Previously
investment-auto-motives has provided Christmas and New Year's
Messages that view economic life from a philosophical perspective,
trying to seek a rounded balance in the world.
(As indeed was seen in
the overtly moralistic tone of the last web-log).
However, before
returning to the matter of a resurgent Brazilian economy – now that
there is at long last synchronous global economic traction – this
New Year's Message seeks to not moralise but enthuse, in a
round-a-bout humouristic way, about the matter of democratic, shared
stakeholder capitalism.
A Very Short, Very Topical Film Based Quiz....
Doing so in the form of
a question, pertaining to Capitalism's golden age, when it was
working for everyone, from those at top of the societal tree to those
at the bottom.
As is clear, this
weblog has rightly criticised the very damaging socio-economic
influence that the worst of Hollywood film and television has created
so as to produce an unthinking, overtly self-centric and
consumer-centric western society.
At its worst it promotes unfettered sex and violence; at its 'best' it deliberately perpetuates its own self-interests and its associated power-structure without even the pretence of paraody. (ie the film The Rewrite' amongst others). Between these two extremes it regurgitates formulaic low-brow comedies or stretches the sequel idiom ad infinitum.
At its worst it promotes unfettered sex and violence; at its 'best' it deliberately perpetuates its own self-interests and its associated power-structure without even the pretence of paraody. (ie the film The Rewrite' amongst others). Between these two extremes it regurgitates formulaic low-brow comedies or stretches the sequel idiom ad infinitum.
But there was a time
during the 1950s and 1960s when the best of a positively moralistic
United States – in its bid to create worldwide economic unity via
film's soft-power influence – deployed Hollywood as its idealistic
'temporal and spiritual translator'.
The following is an
excerpt of a film script from that golden era, which quite obviously
has an automotive overtone that befits this web-log, and the ideals
of investment-auto-motives.
….............................................................................................................
An example of America's
first post-war sportscar (before Corvette) speeds down a country
lane, driven by a man wearing a panama hat with colourful silk band
whilst jauntily whistling to himself.
Then a low angle,
close-up view of a wire-wheeled, white-walled tyre screeching to
stop.
The car reverses (in a
long arc) at speed into the empty taxi-kerb of a rural rail-road
station (to encounter the female star).
She is a beautiful,
elegantly dressed woman, stood with small dog and luggage.
The conversion between
the two apparent 'strangers' begins, with a cheeky opening gambit...
M: “Taxi Miss...
cheapest rates in Glenn Cove?”
F: “Well hello, how
are you?”
“Well I'm fine, how
are you...and I might add...who are you?”
“Who am I?”
“Am I supposed to
know”.
“Come to think of it,
no you're not supposed to know”.
“Are you stranded?”
“My father was
supposed to pick me up, but something must have happened”.
“Who ever your father
is and whatever happened, I'd be eternally grateful..that is if I can
give you a lift”.
“You certainly can,
you can drive me home”.
“Good, I'll get your
bags....where do you live?”
“Desores Lane”
“Desores Lane...say
that's where I live”
“Really”
“Sure...we must be
neighbours...and if there's one thing I believe in it's 'love thy
neighbour'”.
“Oh, so do I”
The man jumps out,
collects the luggage and straps it to the trunk-lid rack.
W: (talking to the dog)
“Come on David”
M: “David...is his
name David?”
“Yes it is”
“That's funny, my
name's David too”
“That is funny isn't
it!” (said with a knowing smirk)
Once on the road...
“Are you sure you
don't want to tell me your name?”
“Positive...I'm
having much too much fun!”
“Alright, if you want
to play games...have you always lived here in Long Island”
“Most of my life”
“I could have sworn I
knew every pretty girl on the North Shore”
“I could have sworn you
took in more territory than that”
“This is
maddening...I know I've seen that face before...let me see your
profile again...I know I know you. I've a feeling I've seen you with
your father. Wait a minute...is your father Admiral Starrit?”
“Hardly” (with
slight grin)
“Funny, I keep seeing
him in a uniform. Oh come on, give us a hint. What does your father
do”
“He's in
Transportation”
“Transportation...Rail-Roads,
New York Central?”
“No” (burgeoning
smile)
“Planes, TWA?”
“No” (broadening
smile)
“Boats, United States
Lines?”
“No” (beaming
smile)
“I Pass”
“Automobiles” (said
with glee).
He continues to guess
on...
M: “Oh...Chrysler?”
F: “Yes...Chrysler,
and Ford and General Motors and Rolls-Royce”
“Is your father on
the Board of Directors of all those companies?”
“Well...you might say
he runs things”.
…......................................................................................................
(If only people in real
life – social, business and otherwise - were as pure, charming and
decent as Hollywood characterisation in its yesteryear heyday. The
world would indeed be a better place).
For the fun of intrigue
itself, identify the film from the clues and character's
conversation, the actor and actress, and the vehicle itself, born from an overtly politically projected, complex, cross-continental 'entent--cordial' business model.
