Pick-up (TF 8-2060) is an official War Department training film from 1944 that informs World War II servicemen about the dangers of sexually transmitted infections and the need to protect themselves from contracting a possible STI, as well as what to do to treat it and what happens if you don’t treat the infection. The film focuses on the symptoms of gonorrhea and syphilis as it covers proper courses of treatment. The film opens with a shot of an Air Force base where a soldier, Corporal John Greene, runs out of a building to talk to a friend who is working on building a sidewalk. Later, getting ready to take his leave, Greene walks into a train station (02:30) and goes to the ticket desk to pick up his ticket. He meets a girl named Anne, and he checks her luggage for her at the left luggage desk. The two go to a club, where people dance (05:10); John and Anne sit at a table and chat over a few beers. They dance while the band plays, drinking and having a merry time. Greene sits at the bar while Anne goes to the women’s room (08:28), and he has an internal conversation about whether or not to sleep with her. They sit on a park bench at night (10:45), and Greene pressures Anne into kissing him. Later, Greene walks into his barracks to go to bed (13:08), where his friend advises him to take an antibiotic to treat any possible STI. A montage of shots shows the days going by as Greene cleans his rifle and trains with his unit. In the men’s bathroom of Greene’s barracks (15:35), Greene looks sick and tells his friend he has a “dose.” At the base’s dispensary, Greene finds out he has gonorrhea (17:15). The captain at the dispensary tells Greene that he’ll give him a dose to treat the infection, but that Greene’s furlough is off the table. The captain tells Greene he may have syphilis as well. The patients in the base’s hospital stand at attention for inspection by the doctor (20:34). The doctor notifies Greene that he doesn’t have syphilis. Greene walks into the captain’s office at the dispensary (21:47), and the captain talks to Greene and a few other men about the importance of protecting themselves. The captain shows the men a microscope with a slide of the gonorrhea virus (22:51) and the syphilis virus—Treponema pallidum—with its spirochetes shape (26:58). The captain uses a poster of the prostate and male reproductive organs to show the men how gonorrhea causes permanent damage (24:33). The film then shows a man presenting a sore on his penis caused by syphilis (27:45); the film also shows the infection spreading to the back in the form of lesions. A man talks to a syphilis patient who is starting to lose his mind (29:03). A man with syphilis walks down a city sidewalk using two canes to support his weakened state from having the infection (29:40). The film shows two newborns born with syphilis (30:21), then it shows a shot of two soldiers walking into a U.S. Army Prophylactic Station (31:22). Greene walks out of the Station Hospital Administration Building (32:30). He asks his captain for another furlough (33:24), but he is told that his unit will be moving out for combat. Greene talks to his mother on a payphone (34:05) to inform her he is heading for war. In the barracks, men pack their things (35:05). The soldiers march in uniform, with their gear, and board an ocean liner (35:50) to take them overseas to the fighting. The film closes with an aerial shot of transport ships at sea.

We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: “01:00:12:00 — President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.”

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 http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com