Assignment: Venezuela

Last updated

Assignment: Venezuela
Assignment venezuela title card.jpg
Title card for Assignment: Venezuela
Directed byJack Tobin
Produced by Creole Petroleum Corporation
Release date
  • 1956 (1956)
Running time
24 minutes
CountriesUnited States
Venezuela

Assignment: Venezuela is a 1956 American short sponsored film. It is a fictional travelogue designed to promote working in the oil industry in Venezuela. It was directed by John H. "Jack" Tobin and is part of the Prelinger Archives, available in the public domain. It was made into a Mystery Science Theater 3000 spoof in the 1990s.

Contents

Synopsis

The complete 1956 film

Jim is a middle-level oil engineer who is being relocated to Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela, with his family: wife Ann and two sons. He initially tries to use a Spanish pocket phrase book unsuccessfully, but is quickly greeted at Grano de Oro Airport by a company rep. [1] Jim is taken on a tour of Maracaibo, Caracas, and Lagunillas to familiarize him with the new country; Venezuela is depicted in a positive fashion. In Maracaibo, Jim drives across the waterfront in an imported American car, and in Caracas he explores the newly built University City of Caracas, and studies Spanish intensively. [2] :97–98 He writes letters to Ann telling her how great Venezuela is before his family joins him a few weeks later, all having learnt Spanish beforehand. [3] :158

Production

Assignment: Venezuela was produced by Sound Masters, Inc. for the Creole Petroleum Corporation (part of the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey) and directed by John H. "Jack" Tobin. [4] It was filmed on Kodachrome 16mm film [5] with an Arriflex camera. [6] The film is in color and 24 minutes in length, and is part of the Prelinger Archives. It is available in the public domain. [7]

Mystery Science Theater 3000 version

In the 1990s, the satire television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) began producing content for a CD-ROM that included two short films: MST3K—Assignment: Venezuela and a lost film. [3] :158 Initially screened at ConventioCon 2, the spoof was temporarily lost during a period of upheaval at MST3K during its production, when it was moving TV channels from Comedy Central to Sci Fi Channel, and when CD-ROM sponsors Voyager began failing financially. It was later released on the home videos "Assignment Venezuela and Other Shorts" in 2001 and "The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Volume 7" in 2005. Like many MST3K spoofs, it is a film from the 1950s, which were easier to acquire the rights to.

Chris Morgan, author of The Comic Galaxy of Mystery Science Theater 3000: Twelve Classic Episodes and the Movies They Lampoon, writes in the book that the MST3K version of the film is long for an MST3K short, noting that the intended format gave the producers a chance to "stretch their legs" and keep close to the original running length. He thought that the short itself was dull and lacking in comedic potential, and that keeping the original premise of oil-boom relocation to Venezuela ages the piece significantly, though he observed that "Mike and the 'bots do their best with it" and the running joke made about the width of the lake was funny. [3] :158–159

Analysis

Still frame of "Jim" visiting the Modernist Plaza Cubierta at Central University of Venezuela Jim visits Plaza Cubierta in Assignment Venezuela.png
Still frame of "Jim" visiting the Modernist Plaza Cubierta at Central University of Venezuela

The film was produced in the context of the Marcos Pérez Jiménez military dictatorship, with scholar Lisa Blackmore describing the propaganda and national image of that time as having distinct dual purposes: for Venezuelans, the Venezuelan leaders wanted to show an independent anti-capitalist nation, and for Americans involved in the oil trade they wanted to present an attractive, modern, Western nation. Blackmore writes that "this mission to confirm Venezuela's development on this basis of its embrace of the American way of life transpires clearly" in the film. [2] :97

Scholar Miguel Tinker Salas wrote that the film was part of a practice intended to make the American employees more sympathetic to the Venezuelan locals upon arrival, and to not be too brash; he also believes it was unsuccessful in this aim. He states this is because it was only shown to employees of petroleum corporations, not their families, and was paired with extensive classes in Venezuelan culture that generally perturbed the employees — enough for stories of expatriates calling the practice "indoctrination" to arise. Tinker also suggests that anything learnt from the lessons and film were quickly forgotten, with American oil workers still retaining their opinion of cultural dominance. [8] :147–148

Television scholar Erin Giannini argues the original film "shares features with mental hygiene films such as A Date with Your Family as well as the overt propagandizing of Invasion USA ", writing that Assignment: Venezuela "attempts to sanitize" many of the racial and environmental issues relating to US-Venezuelan oil ventures. She notes that "some" treat the film as an accurate historical record of 1950s Venezuela. [9] :150

In an article examining some MST3K shorts, Giannini selects the version of Assignment: Venezuela as a good example of where MST3K makes good film selections to spoof with suitable commentary, and as showing how this practice appears in their shorts as well as feature films. [9] :147 Giannini also notes how public domain material generally benefits the spoofs as it provides prime material to mock quaint 1950s American ideals in line with more contemporary social and political issues, which she believes Assignment: Venezuela shows very clearly. [9] :149 It also lacks the internal structure and scheduled framing narrative of many other MST3K shorts. [9] :150 Giannini argues that the short's lack of public distribution gave the MST3K writers more leeway in their commentary. [9] :149

Although the writers did not directly address the colonialism present in the film, according to Giannini, the commentary does show an awareness of it, including interjections calling the protagonist "white devil" and a sarcastic reference to the United States as "the best country ever". Other reactions are more critical of the oil industry, dubbing the placement pattern of offshore oil wells a "pentacle to Satan" and spoofing the over-exuberant joy at Venezuelan oil success by saying that "oil is a loving god". [9] :150

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Mystery Science Theater 3000</i> American science fiction comedy television series

Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American science fiction comedy film review television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on KTMA-TV in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 24, 1988. It then moved to nationwide broadcast, first on The Comedy Channel/Comedy Central for seven seasons until its cancellation in 1996. Thereafter, it was picked up by The Sci-Fi Channel and aired for three more seasons until another cancellation in August 1999. A 60-episode syndication package titled The Mystery Science Theater Hour was produced in 1993 and broadcast on Comedy Central and syndicated to TV stations in 1995. In 2015, Hodgson led a crowdfunded revival of the series with 14 episodes in its eleventh season, first released on Netflix on April 14, 2017, with another six-episode season following on November 22, 2018. A second successful crowdfunding effort in 2021 produced 13 additional episodes shown on the Gizmoplex, an online platform that Hodgson developed which launched in March 2022. As of 2023, 230 episodes and a feature film have been produced as well as three live tours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Servo</span> Fictional character in Mystery Science Theater 3000

Tom Servo is a fictional character from the American science fiction comedy television show Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K). Tom is one of two wise-cracking, robotic main characters of the show, built by Joel Robinson to act as a companion and help stave off madness as he was forced to watch low-quality films. At least during the Comedy Central era, he was somewhat more mature than his theatre companion, Crow T. Robot. Tom, more often than the others, signals the need to exit the theater to perform host segments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael J. Nelson</span> American comedian and writer (born 1964)

Michael John Nelson is an American comedian and writer, most known for his work on the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K). Nelson was the head writer of the series for most of the show's original eleven-year run, and spent half of that time as the on-air host, also named Mike Nelson. In addition to writing books, Nelson is currently part of the online movie riffing site RiffTrax, and was previously part of the straight-to-DVD Film Crew with fellow MST3K alumni, Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joel Hodgson</span> American writer, comedian and television actor

Joel Hodgson is an American writer, comedian and television actor. He is best known for creating Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) and starring in it as the character Joel Robinson. In 2007, MST3K was listed as "one of the top 100 television shows of all time" by Time.

<i>Project Moonbase</i> 1953 film by Richard Talmadge

Project Moonbase is a 1953 independently made black-and-white science fiction film, produced by Jack Seaman, directed by Richard Talmadge, and starring Ross Ford, Donna Martell, and Hayden Rorke. It co-stars Larry Johns, Herb Jacobs, Barbara Morrison, and Ernestine Barrier. The film was distributed by Lippert Pictures and is based on a story by Robert A. Heinlein, who shares the screenwriting credit with producer Jack Seaman.

<i>Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie</i> 1996 American film

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie is a 1996 American science fiction comedy film and a film adaptation of the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000, produced and set between the series' sixth and seventh seasons. It was distributed by Universal Pictures and Gramercy Pictures and produced by Best Brains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Murphy (actor)</span> American actor and writer

Kevin Wagner Murphy is an American actor and writer best known as the voice and puppeteer of Tom Servo on the Peabody Award-winning comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000. Murphy also records audio commentary tracks with Michael J. Nelson and Bill Corbett for Nelson's RiffTrax website.

<i>Extra Terrestrial Visitors</i> 1983 French-Spanish science fiction film

Extra Terrestrial Visitors is a 1983 science fiction film directed by Juan Piquer Simón. The film's original draft was meant to be a straightforward horror film about an evil alien on a murderous rampage, but the producers demanded script alterations in order to cash in on the success of Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial by featuring a child and a cute, lovable alien.

<i>Girls Town</i> (1959 film) 1959 American film

Girls Town is a 1959 American drama film directed by Charles F. Haas and starring Mamie Van Doren, Mel Tormé, and Ray Anthony. Paul Anka also appears in his first acting role. Van Doren stars as a juvenile delinquent who is sent to a girls' school run by nuns, where she finds herself unable to help her sister. The film capitalizes on the 1950s rebellious-teen exploitation films, with catfights, car races, music from Anka and The Platters, and sexy outfits.

<i>Mr. B Natural</i> 1956 short film sponsored by C. G. Conn company directed by Phil Patton

Mr. B Natural is a short sponsored film produced in 1956 by Kling Film Productions for the C.G. Conn Company, directed by Phil Patton. It is also the name of the film's main character, played by Betty Luster.

<i>Daddy-O</i> (film) 1959 film

Daddy-O is a 1959 B-movie starring Dick Contino, Sandra Giles and Bruno VeSota. It was directed by Lou Place and written by David Moessinger. The film is notable for its soundtrack as being the debut film score for John Williams. The film was released by American International Pictures as a double feature with Roadracers. It was later featured as a movie mocked by Mystery Science Theater 3000. Daddy-O was produced by Elmer C. Rhoden Jr. who also produced The Delinquents (1957) and The Cool and the Crazy (1958).

<i>The Corpse Vanishes</i> 1942 film by Wallace Fox

The Corpse Vanishes is a 1942 American mystery horror film starring Bela Lugosi, directed by Wallace Fox, and written by Harvey Gates. Lugosi portrays a mad scientist who injects his aging wife with fluids from virginal young brides in order to preserve her beauty. Luana Walters as a journalist and Tristram Coffin as a small-town doctor investigate and solve the disappearances of the brides. The film was produced and distributed by Monogram Pictures, and was reissued in 1949 by Favorite Films Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RiffTrax</span> American audio company

RiffTrax is an American company that produces scripted humorous commentary tracks which are synced to feature films, education shorts, and television episodes. With the talents of former Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) cast members and writers, RiffTrax also produces several live shows each year which are broadcast to movie theaters. The style of commentating originated from MST3K, their earlier television series, in which they would similarly mock films aloud while watching them. As of September 2023, RiffTrax has riffed 522 feature films, 462 short films, and 16 TV episodes.

<i>The Amazing Transparent Man</i> 1960 film

The Amazing Transparent Man is a 1960 American science fiction thriller B-movie starring Marguerite Chapman in her final feature film. The plot follows an insane ex–U.S. Army major who uses an escaped criminal to steal materials to improve the invisibility machine his scientist prisoner made. It was one of two sci-fi films shot back-to-back in Dallas, Texas by director Edgar G. Ulmer. The combined filming schedule for both films was only two weeks. The film was later featured in an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Juan Piquer Simón was a Spanish film director best known for directing two cult classic horror exploitation films, Pieces (1982) and Slugs: The Movie (1988).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coronet Films</span> Film company specializing in educational films

Coronet Films was an American producer and distributor of documentary shorts shown in public schools, mostly in the 16mm format, from the 1940s through the 1980s. The company, whose library is owned and distributed by the Phoenix Learning Group, Inc., covered a wide range of subjects in zoology, science, geography, history and math, but is mostly remembered today for its post-World War II social-guidance films featuring topics such as dating, family life, courtesy and citizenship.

Sponsored film, or ephemeral film, as defined by film archivist Rick Prelinger, is a film made by a particular sponsor for a specific purpose other than as a work of art: the films were designed to serve a specific pragmatic purpose for a limited time. Many of the films are also orphan works since they lack copyright owners or active custodians to guarantee their long-term preservation.

<i>Last Clear Chance</i> 1959 American film

Last Clear Chance is a 1959 American short film produced and directed by Robert Carlisle.

<i>Incognito Cinema Warriors XP</i> American TV series or program

Incognito Cinema Warriors XP is a post-apocalyptic zombie comedy DVD and web series created by Rikk Wolf and produced by Agonywolf Media. The show premiered on Myspace and was meant to be a one-time homage to Mystery Science Theater 3000, but after Wolf was contacted by the producers of RiffTrax to participate in the launch of their new site iRiffs, he decided to produce more episodes. The first season of the show follows the same "host segment-movie segment" format that MST3K established, while featuring completely original characters and plot. The second season is more plot-driven and riffs short films as opposed to full-length movies.

References

  1. ↑ "Assignment: Venezuela – 1956". Weirdo Video. 17 June 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  2. 1 2 Blackmore, Lisa (2017). Spectacular Modernity: Dictatorship, Space, and Visuality in Venezuela, 1948–1958. University of Pittsburgh Press. ISBN   9780822982364.
  3. 1 2 3 Morgan, Chris (2015). The Comic Galaxy of Mystery Science Theater 3000: Twelve Classic Episodes and the Movies They Lampoon. McFarland. ISBN   9781476618838.
  4. ↑ "Business Screen Magazine 1957". 18. Chicago: Business Screen Magazine. 1957. OCLC   1037378813 . Retrieved 20 June 2019.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ↑ "16mm Assignment Venezuela Kodachrome 1950's 800'". eBay. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  6. ↑ "American Cinematographer (1959)". 40. Los Angeles: The A.S.C. Agency, Inc. 1959. Retrieved 20 June 2019.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ↑ "Assignment: Venezuela (1956)". Prelinger Archives. 16 July 2002. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  8. ↑ Tinker Salas, Miguel; Joseph, Gilbert M.; Rosenberg, Emily S. (2009). The Enduring Legacy: Oil, Culture, and Society in Venezuela. Duke University Press. ISBN   9780822392231.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Giannini, Erin (2014). Weiner, Robert G.; Barba, Shelley E. (eds.). ""People were whiter back then": Film Placement and In-Theater Commentary as Sociopolitical Dialogue". In the Peanut Gallery with Mystery Science Theater 3000: Essays on Film, Fandom, Technology and the Culture of Riffing. McFarland: 146–154. ISBN   9780786485727.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.