Dating to 1953 and funded by the Western Oil and Gas Association, “It Never Rains Oil” was made by John Sutherland Productions. This animated oil industry promo film tells the story of an ordinary fellow named Stanley McGrokel. It highlights his dependence on oil and petroleum related products before showing what his life would be without these products. Illustrates that oil runs our nations agriculture, economy, and national defense. Shows where oil comes from and how it is extracted. Gives the odds on finding oil breaking even and discovering a large oil field. The film details the Depletion Plan of 1929 and how this helped spur investment into the oil industry and other extractive industries.
1:24 – Introduction to Stanley, a man with a significant stake in America’s oil industry.
1:35 – Oil’s importance in daily life, from farm machinery to national defense.
2:15 – Hypothetical scenario of life without oil, highlighting its ubiquity in products and services.
3:00 – Oil’s role in transportation and household items.
4:00 – Explanation of where oil comes from and common misconceptions.
5:03 – Description of oil wells and the challenges of oil extraction.
6:00 – Financial and technical efforts required to locate and drill for oil.
7:00 – Odds and risks involved in oil drilling.
8:00 – Historical context of America’s independence and its relation to oil.
9:00 – Evolution of farming with the advent of oil-powered machinery.
10:00 – Skepticism faced by early oil pioneers.
11:00 – Nationwide search for oil and its impact on agriculture and industry.
12:00 – Benefits of mechanized farming and the continuous demand for oil products.
13:00 – Innovations in oil extraction and refining, ensuring a steady supply.
14:00 – The partnership between American farmers and industry, promising a future of abundance and freedom.
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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
