Do Not Fold, Staple, Spindle or Mutilate

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Do Not Fold, Staple, Spindle or Mutilate
Directed by John Howe
Written by Millard Lampell
Starring Ed Begley
Harvey Sid Fisher
George Sperdakos
Bruno Gerussi
Cec Linder
Sean Sullivan
Al Waxman
Cinematography Eugene Boyko
Edited byJohn Howe
Dennis Sawyer
Music by Dave Brubeck
Production
company
Release date
  • 1967 (1967)
Running time
50 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish
Budget$67,495 [1]

Do Not Fold, Staple, Spindle or Mutilate is a 1967 Canadian short drama film, directed by John Howe for the National Film Board of Canada. [2]

Contents

Synopsis

Written by American playwright and screenwriter Millard Lampell, the film stars Ed Begley as an established trade union leader fighting an attempt by the union membership to push him out in favour of a new, younger leader with a more modern approach. The modern union wants to change the leadership without realizing how far their leader has brought them since the 1930s. As things heat up, both sides share their views with the old union leader speaking his mind and generally winning the debate. But, after a lifetime of service for the cause, he has outlived his usefulness and esteem among the workers of his factory. Times have changed, a new strategy is needed, and he realizes that he must retire. [3]

Title

The origin of the expression "Do not fold, spindle or mutilate" comes from the inscription on an IBM punch card. Office workers organized papers and forms by stapling or folding them together, or by impaling them on a spindle. Because punched card readers scan uniform rectangular holes in a precise arrangement, any damage to the physical card makes it unusable. In the 1950s and 1960s, when the use of punch cards became widespread, manufacturers printed a warning on each card reading "Do not fold, spindle or mutilate".

In 1964, the student revolution at Berkeley used the phrase as a symbol of authority and regimentation. [4]

Soundtrack

Dave Brubeck composed the score for this film. It was recorded in his home studio in Wilton, Connecticut and became part of his album Summit Sessions. [5]

Awards

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References

  1. ↑ Evans 1991, p. 153.
  2. ↑ Gary Evans, In the National Interest: A Chronicle of the National Film Board of Canada from 1949 to 1989. University of Toronto Press, 1991. ISBN   9780802068330. p. 153.
  3. ↑ "Do not fold, staple, spindle, or mutilate". acmi.net.au. ACMI. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  4. ↑ Lubar, Steven. ""Do Not Fold, Spindle or Mutilate": A Cultural History of the Punch Card". repository.library.brown.edu. Brown University. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  5. ↑ "Do Not Fold, Staple, Spindle or Mutilate". davebrubeckjazz.com. Dave Brubeck Jazz. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  6. ↑ Maria Topalovich, And the Genie Goes To...: Celebrating 50 Years of the Canadian Film Awards. Stoddart Publishing, 2000. ISBN   0-7737-3238-1. pp. 81-83.
  7. ↑ "Do Not Fold, Staple or Mutilate". onf-nfb.gc.ca. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved 5 February 2023.

Works cited

Do Not Fold, Staple, Spindle or Mutilate in the NFB collection catalog

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