This 1952 black and white educational classroom short by Coronet Films uses a dialogue between an unseen narrator and a skeptical youth to dramatise the good personal grooming and daily hygiene habits of “Larry,” a model of youthful cleanliness (TRT: 9:49).
Opening titles: “A Coronet Film” and “Educational Collaborator Carl A. Troester, Jr., Ed.D.” (0:08). Adolescent boys and girls circle around “Larry,” a teen who stands with his hands on his hips, speaking confidently. The group is called over to a late 1940s convertible automobile (0:27). Larry jolts out of bed in a sparsely decorated bedroom. He turns off an alarm clock on the other side of the room (1:07). Larry showers, taking care to wash his ears, armpits, genital area, and feet with soap (1:33). A still photo of athlete’s foot symptoms. A boy in a locker room wearing a towel examines his feet, touches a locker, then walks around barefoot. Feet protected by shower clogs follow (2:21). A black toilet seat is wiped, then padded with toilet paper. A tall young man washes his hands at a washbasin (2:51). Back in the shower, Larry uses shampoo to wash his hair (3:19). Larry dries himself with a towel against a starscape shower curtain. Trimming toenails with a clipper, cleaning cuticles (3:55). Larry uses a barber’s brush and soap lather to shave using a safety razor, carefully avoiding pimples (4:39). Larry applies aftershave and underarm deodorant (5:40). Wearing a bathrobe, Larry brushes his hair, looking pleased with the results. Shoes are retrieved from a door-hanging organizer (6:17). Fully dressed, Larry combs his hair and poses in the mirror (7:10). Larry eats a breakfast complimented by both milk and orange juice (7:29). Tooth brushing is demonstrated. A review of previous steps (8:08). Youths outside “Prince Castles Ice Cream.” Larry hands a “One-in-a-Million” malt special to a young girl in a convertible late 1940s automobile. They smile and enjoy their malteds (9:12).
Coronet films, frequently satirized for their often dry approach to educational content, operated from 1934 to 1984, producing hundreds of 16mm classroom shorts. They are best remembered for their contributions to the “social hygiene” movement of the mid-20th century, of which this film is a prime example.
