This black and white short subject “Nobody’s Children” was released in late 1946. The film concerns the process of child adoption in America and centers on The Calahans, a fictional, childless couple living in Hampstead, New York. After deciding they wish to adopt an infant, the film follows the Calahans from their first meetings with doctors through to when they bring their new infant home. Also shown are examples of couples who should not be permitted to adopt (middle-aged, selfish, or impatient couples, for instance), as well as the downfalls of taking the “black market” adoption route. By studying the closeups of the adoption forms shown in the film, we can extrapolate the suburban scenes were shot at 52 and 56 Lewis Place in Hampstead, NY.

The March of Time was an American short film series sponsored by Time Inc. and shown in movie theaters and schools from 1935 to 1951. Each entry in the series was either a two- or three-reel film (20 or 30 minutes). Westbrook Van Voorhis, who hosted the radio program of the same name, served as narrator. At its peak The March of Time was seen by 25 million U.S. moviegoers a month.

00:06 OPENING TITLES 00:34 Children singing at an assembly, skipping outside a school, in a science class looking through microscopes 01:01 Nurse listens to boy’s breathing through stethoscope 01:13 Middle class family in living room 01:20 Father and son play with Tinkertoy Construction set, mother and daughter wash dishes 01:29 Taxi arrives at hospital, man emerges with long package, enters lobby and interacts with nurse 01:56 Mother in flower-filled hospital room holds her newborn baby 02:14 Woman in poorer hospital holds newborn, speaks with nurse 02:43 New York Foundling Hospital (17 E. 12th Street) 02:48 Room filled with hospital cubicles, nurses 02:51 Nurses feed infants 03:11 Middle aged couple discusses adoption 03:34 United Charities Building (105 E. 22nd Street, NYC), waiting room 03:50 Middle aged couple meets with social worker and are turned down 04:16 Emotionally estranged couple discuss adoption, meet with social worker 05:14 Sign reading “G.O. Rowohlt, M.D.”; a married couple (the Calahans) discuss adoption with doctor, meet with social worker 05:56 Suburban street, house; social worker inspects couples’ home 06:24 Hand filling out application for child adoption 06:30 Social worker interviews references 07:01 Nurse enters orphanage room filled with infants in cribs 07:10 Doctor, nurses examine infant 07:58 Infant’s behavior, intelligence tested; infant plays with bell 08:37 Social worker meets with nurses, doctor and choses an infant for the Calahans 09:11 The Calahans arrive home with their adopted infant 09:39 The Calahan family in the nursery with social worker, Mr. Calahan wears an apron 09:59 The Calahan’s dog looks forlorn 10:03 Adoption papers signed before judge 10:18 Exterior, Sheltering Arms Childrens Service, New York; waiting room 10:37 Impetuous couple complain about adoption waiting period 10:54 News clippings about black market adoptions; lawyer shows photos of available babies to impetuous couple 11:30 Doctor diagnoses baby with congenital heart disease 12:09 United States Children’s Bureau offices, Washington D.C. 12:22 Staffers sort pamphlets 12:31 Bureau chief Katharine Lenroot 12:44 Bureau files 13:03 Children eat, learn, wash in orphanage 13:37 Dentist examines little girl’s teeth 13:55 Foster father, two boys build model airplane 14:08 Foster mother and two girls frost cake 14:23 Chaos, neglect in unlicensed foster home 15:07 Katharine Lenroot addresses group of women in library regarding older child adoption 15:48 Older children in orphanage; ironing, playing board games 16:15 Orphan infants in cribs 16:44 THE END

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