Heart to Heart

Here's an episode in the occasional 'Theater of Life' series directed by Gunther von Fritsch in which he tackled some issue that often led to death, be it speeding through traffic, how Mexican farmers should plant better crops, or here, how we drive ourselves crazy and induce heart illnesses. Like many of MGM's short subjects, it's shot wild with a narrator talking about what we're looking at.

It's all very modern for 1949, talking about psychiatric help, and how can one doubt its honesty and sincerity when you see that it's endorsed by the Motion Picture Association of America? It's rather silly and definitely uncompelling, with its platitudinous narration and for-your-own-good, hectoring tone.

Heart to Heart (1949)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Well-meaning but rather dull documentary comes from MGM and their "Theatre of Life" series. This film talks about the danger humans are putting themselves in and the fact that heart disease is killing so many. The documentary two-reeler talks about eating better, living stress less lives and just being happy. As you can tell, the heart of the filmmakers are certainly in the right place and I think for the most part that the film does a nice job at educating people. With that said, the end result isn't nearly as entertaining as it needed to be and sadly the film runs out of steam around the ten-minute mark and that's just the half-way point so things really start to drag. I think there's some pretty good information given out to people but it's somewhat weird watching this film in 2013 considering the various issues we have today in regards to the same issue. The overeating issue is something that's quite big today and wait until you see what they considering "eating too much" in this short. A man is having a meal that's probably no bigger than a normal medium size value meal today so go figure! Health nuts might enjoy watching this to see how these issues were discussed back in 1949 but there's not too much entertainment value.

It's MGM's Theatre of Life short. It starts with a blurb from Motion Picture Association and it's "Produced in the Public Interest". The LA Times is doing a story on heart disease and interviewing doctors. That's how they start in on the subject.

It's a little better than most government funded educational films. It's trying to do the visuals well. They should have done just one case, one person. Make it personal. This did get nominated for an Oscar. It is technically good enough, but it wouldn't get selected today. At least, it should have a cartoon to illustrate the disease. It is interesting to have the X-ray footage. Maybe it was still eye-opening back in the day.

This film is very well made and informative...the topic was probably progressive at the time film was made yet apparently audiences didn't apply the lessons as now, 2022, people are as unhealthy as ever. I very much like the look back to the 40s. The film-making is classical and so much better than present day films..I love The Theater of Life film series!