The film is regarded as an exploitation film as it was repackaged controversial content designed to establish an educational value that might circumvent U.S. censorship laws. Babb's marketing of his film incorporated old-style medicine show techniques, and used unique promotions to build an audience. These formed a template for his later works, which were imitated by his contemporary filmmakers. In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[6][7] The Academy Film Archive preserved Mom and Dad in 2010.[8]
Plot
Mom and Dad tells the story of Joan Blake (June Carlson), a young woman who falls for the pilot Jack Griffin (Bob Lowell). After being sweet-talked by Griffin, she has sex with him. Joan requests "hygiene books" from her mother, Sarah Blake (Lois Austin); however, the mother refuses because the daughter is not yet married. Joan later learns from her father, Dan Blake (George Eldredge), that the pilot has died in a crash. She tears up a letter she had been writing to him and lowers her head as the film fades into intermission.
The film resumes at the point when Joan discovers that her clothes no longer fit, sending her into a state of despair. She takes advice from her teacher, Carl Blackburn (Hardie Albright), who had previously been fired for teaching sex education. Blackburn blames her mother for the problem, and accuses her of "neglect[ing] the sacred duty of telling their children the real truth." Only then is Joan able to confront her mother.[2][9]
The film then presents reels and charts that include graphic images of the female anatomy and footage of live births – one natural and one Caesarian. In some screenings, a second film was shown along with Mom and Dad, and contained images portraying syphilis and venereal disease. Mom and Dad is believed to have had a number of endings, although most typically concluded with the birth of the young woman's child, sometimes stillborn and other times put up for adoption.[9][10]
Despite the commercially successful run of Babb's debut film, Dust to Dust—a reworked version of the 1938 film Child Bride—his production company Cox and Underwood disbanded, forcing him to form his own unit, Hygienic Productions.[11] Having attended a meeting in Burkburnett, Texas, that discussed the alleged impregnations of young women by G.I.s from nearby Sheppard Air Force Base, Babb was inspired to shoot a film based on the subject.[12] His future wife Mildred Horn drafted a screenplay which later evolved into Mom and Dad. Babb located 20 investors willing to fund the movie, and hired William Beaudine as director.[9]
Production of the film cost Babb and his investors a total of $67,001.12.[3] The movie was shot in five separate studios over six days in 1944,[2] and was spread across various Monogram Pictures lots; co-producer J. S. Jossey was a Monogram stockholder. On January 3, 1945, Mom and Dad premiered at the Warner Bros. theatre in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.[2]
The plot is padded with a large amount of filler. Films of this type were usually produced quickly and at minimal cost, and while filler was sometimes used to increase the production value, the usual motivation was to extend its running time to qualify for feature length status. Eric Schaefer notes that the "primary purpose" of the plot of Mom and Dad was to "serve as the vehicle onto which the spectacle of the clinical reels can be grafted", such as the live birth scene. The marketing materials suggest the latter reason also, and many posters for the film promised that "You [will] actually SEE the birth of a baby!"[13] The dialogue is carefully worded, and uses period euphemisms rather than explicit terms that may have been controversial at the time. In particular, at no time does the film specifically mention sexual intercourse or pregnancy.[9]
Marketing and presentation
In a Washington Post article covering Babb's career, the film critic Kenneth Turan wrote that Mom and Dad did not "flourish because of its birth footage or because of its puerile plot, which Babb himself disparages... [its] success flowed, rather, from Babb's extraordinary promotional abilities."[14] The film was exhibited across the United States, and over 300 prints were produced.[4] In the weeks preceding the screening, local presenters sought to attract the attention of the town's inhabitants by distributing letters to local newspapers and church leaflets protesting against the film's moral basis. This strategy often utilized fabricated letters supposedly written by the mayor of a nearby city, who wished to register concern about local young women in his area who had seen the film and were awakened enough to discuss problems similar to ones of their own.[15]
The campaigns were usually orchestrated by employees of either Hygienic or Hallmark Productions,[9] and they nominally based their campaign from information provided by a standard and detailed pressbook containing cast and crew information, as well as other promotional and marketing materials.[2] Babb's marketing strategy centered on overwhelming small towns with advertisements and letters, in an attempt to create a controversial atmosphere. In keeping with his motto of "You gotta tell 'em to sell 'em,"[2] the film became so ubiquitous that Time wrote that its presentation "left only the livestock unaware of the chance to learn the facts of life."[4]
Poster promoting screenings of Mom and Dad with in-person appearances by Jesse Owens, the athlete and Olympian
The local pitch included a variety of limited screenings, including adults-only showings, viewings segregated by gender, and a live lecture by the "Fearless Hygiene Commentator Elliot Forbes" which was often placed during the intermission. At any one time, a number of "Elliot Forbes"es would give simultaneous talks in a number of locations showing the film.[16] In some predominantly African-American areas, Olympicgold medalistJesse Owens was hired to make appearances instead of an actor playing Forbes.[9] The "Elliot Forbes" actors were usually people local to the production company, sometimes out-of-work performers.[17] Along with "Forbes", presentations were often held with "nurses" in attendance, ostensibly in the event that someone fainted due to the content of the film;[9] such "nurses" were often hired locally.[18]
Modern Film Distributors later distributed the film, and sold over forty-five thousand copies of the books Man and Boy and Woman and Girl following Forbes's lecture. The text was written by Babb's wife,[19] and was filled with both biological and sexual education materials relevant to the film's subject matter; generating extra profit items for their distributors. The sales of these books netted an estimated $31,000 for the distribution company,[20] while Babb estimated the total sales for all distributions at 40 million copies.[19]
Babb insisted that the program be followed closely; a contractual agreement with theaters required that each presentation follow a similar approach. Because the Forbes lecture formed part of the viewing, extra newsreels or short films were not permitted, although previews were allowed. A contractual agreement disallowed matinée pricing, set specific times for the segregated viewings, and prohibited the screening of the film on Sundays.[16]
Reception
Mom and Dad is the third highest-grossing film of the 1940s in dollar value,[4] and returned close to $63 for each dollar invested by its backers.[21] The Los Angeles Times estimates that the film grossed between $40 million and $100 million,[14] and it has been cited as the most successful sex hygiene film ever released. It remains the most profitable pre-1960 exploitation film; ranking among the top ten grossing films of both the 1940s and 1950s, even when scaled against those year's mainstream releases.[22]
The film was at the center of many high-profile lawsuits and condemnations. The exploitation genre was pitched against numerous challenges during the 1940s and 1950s, and fought many local censorship battles, and fought bitterly against the motion picture censorship system.[23] It has been claimed that nearly 428 lawsuits were laid against both Babb and Mom and Dad during the film's run.[14] Babb often used the supposed educational value of his films as an offer of defense, and recommended such tactic to theater owners in his pressbooks. One successful challenge was in New York City, where Mom and Dad remained censored until 1956, when the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court overturned the ruling of the censorship board, deciding that human birth did not qualify as "indecent".[24][3]
According to Modern Film Distributors, as of the end of 1956, the film has been dubbed into a dozen languages and attended by an estimated worldwide attendance figure of over 175 million people, at over 650,000 performances.[2] By then Babb claimed it had played in 47 states (excluding Kansas) and 72 other countries grossing $22 million worldwide.[3]Card Mondor purchased the rights to exhibit the film in New Zealand and Australia during the mid-1960s, almost twenty years after the film's debut.[17] In the late 1970s, a story on Babb by the Press-Enterprise estimated that the film had been dubbed into 18 languages.[19]
The film's success spawned a number of imitators, who sought to saturate the market with genre imitations. In particular, Street Corner (1948) recycled Babb's plot, substituting a concerned physician for a concerned teacher. In 1948, Universal produced a similar film, The Story of Bob and Sally, but was unable to screen it due to the production code, and eventually sold the rights.[25] The volume of imitations led to the formation of Modern Film Distributors, a group of exploitation filmmakers, in an effort to minimize booking conflicts.[9]
In 1969, the film was submitted to the Motion Picture Association of America for a film rating, in order to allow the film be shown in traditional movie theaters; it received an R rating.[26][27] The film was such a success that it is still shown decades later around the world.[19] In 2005, a version was added to the National Film Registry.[4]
William Washington Beaudine was an American film director. He was one of Hollywood's most prolific directors, turning out a remarkable 179 feature-length films in a wide variety of genres.
An exploitation film is a film that tries to succeed financially by exploiting current trends, niche genres, or lurid content. Exploitation films are generally low-quality "B movies", though some set trends, attract critical attention, become historically important, and even gain a cult following.
A film distributor is a person responsible for the marketing of a film. The distribution company may be the same as, or different from, the production company. Distribution deals are an important part of financing a film.
Baby Face is a 1933 American pre-Code-enforcement drama film directed by Alfred E. Green for Warner Bros., starring Barbara Stanwyck as Lily Powers, and featuring George Brent. Based on a story by Darryl F. Zanuck, Baby Face portrays a young woman who uses sex to advance her social and financial status. Twenty-five-year-old John Wayne appears briefly as one of Powers's lovers.
Howard W. "Kroger" Babb was an American film producer and showman. His marketing techniques were similar to a travelling salesman's, with roots in the medicine show tradition. Self-described as "America's Fearless Young Showman", he is best known for his presentation of the 1945 exploitation film Mom and Dad, which was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2005.
Gold Diggers of 1933 is an American pre-Code musical film directed by Mervyn LeRoy with songs by Harry Warren (music) and Al Dubin (lyrics). The film's numbers were staged and choreographed by Busby Berkeley. It starred Warren William, Joan Blondell, Aline MacMahon, Ruby Keeler, and Dick Powell. It featured appearances by Guy Kibbee, Ned Sparks and Ginger Rogers.
Hygienic Productions was a film production company based out of Wilmington, Ohio. Formed by exploitation film producer Kroger Babb, the company was in charge of promotion and production for a number of Babb's films, including the infamous Mom and Dad.
Mildred Horn was an American film critic and screenwriter, best known for her work on the Kroger Babb exploitation film Mom and Dad.
Modern Film Distributors was the name of a film distribution organization cartel formed by filmmakers in the 1940s. Following the success of the exploitation film Mom and Dad, the four leading presenters of the time agreed to work together to book each other's films in various territories to reduce overlap and increase the profits for each party.
Card Mondor (1922-2001) was an Australian magician and stage performer. A one time assistant for the Great Virgil, he gained fame as a performer in the United States, most notably for entertaining troops during World War II. He was featured on the cover of Genii (magazine) in April 1947. In the 1940s and 1950s, he was involved in exploitation films, at one time working for Kroger Babb, presenting his film Mom and Dad and eventually securing the rights to distribute the film in Australia and New Zealand.
She Shoulda Said 'No'! is a 1949 exploitation film that follows in the spirit of morality tales such as the 1936 films Reefer Madness and Marihuana. Directed by Sam Newfield and starring Lila Leeds, it was originally produced to capitalize on the arrest of Leeds and Robert Mitchum on a charge of marijuana conspiracy.
Bob and Sally is 1948 American drama film produced by J. G. Sanford at Universal Studios and directed by Erle C. Kenton. Director of photography was Ellis Carter and the original screenplay was written by Mary C. Palmer.
The Lawton Story of "The Prince of Peace", originally released as The Lawton Story and later reissued as The Prince of Peace, is a religious-themed film that later made the roadshow rounds presented by exploitation pioneer Kroger Babb. Filmed in Cinecolor in 1948, it is based on an annual passion play in Lawton, Oklahoma, "The Prince of Peace," created in 1926 by Rev. A. Mark Wallock. This Easter pageant became immensely popular among locals, attracting as many as 250,000 people.
Is Your Daughter Safe?, also known as The Octopus, was an early American silent exploitation film produced and directed by S. S. Millard. Written by Max Abramson, it was originally released in 1927 and presented around the United States in the following years.
Jack S. Jossey was an American film producer and businessman. A Seagram stockholder, he helped finance and film many exploitation films during the 1940s, including Mom and Dad and The Prince of Peace.
The Adventures of Lucky Pierre is a 1961 nudie cutie film created by exploitation filmmakers Herschell Gordon Lewis and David F. Friedman. The first of its kind to be filmed in color, the film starred comedian Billy Falbo. It was unique for its time and genre, adding successful comedy to the nudity and sensationalist material.
The Enemy is a 1927 American silent drama film directed by Fred Niblo and starring Lillian Gish, Ralph Forbes and Ralph Emerson. Actor Joel McCrea made an early appearance as an extra.
The Murphy Theatre is a historic theatre located at 50 West Main Street in Wilmington, Ohio.
Felicia Feaster and Bret Wood, Forbidden Fruit: The Golden Age of Exploitation Film. (Baltimore, Maryland: Midnight Marquee Press, 1999. ISBN1-887664-24-6)
Pressbook (Wilmington, Ohio: Hallmark Productions, c. 1959.)
Eric Schaefer, Bold! Daring! Shocking! True!: A History of Exploitation Films, 1919–1959. (Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1999. ISBN0-8223-2374-5)
Kenneth Turan, "Kroger Babb: Superhuckster." Los Angeles Times via The Washington Post, November 11, 1977.
Mom and Dad essay by Daniel Eagan in America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry, A&C Black, 2010 ISBN0826429777, pages 381-382 pages 381-382
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