The Great American Mug

Oct 6, 1945

0h 10m

★ 6.5

Overview

This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short takes a look at the typical American barbershop throughout the years.

Genres

History

Production Companies

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

The Great American Mug Trailers

No Trailers found.

Cast

Narrator (voice)

John Nesbitt

Tipster in Barber Chair (uncredited)

Harry Barris

Old Time Barber (uncredited)

Frank Darien

Pete Ramson (uncredited)

Lester Dorr

Tobacco Chewer (uncredited)

Mitchell Lewis

Banker (uncredited)

Eric Mayne

Barbershop Customer (uncredited)

Pat McKee

Laughing Man (uncredited)

Howard M. Mitchell

Laughing Man (uncredited)

Robert Emmett O'Connor

Old Time Storyteller (uncredited)

William Phillips

Barber (uncredited)

Walter Soderling

Contemporary Barber at Middle Chair (uncredited)

Arthur Space

It is England in the 1830s. London's dockside is teeming with ships and sailors who have made their fortune in foreign lands. Sweeney Todd, a Fleet Street barber, awaits the arrival of men whose first port of call is for a good, close shave. For most it will be the last time they are seen alive. Using a specially designed barber's chair, Sweeney Todd despatches his victims to the cellar below, where he robs them of their new found fortunes and chops their remains into small pieces. Meanwhile, Mrs Lovett is enjoying a roaring trade for her popular penny meat pies.

6.0

Magic on a Stick

Jan 19, 1946

This MGM Passing Parade series short recounts how English chemist John Walker invented the wooden friction match during the 1820s.

6.0

Forgotten Treasure

Jul 24, 1943

This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series short highlights the film preservation efforts of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Several scenes from early newsreels are shown.

6.0

Angel of Mercy

May 20, 1939

This MGM Passing Parade series short tells the story of Clara Barton, the founder of the Red Cross.

6.5

Souvenirs of Death

Jun 19, 1948

This MGM John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series short tells the story of how a Mauser pistol used on the battlefield by Germans during WWII makes its way into the hands of an American gangster.

0.0

The Hidden Master

Apr 20, 1940

Shows how important luck can be in a person's life.

8.0

The Film That Was Lost

Oct 31, 1942

In this John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short, a look is taken at the problems of film preservation efforts in the 1930s and early 1940s.

6.0

The Story of Alfred Nobel

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This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short tells the story of Alfred Nobel, who invented dynamite, and later established the Nobel Prize.

6.7

Small Things Like These

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In 1985, while working as a coal merchant to support his family, Bill Furlong discovers disturbing secrets kept by the local convent and uncovers truths of his own; forcing him to confront his past and the complicit silence of a small Irish town controlled by the Catholic Church.

4.0

The Story That Couldn't Be Printed

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This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short tells the story of John Peter Zenger, who in Colonial New York was tried for sedition based on what he printed in his newspaper.

6.0

People on Paper

Nov 17, 1945

Americans are preoccupied with the news, but need an escape from many of the events reported in the news. These escapes in the past have included dime store novels. The most accessible of these escapes is what are known as the funny papers, the set of serialized comic strips that are included within many newspapers. They appeal to all socio-economic classes, and all ages. Some of the earliest known from the late 19th century include the Yellow Kid, Little Nemo, Happy Hooligan, the Katzenjammer Kids, Mutt & Jeff, and Bringing Up Father. Many cartoonists are seen in action. Some originated their characters, while others have taken over following the passing of the originator. The joy of many comic strips are the absurd and the fantastical, which are limited only by the imagination of the cartoonist. Others are grounded in reality, which add to their poignancy within the public mindset.

0.0

American Spoken Here

Nov 30, 1940

This MGM John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series short takes a look at the origins of North American slang.

0.0

Utopia of Death

Oct 12, 1940

This short film focuses on the mysterious and legendary Seri Indians who live in a utopian colony off the west coast of Mexico.

0.0

A Way in the Wilderness

Jun 22, 1940

This Passing Parade entry tells the story of Dr. Joseph Goldberger (1874-1929), a Hungarian immigrant who devoted his life to finding the cause of pellagra, a disease that killed hundreds of thousands in the southern United States. Although the medical community believed that the condition was caused by a virus, Goldberger proved that a healthy diet was the cure.

0.0

The Golden Hunch

Nov 15, 1945

This entry in John Nesbitt's "Passing Parade" series is about the great moments in the lives of famous men who found found an answer or made a great discovery in the flash of a golden hunch.