Master Hands (1936) User Reviews

Well made but not all that interesting for the average person.

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 9 July 2011]

This film was included in the three DVD set "Saved From the Flames"--a collection of mostly ephemeral movies that have managed to avoid turning to powder, catching fire or melting--something that usually happened with the nitrate film stock used up through the 1950s.

Apparently "Master Hands" was made for a stockholder meeting by Chevrolet and sings the praises of the modern industrial age and those who work with their hands (particularly machinists). However, interestingly, the film is made without narration--just lots of clips all elegantly strung together with a gorgeous sound track. It's almost like an art film in a way--exceptionally well done but also something the average person would be bored to tears to watch. And because it goes on for more than half an hour, I wouldn't recommend it...but I can respect it.

Some Things Never Change

[miaklk · 7/10 · 22 May 2008]

After watching the short film, "Masters Hands" that was made in 1936, I immediately think of a famous quote stated by Jack Valenti, special assistant to President Lyndon Johnson. "I think politicians and movie actors and movie executives are similar in more ways than they're different. There is an egocentric quality about both; there is a very sensitive awareness of the public attitude, because you live or die on public favor or disfavor. There is the desire for publicity and for acclaim, because, again, that's part of your life… And in a strange and bizarre way, when movie actors come to Washington, they're absolutely fascinated by the politicians. And when the politicians go to Hollywood, they're absolutely fascinated by the movie stars. It's a kind of reciprocity of affection by people who both recognize in a sense they're in the same racket."

It is interesting to reflect on how the way in which we see reality today has changed so rapidly before our very eyes. It is as if all we see anymore is a blur of media outlets, a canvas of technological imagery so complex that we fail to recognize how it has transformed itself, in such a short period of time, before our very eyes. It is like seeing light, but not seeing the many individual rays make up that light.

After watching "Masters Hands", I am moved by how differently we used to perceive films in the past in comparison to today. "Masters Hands" uses dramatic music so much so, that at times, I felt the music was almost haunting. However, I eventually came to an understanding that the dramatic music stimulated a sense of a mystery within my mind, into a world worked by humans, but ran by machines. The dark still-images of the film made the machinery world seem almost alien, as fire sliced the scenery perhaps reminding the audience of the forceful fiery and driving force that this new invention would take in the future.

And similarly to the quote above, I contemplate how people today are affected by different forms of reality and how politicians can use it as a tool to fulfill a purpose or specific desire. Unearthing the ongoing head-to-head Democratic race for the Presidency between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, I ponder how politicians can utilize techniques found in the film "Masters Hands" for their benefit.

For example, in this video endorsed by Barack Obama, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY we see use of an intense array of imagery, music, and captions fueled by the support of young celebrities. It is as if this video could be played on MTV at any moment, specifically geared to younger folks, moving at a very fast pace, fast enough to keep their attention and stimulate their interests and desires through things they are used to seeing.

On the other hand, in this video endorsed by Hillary Clinton, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wNvvuG309s, we see still-images, dramatic repetitive music, and slow moving scenery that gives the audience enough time to think about what they just saw. It is also important to notice that many of the still-images are filled with older folks.

Could we assume that because Hillary's video seemed to be more directed to older folks, that use of more ancient technological stimulations similar to the way that more historic forms of media such as Masters Hands were once presented to the public would effect older generations used to that kind of technology far better than the MTV-like, fast-paced, highly technological video that the Obama campaign produced? Maybe, maybe not. But the idea does not seem so far-fetched.

Resources

Jack Valenti, special assistant to President Lyndon Johnson, interview on National Public Radio, December 13, 1974. This excerpt was printed in The Washingtonian, March 1975, p. 162.

You Tube. Barack Obama. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY

You Tube. Hillary Clinton. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wNvvuG309s

Master Hands is a very interesting look at car manufacturing in the '30s

[tavm · 10/10 · 2 August 2009]

Just watched this documentary short for Chevrolet, produced by The Jam Handy Organization on the DVD collection called "Saved from the Flames". With little narration or text, we see the auto workers as they go about their business of making cars from beginning to end as accompanied by a symphonic composition written by one Samuel Benavie and performed by the Detroit Philharmonic Orchestra. Nice cinematography by Gordon Avil and perfect editing by Vincent Herman. The whole thing combines to make a pretty entertaining look at how cars got their look during the '30s. It's no wonder the National Film Preservation Board here in the United States gave it the National Film Registry in 1999. So on that note, I recommend Master Hands to anyone interested in this kind of thing.

Master Hands Review

[hjpuente1 · 10/10 · 25 May 2008]

Perceptions and the control of them has been an important part of society. To control the perception one has about any given topic can prove to be very advantageous for the controller. The car industry has been at the forefront of controlling an image and fostering the image to fuel the big business it is today. The movie, Master Hands, is a great example of a company attempting to change a mind frame.

The main focus of the movie is in the workers and their importance, which can be seen from the onset of the movie. It opens up with very grand music, setting the mood of the film. The workers are setting up their machinery meticulously making the little things look very big. Throughout the movie you see a constant glorification of the process of car building, more especially in the hand-offs that create it. It is important to understand that this movie was created to influence the minds of people to be more sympathetic to workers and more personally engaged in the encompassing greatness of the automobile.

The movie is centered on the manufacturing process with a great deal of emphasis on the hard labor involved made more dramatic by the scenes that show in detail the skills found in the hands of the workers who through their skill are able to achieve the creation of these machines. Surrounded by evil scary music, the watcher is shown the brute force needed to carry out the mission of building a car. The scenes are sequential so that the viewer is carried through the process and can see how through much dedication and hard work, the pieces of the puzzle start to fit so that together they can become the final creation. Organization is shown to be very important, as the newly made parts are moved into place, the better to suit the workers. Along with the organization needed there is an emphasis on teamwork during the process. The workers seem to work with little protection though the environment seems tough.

Anticipation along with imagery is a key factor in Master Hands. Though the movie makes no use of words, the music played along with the power of each scene is sufficient to sustain the viewer's attention. The audience is captivated by the crudeness of the process as well as by the resilience of mankind which allows him to create such greatness in the midst of such harsh conditions. The workers are given the power over the means of production and therefore they are essential to the creation of the automobiles. As each scene evolves into the next, the anticipation grows and with it the need to see a final product that merits such strenuous work.

Ultimately this movie is propaganda. Its goal is to control and influence the perception people have of the auto industry. The movie makes the worker grand, with the perfect balance of power and grace because to do so is an invitation to the viewer to participate in the excitement, the exhilaration, and the emotional involvement that are elemental to the auto industry.

A Slice of Americana

[gavin6942 · 8/10 · 25 April 2016]

"Master Hands" is a 1936 sponsored documentary film short which shows what work is like in a Chevrolet automobile factory. Credits include original music by Samuel Benavie, cinematography by Gordon Avil, and film editing by Vincent Herman. It was produced by the Jam Handy Organization, a pioneer in industrial film production.

Although this was originally a film that Chevrolet paid Jam Handy to produce, it now has a wider purpose than whatever it was intended for originally. We have a nice view of the American labor movement in the 1930s, particularly in the auto industry. Whether Chevrolet or Ford or anywhere else makes no difference, this really captures what it was like to work in such a place at the time... before the robots took over.