One of a large number of industrial incentive films made during WWII, “4000 Years of Experience” was directed by J.A. Yovin, who later became head of the Army’s Pictorial Division. The film was made to encourage factory workers to work efficiently, and contrasts the heroic stand of the Chinese (who work very inefficiently with rudimentary tools and lots of manpower) with the modern factory worker on the home front. The film shows footage of Chinese working in an aircraft repair facility at 1:50, and at 2:23 a shark nosed P-40 Warhawk from the Flying Tigers is seen. Chinese workers have “4000 Years of Experience” to draw on to solve problems. At 2:56, the Volturno River in Italy is seen, with American troops building a pontoon bridge in a rainstorm, and it’s “all for one and one for all” and done “the hard way.” Now a modern factory is seen, with typical problems — pathways obstructed by dropped materials, fire lanes crowded with debris, etc. While soldiers toil in the field to move supplies and bulldozers push mud off of roads (4:14), factories are seen with cleanliness and safety issues highlighted that could likewise impede war progress. These include nails on the floor that can puncture shoes, and violations of the no smoking rule. At 6:00, an aerial bombing is seen causing the destruction of an enemy factory, but a fire at a USA factory could also be devastating so please — no smoking!
At 7:00, a complacent worker is seen goldbricking while back in Italy, scenes are shown of destroyed ships at anchor and broken enemy planes. Soldiers at 7:48 take refuge in a destroyed railway yard while smoldering ruins burn behind them. These men depend on on-time delivery of war materials so please — keep good housekeeping practices in your war plant — this is the lesson of this film. “Our fighting men are doing their part, it’s up to you to do yours.”
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