Edgar Ulmer's Goodbye Mr. Germ (1940)

This film courtesy of The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

DIRECTOR: Edgar Ulmer. SPONSOR: The National Tuberculosis Association

PRODUCTION: DeFernes Studios. CAMERA: Joseph Noble. ANIMATION: H.L. Roberts SETTINGS: Stanley Levick. EDITOR: Hans Mandl. CAST: James Kirkwood. NARA ARC Identifier: 98577

Geared towards very young children and featuring the brilliant animation of H.L. Roberts, the film takes place one dreary, rainy evening at home. John and Mary, desperate for their father to take them to the movies, tease him about his old-fashioned attachment to his science books and mock his interest in an image of the tubercle bacillus. This sends their father into a strange and, to the children, deeply engaging scientific reverie. What if, he wonders, we could talk to this fascinating germ? What story would it tell? The animation involves an invention called a “germ radio,” a convenient conceit that allows “Tee Bee” (who is, perhaps, a bit too adorable) to tell his own story.

Directed by Edgar Ulmer.

This movie is part of the collection: Vintage Educational Films

Director: Edgar Ulmer
Producer: DeFernes Studios
Production Company: DeFernes Studios
Sponsor: The National Tuberculosis Association
Audio/Visual: sound, black & white