This color educational/promotional film is about the new 1971 Polaroid cameras and how the salesmen will offer new services to dealers. This is from late 1970 or early 1971.
Opening (no credits): An animated mouth moves and talks about a Polaroid Salesman. An animated salesman is shown. First with clothes and then without. A Polaroid salesman is shown carrying a camera. A close up of a phone. A Polaroid salesman as a monster. The mouth talks. A dealer is interviewed by another guy about what he likes and doesn’t like about a salesman from Polaroid (all animated) (:08-3:05). Roy Swindell, sales manager for Polaroid talks to the viewer. Behind him is a sign that reads Focus 71. The sales manager talks about the new things that will be offered to dealers and how to make better profits. He also talks about prices, advertising, and how Polaroid will help dealers make money (3:06-8:24). Animated men from the opening appear again and how we the people see Polaroid salesmen. One of America’s most successful photographers, Mr. Dick Richards speaks to the viewer. He talks about how he has used every Polaroid camera ever produced. A Polaroid Model 320 sits on the desk in front of him. Polaroid photo ad. Women sit around his office as Dick comes over to Lucy, a model, and sits at her table. He introduces the brand new Polaroid 450. He then places a flash holder onto it and adds a new GE flash cube. He holds the flash cube for a bit. Lucy listens intently while sipping from a cup. Dick takes a picture of Lucy from 3 1/2 feet (8:25-12:59). Dick rounds up all the women for a group shot. He takes a photo. One of the women kisses him on the cheek. Dick then shows off the picture he took of Lucy. He opens the group photo and shows it off. He then shows his old portrait camera, a Deardorff. Close on the Deardorff. He picks up his Nikon and shows it(13:00-15:03). Dick picks up the new Polaroid Big Shot. He takes a picture of another girl, Sally, and then winds up the 60 second timer on it. He shows her the picture he took of her. Sally then takes a picture of Dick. He peels that picture and sees his picture. Polaroid Big Shot is going to be listed under $20 (15:04-17:33). Polaroid’s 1971 will feature: Polaroid 400s, Big Shot Portrait camera, advertising money to make Polaroid more popular. $22,500,000 will be spent on ads and commercials. A flash cube. Two pictures that aren’t the best. The all new: Polaroid Focused Flash. A nice picture at a wedding taken with the new focused flash. Polaroid 450 camera. Focused Flash will be on all the new Polaroid 400s. New Focused Flash ad slick. Flash flops vs Focused Flash. Before and after Focused Flash. Singer Perry Como in a new ad featuring the Focused Flash. Perry takes a picture of a bunch of people (17:34-20:57). Focused Flash new paper ad. New commercial that shows off the new Polaroid 400 cameras with Focused Flash. The man shows off his good picture. A man shows off his Polaroid camera to a young boy and explains the Focused Flash. A picture of the boy is shown. The new Polaroid 450 camera. A commercial featuring actress Brenda Vaccaro with her Polaroid camera, the 450 with the Focused Flash. She shows it off (20:58-23:20). New ads for the new Polaroid products. The new Polaroid Big Shot camera under $20 ad. Another commercial featuring Brenda Vaccaro showing off the new Polaroid Big Shot. Perry Como in a commercial showing off the new Polaroid 400 cameras with Focused Flash. Polaroid 450. Big Shot camera. Perry Como. Brenda Vaccaro. A picture of Sally (23:21-26:22). No end credits.
Dick Richards is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Born and raised in New York, Richards rose to prominence during the 1960s advertising revolution, becoming a world-renowned photographer and commercial director with clients including Coca-Cola, Volkswagen, Polaroid, General Motors, Hertz, Pepsi, etc.
His celebrated advertising work has won every major industry award including the Cannes Lion for best worldwide commercial, as well as multiple Clio’s and New York Art Director Awards. Pauline Kael referred to Richards as “a photographer who became a whiz at TV commercials [before directing movies].
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