The Studebaker Story

Someone invents the wheel, and then we're in South Bend Indiana in 1853, where two of the Studebaker Brothers are making covered wagons under a sign given them by their father: "Always give more than you promise." Soon they are joined by their brother, Donald Woods, and the progress towards1953, and Russell Hicks being the chairman of the company begins.

It's the sort of top-grade industrial film that major corporations could afford in the 1950s. Indeed, they were a necessity, to show the prosperity of the company. That's why it was turned out by Columbia's Screen Gems shorts department, with a decent director in Seymour Friedman, and.performers like John Hamilton, and Harry Carey Jr.

A history of the Studebaker Corporation, issued in 1953 along with several other short films, this helped to celebrate the company's 100 years in business. Credited as a Screen Gems production, one can see the house used in the Hazel TV series used as a backdrop for the "new" 1953 model Studebaker shown at the end of the film. The Technicolor print is faded and scratched, as the existing print was found at the old Studebaker plant back in the 80s. Copies of this and other interesting Studebaker films can be purchased through the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana. These Studebaker films are hokey, nostalgic, and a lot of fun. A friend of mine once said if this company had put more money into modernizing their product and less into films like this, they might have survived a bit longer!