Summary

No Alternative

Source Archive Films by Getty Images
Title: No Alternative
File Number: DN-B-417 Beta SP
Color: B W
Type: Documentary
Year: 1944
Subjects: Aerials
Description: 01:00:37:00 B W 1944 Documentary short film examining the damage caused to the Allied war program by black marketeers who buy illegal gasoline. The reasons for fuel rationing are explained. Sd. Men playing poker, smokey room. Break for food. Men talk, one gives gas coupons to friend. Moralistic man intervenes, tears up coupons, quarrel starts. 01:01:53:00 B W 1944 'As a guy who's up to his neck in this war effort I've got every right.' 'Oh! Don't start waving the flag at me. I'm just as good an American as you are. I buy bonds, I give blood.' 'And steal gas, the blood of our war effort.' 01:02:11:00 B W 1944 Car pulling into gas station, sign, 'Sorry No Gas Today.' Hero leaves car and runs for bus. Men sit around table eating and drinking beer, listen to how war has effected production and use of crude oil. 01:03:03:00 B W 1944 Filling fuel tanks of military air- craft, pumps, aviation gas. Cuts to tanks, airplanes dropping bombs, AV. Crude oil also used in TNT, explosions, rubber tires. 01:03:30:00 B W 1944 Naval fleet, firing guns, merchant fleet, train. 01:03:43:00 B W 1944 HA factory floor tank production. 01:04:01:00 B W 1944 Hero shows his friends chart documenting crude oil production and consumption for 1941 and 1943. 'As the war increases its demands on crude for fuel oil, aviation gas and all the rest, the demand for more automotive gas grows right along with it, by farmers, war workers and buses...' Asks his friend where he thought his coupons came from, 'Most Black Markets are started by thieves who print counterfeit coupons or steal them from ration boards..' 01:05:28:00 B W 1944 Robbery, taking coupons from safe of Ration Board. Cuts to selling stolen coupons to crooked dealers, end result, honest people do without gas and rationing will get worse. 01:06:21:00 B W 1944 More pitfalls, Farmer's tractor stalls because of no gas, result, food shortage. 01:06:35:00 B W 1944 Trucking, shipping supplies, transportation. 01:06:44:00 B W 1944 Smoke stacks belching out smoke. Steam engines. Man gives lecture about personal responsibility to make rationing work. 02:07:25:00 B W 1944 'Our gasoline shortage is one of the most serious war problems we've got and don't let anybody kid you.' Conserving gas. All men in agreement so they get back to game, deal cards. The End. WWII-Homefront. Propaganda-US-Moralistic. Patriotism-US. Citizenship-US. Responsibility-Personal. Duty-National-Patriotic. Rations-Gas-Fuel. Conservation-Oil-Gas. Industry-War. Agriculture- Farmer. Station-Gas. Pollution-Industry-Smoke. Economy-War-Black Market. Criminals. Robbers. Safe-Robbed. Speech-Righteous. Argument-Moralistic-Righteous-Judgemental. Disagreement. Game-Card-Poker. Smoking-Cigarette. Alcohol-Beer. Humorless- Protagonist. Ends 01:08:25:00
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