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RicksPics club

Posted: 03 Mar 2018

Taken: 04 Apr 2015

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The wages of smoking in the Vintage Photos Theme Park, c. 1952

The wages of smoking in the Vintage Photos Theme Park, c. 1952
This is a screenshot from is a very brief piece of film that appeared a couple of years ago in a PBS series on the history of cancer treatments that I had been watching. The concerned looking young man is asking a doctor about his cancer diagnosis. My dad is the actor playing that patient. I almost fell off the couch when it appeared since I was only about four years old when it was made as part of an industrial training film which I'm surprised had been archived somewhere. The sad irony of it is that I have very few photos of him without a lit cigarette in his hand--it was his photo prop of choice, an essential part of his self image I suppose. His two-pack a day cigarette habit eventually contributed to the lung cancer that killed him.

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6 comments - The latest ones
 Deborah Lundbech
Deborah Lundbech club
Rick, the video does not work on my laptop - but such an ironic, sad story.
Your dad was very good looking.
How did you finally see this?
7 years ago.
RicksPics club has replied to Deborah Lundbech club
It doesn't play, I copied it from the PBS website as a screenshot. I was interested in the history of cancer diagnosis and treatment and this was the second installment of a three-part documentary. The entire snippet of film can't have been more than ten seconds and as it flashed by I wasn't paying close attention but my brain shouted at me, "Hey, that looked like Dad!" My poor wife thought I was having an attack when I shouted to her to stop the VCR and run it back. It was a kick to confirm that it was him. On his behalf, thanks for the compliment.
7 years ago.
 Deborah Lundbech
Deborah Lundbech club
Wow - such an amazing thing to happen!
7 years ago.
 Alan Mays
Alan Mays club
Rick, your dad appears as "Bert Marshall" in a Cancer film by Encyclopedia Britannica Films that's available in the Prelinger Archives, which is part of the Internet Archive. There appear to be three versions or postings of the film. Here are some details and links:

Cancer
https://archive.org/details/Cancer_2
Produced by Encyclopedia Britannica Films, in collaboration with William B. Wartman, M.D., School of Medicine, Northwestern University. Producer: Warren P. Everote.
Running time: 11:30

Cancer
https://archive.org/details/cancer_1953
Publication date 1953
Running time: 11:51

Cancer
https://archive.org/details/0522_Cancer_18_43_02_28
By Encyclopaedia Britannica Films
Publication date 1953
Describes the nature of cancer & its detection & treatment.
Credits: Producer: Warren P. Everote. In collaboration with William B. Wartman, M.D., School of Medicine, Northwestern University.
Running time: 2:28
7 years ago.
 RicksPics
RicksPics club
WOW! Thanks for the research. I marvel at your ability to dig this up. Thank you.
7 years ago.
Alan Mays club has replied to RicksPics club
You're welcome! It's too bad that your father wasn't named in the credits.
7 years ago.

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