhuxtable]

The item costs about ten times that much today.

[maryade]

@abigguitar Yes, but bought products would have been comparatively more expensive up to the 1980s, as there was less automation despite lower wages.

[hebneh]

Wait'll that cat starts clawing up all her new slipcovers and drapes - then the house will look just as shabby as it did before, if not worse, and she'll be ashamed to invite anyone over (again).

[Adria20]

I love how the guy just sits there and lets the cat ruin the recliner.

[fromthesidelines]

Walter O'Keefe was a popular radio personality at the time, and was the narrator for this theatrical commercial. I believe the name and address of your neighborhood "Singer Sewing Center" was flashed immediately after this ended....

[juliet8]

Thats so cool. Sewing needs to become cheap again. I'd hang out at the Singer Sewing Center anytime.

[evasoucy]

I wouldnt mind living in that era

[SavageLettuce]

Me too............

[ffa14]

Unusual to see a colour cinema commercial from 1940.Thanks.

[otchacha]

Now Mrs. John, noone likes a braggart

[rainydaywoman43]

18 dollars and 21 cents, and oh yeah, monthes and monthes of first,buying the machine, learning HOW to upholster, AND THEN ACTUALLY DOING THE LABOR. but for 18 dollars and 21 cents you can at least buy the fabric. for an entire living room set.

[rcktmanil]

I'm amazed this is in color. Surely this wasn't a TV commercial... maybe shown in theaters?

[electrogeek77]

Honestly, I wish there still were shops like this. I'd love to learn how to use the machine.

[nanogirl]

Love it, thank you!

[KahnBB6]

Of course these days a 1940's era Singer machine in good working condition is quite expensive. New sewing machines are plastic kids toys.

[carvenstud]

I love the living room....so 1940s

[calndargrl20012002]

OMFG. Glad the times have changed.