Sponsored Films

The House in the Middle (1954)
Sponsors: National Paint, Varnish, and Lacquer Association; National Clean Up–Paint Up–Fix Up Bureau; Federal Civil Defense Administration. Production Co.: Robert J. Enders Inc. Transfer Note: Scanned from a 16mm print held by the Library of Congress. Running Time: 12 minutes.

Civil defense film promoting the well-maintained house as part of America’s line of defense against nuclear attack. Cosponsored by the paint and coating industry’s national trade association and the federal government, The House in the Middle uses footage shot at the Nevada Proving Ground (now the Nevada Test Site) to demonstrate how a clean, freshly painted house has the survival edge in the event of a nuclear blast.

Note: Released in 16mm Kodachrome and in black and white. Abridged version for television broadcast. Selected for the National Film Registry.

Resources
“Business Sponsors Two Films to Aid Civil Defense Program,” Business Screen 15, no. 5 (1954): 18.