Summary

Driven to Kill

Source Archive Films by Getty Images
Title: Driven to Kill
File Number: PA-0839 Digibeta; PA-0255 Beta SP
Color: B W
Type: Educational Industrial
Year: 1948
Subjects: Safety
Description: Driven to Kill Narrator: Lowell Thomas. A Sound Masters Production Stresses the necessity for the average American driver to realize fully his responsibility when behind the wheel. Illustrates that violations of safe and sane driving rules produce fatal accidents. Ken Smith sez: This production features deputies from the Montana Highway Patrol and is narrated by Lowell Thomas, who we occasionally see sitting behind a big microphone, reading aloud from a script on the desk in front of him. "Hal Johnson" is a safety-conscious family man, an "average American," a "careful, considerate citizen" and a "backbone of the nation." "I like his attitude," Lowell tells us. Until, that is, Hal gets behind the wheel of a car. Then he becomes "a menace" and "a confirmed bumper-chaser" encased in "a hurtling shell of steel." "He doesn't seem to realize that at the speed he is traveling, his car has the same impact as if it were dropped from an eight-story building!" Lowell cries. Hal gets a thrill out of his driving, Lowell adds, but "that little thrill is going to be purchased dearly one day purchased at the price of torn, mutilated bodies and a tragic, heartbroken family!" Of course, about eight minutes into the film, that's exactly what happens. Winner of the 1948 "Safety Oscar" (theatrical division) from the National Committee on Films for Safety. Business Screen estimated that over 15 million people saw this melodramatic weeper in its first year of release. Watch for the sequence of sorrowful bad drivers: the pretty girl with the big facial scar and the people with missing limbs. "Don't let your car be driven to kill!" CHILDREN FATHERS AND SONS MS parents enter room - daughter sits at dining table with doll, who is also in chair - son is at right of frame, whittling. VO: (Lowell Thomas) But it s that growing boy that really keeps him hopping. Of course, you have to give a boy knives and tools, but you don t want him to cut an arm off. That knife is for fun, son, but you have to respect it. Always carve away from you. Dangerous unless used properly. MOMS DEPENDENT CU women s feet standing on chair, wobbling - man walks up, pan to show them both - he points to feet disapprovingly, she jumps down, they hug and kiss...(she smiles in pleasure) VO: (Lowell Thomas) And he s cautious about people getting hurt. Women will do the darndest things. A man has to lay down the law sometimes. (scratched) ACCIDENTS SURVIVORS VS accident survivors - CU woman with facial scar turns head - attractive blonde. Armless toddler bounces ball with one hand. CU hands reading Braille book. Nurse spoon feeding man in wheelchair. One-legged man climbing stairs aided by crutches. JECKYLL-HYDE MCU man in leather jacket walks in front of his car to driver s door, opens it, gets in. Pulls out as other car is passing, and it must swerve. He leans out of window to yell at other car. CU from behind front seat, showing him silhouetted against windshield with driving POV in FG. VO (Lowell Thomas): He s just, well, the average American citizen and family man. The kind that are the backbone of the nation. I admire him and like him. I like his attitude. Until, that is, he gets behind the wheel of an automobile. At that point he changes. Changes from a careful, considerate citizen into a menace. For some reason, when he has a ton and a half of moving steel driven by over a hundred horsepower responding to his touch, his consideration for other fellows disappears. INTRODUCTIONS LS big stone suburban house. Narrator (Lowell Thomas): This is the house that Harold Johnson built about ten years ago in Medford. MS Mom and Son squeezing oranges with juicer in kitchen. Narrator: It s just like thousands of other suburban houses. But it s home, and a happy one to Ellen Johnson and Harold junior. LS father shaving - daughter runs down hall towards him, away from woman. Narrator: And little Barbara Ann. And Harold Johnson, and the lord and master. CU Harold touching up face with razor. Narrator: It doesn t just happen to be a happy home. It s that way because Harold, like the average American parent, works hard to keep it so. He s careful about the health of his children...(film shifts) CRASHES Hal Johnson (bad driver) and wife leave party and drive home. They are happy. He begins to drive fast and tries to pass a truck on a curve. Headlights approach in the left lane. Their frightened faces seen through the windshield, Hal & wife try to turn out of the way but cannot. The other swerves off the road. Hal stops and runs back to the other side and pulls body out. State police respond and work with balnketed figure lying on ground. CU Hal looking at dead body in shock. VO (Lowell Thom.): Harold and Helen Johnson had been to the home of friends for dinner. They played a few hands of bridge afterwards. They left for home about 9:30. No, there wasn t any drinking, just a few Cokes. And it was still early, nobody felt tired. There wasn t any hurry, either there was a sitter at home with the children. Harold knew the road like a book, and just from force of habit, he soon had the car rolling. They didn t think anything about it, they felt just as safe in that hurtling shell of steel as they had in their friends living room. The family car is such a familiar thing. Just outside Medford they overtook a truck. There s a long curve in the road there, but Hal figured on passing him in a matter of seconds. He pulled out, started to pass. Then, suddenly, from around the curve, there were headlights in the windshield. Hal couldn t get back. The oncoming driver couldn t avoid the crash. [Huge crash SFX Ellen screams] It was over so quickly, in a flash. Hal ran back. He got the innocent driver, the victim, out of the wreck, still breathing. The other cars stopped, and the people came. The State Police patrol. They were very calm and efficient. They took care of everything. And there wasn t anything for Hal to do except stand and wonder about the still figure under the blanket. Did he maybe have a home, a wife, and two kids? And Hal prayed that he would live and be well again. Then- State Policeman: I didn t think the ambulance will do any good now. [CU Ellen sobs into cop s shoulder] Another cop (to Harold): You ll have to come with me, mister. Hal follows cop. Fade to black. WEAPONS (SHOTGUNS) MS man raising rifle, taking a shot LS his two buddies enter frame, walk towards camera LS they approach fence VS the three of them empty the chambers of rifles VO (Lowell Thomas): Don t think that being a careful family man and a conscientious citizen keeps Hal from having a good time. He s a crack shot, you know. Never fails to bring down his quota in season. And in keeping with his usual attitude towards things, his hunting manners are very good. His gun is always aimed where somebody isn t. Where there s a chance of misfire, he eliminates that chance. A shotgun can be dangerous and to enjoy it, and live, you ll have to respect it.
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