Guest
Join this channel to get access to perks: Want to learn more about Periscope Film and get access to exclusive swag? Join us on Patreon. Visit Visit our website Deeply concerned with the rise of Communism after the start of the Cold War, Harding University (then known as Harding College) worked with film studio John Sutherland Productions to produce a series of short animated films “to create a deeper understanding of what has made America the finest place in the world to live!“ This film “Meet King Joe” is a pro-capitalism and American industry cartoon in Technicolor released in 1949. The film explains the role of investment capital in building America’s prosperity through the caricature of Brooklyn-accented Joe - an American factory worker who is “king of the workers” as he enjoys a higher wage and fewer working hours than his counterparts abroad as a result of America’s capitalist system. John Sutherland produced 45 films during a long and storied career. Many of his films were produced with Harding College, emphasizing the benefits of both corporate and individual liberty, and the drawbacks of government intervention. Opening credits (0:09). Color animation of industrial factory enclosed by chain link fence (0:41). Bell rings and animated character “Joe: King of the Workers of the World” rushes out to parked car wearing tiny golden crown, red convertible (0:47). Joe rushes in and out of different commercial storefronts and piles goods in his car (1:03). Joe drives down a street with quaint suburban homes, stops in front of his house and carries packages inside (1:15). Joe sits in a big armchair in living room, laughs while reading cartoon strip in paper (1:20). Joe lifts metal andiron in front of fireplace (1:38). Joe in line of other men wearing local dress from their respective countries: England, Ireland, France, Germany, Greece (1:59). Time machine appears in Joe’s living room (2:19). Animation appears on time machine screen of work styles throughout history: Cave man and woman pound rocks in front of cave, work in paleolithic times (2:30). 1850: Shirtless man smokes tobacco pipe and hammers spike into wooden wheel (2:44). Horses run on treadmill inside of industrial machine (3:09). Joe takes relaxed position as he uses lever on big machine to do factory job (3:14). Rich man sleeps on chair while butler dusts his bald head (3:38). Poor “hillbilly” man sits on shack step with jug of liquor while wife uses broom to dust him off (3:42). Men and women from different economic classes in line at bank, little boy with piggy bank at the end of the line (3:46). Man walks out of bank holding insurance policy while traffic whizzes by (3:55). Investors nervously bite nails in unison while reading reports on invested stocks and bonds (4:05). Green money papers walk in unison out of doors of buildings with signs that read: Bank, Insurance, Stocks (4:10). Money papers walk along construction site scaffolding, man smoking pipe pushes wheelbarrow of bricks (4:17). Globe spins (4:29). Animation of mountainous Chinese landscape: man wearing Asian conical hat runs with two canisters of kerosene (4:46). American railway worker speeds on train through snow-capped mountain landscape, train looks like Santa Fe Super Chief (4:50). Chinese worker and American railroad worker stand side by side with money representing their daily wage (5:07). No dividends, economic downturn: building construction site boarded up, two men sell tomatoes side by side (5:49). 1850 shirtless caricature at work in carriage factory, invention of gasoline-powered buggy puts him out of work, goes to work at buggy factory (6:04). Chemists in side-by-side buildings compete with each other to try and invent something new first (6:42). Hosiery advert with “Can Can” girl leg (7:20). Little boy turns up radio and wakes up napping father (7:36). Telephone rings and wakes napping father once again (7:53). Man struggles to get items out of freezer box (8:07). Sunsets between valley of two mountains (8:28). Automobiles wind in traffic around road lined with commercial advertisements (8:31). Father at wheel looks exhausted as two kids have tantrum and wife yells in the car (8:35). Constitution and Bill of Rights (8:44). Joe stands with two men in suits, all three represent American labor, management, capital (8:47). This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit
