The 1936 All-American Soap Box Derby

The 1936 All-American Soap Box Derby

Rejissyor: Handy (Jam) Organization. "The great American boy is hard at work...inventing, creating, building something. The energy that is forever behind both the competitive sports of youth and the desire to build and create new things is the energy that develops industrious, dependable citizens of tomorrow." One of the greatest public relations stunts ever created in this country, the All-American Soap Box Derby combines spectacle, technology, and masculinity. These three themes are well expressed in this film, apparently the second annual Derby film sponsored by General Motors. Youth has always been a difficult time, but the Depression years were particularly tough on teenagers. Economic pressure weighed heavily on many teens, especially those sufficiently mature to hold down jobs and contribute to the support of their families but unable to do so because of high unemployment. Many youths took to the road, seeking release from untenable situations at home. A widespread uncertainty and malaise filled the younger generation. Chevrolet sponsored at least four films (the others were An Engineering Widow [1935], One Thousand Hours [1936] and Test Tube Tale) in an attempt to increase younger people's commitment and attention, and to promote engineering and technical careers as essential, interesting, and most of all achievable. Chevrolet also sought to capture young people's allegiance and direct it towards the free enterprise system. Company official C.P. Fisken said in Chevrolet advertisements: "It's the Soap Box Derby against the soap-box orators. How can you have soap-box orators when thousands and thousands of boys are looking for soap boxes?" Paul Garrett, Chevy's public relations director, said in 1936: "Since 1929 nearly 17 million young people have come of age. What do they think of the ability of industry to provide for their future?...What is going to be their verdict in the current conflict between individualism and the corporate state? If you are interested in the part youth is playing in the

https://archive.org/details/0236_1936_All-American_Soap_Box_Derby_The_M00272_07_41_13_00 · Public domain (Internet Archive)