Bomb And Other Smash Hits, The

1629. THE H-BOMB AND OTHER SMASH HITS. Partial color (1951-1954-usa).
1. A NEW LOOK AT THE H-BOMB (1954). COLOR. The U.S. Federal Civil Defense Administrator, a dour-looking gent wilh all the charisma of a high school math teacher, offers a detailed explanation of the effects of radioactive fallout. “Now I’m not here to frighten you,” he says, stumbling over his words, “As a matter of fact, Americans don’t scare easily anyway.” A bit later, he notes that “if you are caught in open, near Ground Zero, you won’t have to worry about radiation. The bomb itself will kill you.” What was the “old” look at the H-Bomb like? Cheers!
2. OPERATION CUE (1954). COLOR. A young female “journalist” reports on Operation Cue, a series of government-sponsored tests held to determine how objects Americans use in their everyday lives are effected by atomic blast. Predictably, she’s most interested in how food and clothing react: “As a mother and housewife,” she severely observes, “this appealed to me.” So much for feminism.
3. UNITED STATES CIVIL DEFENSE IN ACTION (1954). In the event of an atomic attack, America’s civilian population will be rendered into three categories: those who can help, those who need help and those beyond help. The point is that survival after nuclear blast will depend upon the American peoples’ awareness, preparedness – and knowledge about what to do to prevent those pinko commie Russkies from spreading further panic and fear. “We need more two-fisted men and thoughtful women to speak out,” the narrator warns. Bert the Turtle, of “Duck and Cover” fame, makes a cameo appearance.
4. LET’S FACE IT (1954). Let’s face it, a stentorian-voiced narrator observes, the threat of hydrogen bomb warfare is the greatest danger our nation has ever known, and it has impacted upon the American Way of Life. If you hear an air raid siren, what will you do? A highlight of this relic of the ’50s is footage depicting the “weird, fantastic” model cities erected on Nevada test sites that were bombed for experimental purposes.
5. WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BIOLOGICAL WARFARE (1951). America’s enemies can attack the country by using not only the H-bombs but germ warfare. Enemy agents – depicted as shady- looking men wearing cheap suits – can plant such vermin in the nation’s air and water supply. This prime example of Cold War paranoia reveals the various steps right-thinking Americans can take to combat biological warfare – or “B.W.” (not to be confused wilh B.O.). 58 minutes total. Propaganda