Sponsored Films

Industry on Parade, Ep. 459: “Keep it Clean” (1959)
Sponsor: National Association of Manufacturers. Production Co.: Arthur Lodge Productions. Transfer Note: Scanned from a 16mm print held by the Library of Congress. Running Time: 13 minutes.

The Industry on Parade series portrayed the nation’s industrial sector during the 1950s. The films strove for a broad representation of American enterprises and even included profiles of mom-and-pop operations. This episode touts America as the most hygienic nation. It ranges from the dry-cleaning industry to soap and vacuum cleaner manufacturing.

Note: Industry on Parade was a key component of a public relations campaign to promote the benefits of free enterprise. The series was produced by NBC until 1953, when it moved to Arthur Lodge Productions. The National Association of Manufacturers supplied episodes at no charge to television stations, which often aired them through the sponsorship of local businesses. The NAM also loaned episodes at no charge to schools and community groups. The series won a Peabody Award in 1954 for television national public service.

Resources
“National Association of Manufacturers TV Newsreel Gets Widespread Showings,” Business Screen 13, no. 3 (1952): 64; Elizabeth A. Fones-Wolf, Selling Free Enterprise: The Business Assault on Labor and Liberalism, 1945–60 (Urbana and Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1994), 52; Wendy Shay and Susan B. Strange, “Guide to the Industry on Parade Film Collection” (2001), National Museum of American History.