This is a 1950’s era, black and white movie that opens with a man with a microphone bouncing up and down. Directed by Bob Hiestand, this is an episode of the TV show “Success Story” that each week comes from “somewhere” in southern California as a public service by Richfield, makers of Richfield 1030 motor oil and gasoline. The movie is about Stauffer motorized couches for figure control. The Stauffer Posture-Rest is pictured, 1:39. Stauffer plant is shown with Ken Peters reporting, 2:10. Demonstration of the Stauffer tables, 3:35. The Stauffer factory floor is shown, 6:12. Sewing stations are shown, 6:30. Ken Peters returns to the factory floor and describes the construction process, 7:30. Stauffer aluminum tubing bases are shown, 7:43. The aluminum bending process is shown, 8:50. Stauffer machine shop is shown, 9:40. Stauffer assembly line for the couch bases are shown, 11:25. The oscillating unit is shown, 13:50. The GE electric motor that powers the couch is shown, 14:25. Man with stethoscope tests the motor to hear any dings in the mechanism, 16:05. The final product is boxed and ready for delivery, 17:46. Woman tests the Stauffer motorized couch, 18:26. The national sales manager of Stauffer is interviewed, 18:47. Medical research division is visited and a discussion about hypokinetics ensues, 21:30. The salon model couch units are seen being assembled, 22:47. Barney Stauffer is interviewed by Ken Peters, 23:38.

Roughly 10 years after this film was made, Stauffer was sued by the Federal Trade Commission for making false claims related to the effectiveness of the Posture-Rest. The Commission determined that the couch “has no value or usefulness in accomplishing the asserted results” and its decision was confirmed by the courts.

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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