Public Speaking, Movement and Gesture (Highlights) – 1940s

This film is pure nostalgia and great fun! Great for training in the office as an ice-breaker (Oh, the things we had to do in the days before powerpoint!

This early Coronet film takes us through the basics of effective public speaking, with its focus on body posture and gestures. There is some very funny footage here; especially in the scene demonstrating how not to make gestures when speaking (what a forensic geek this dude is!).

The final “live” speech is great in that it is about nuclear energy! The speaker’s motions are so calculated (albeit exaggerated for example), they are counter-productive to the film’s lesson and ultimately distract from what the speaker is trying to say.

Great film. See the complete original print of this film for auction on ebay through 10/23!

Note: The following clip was taken directly from the original 16mm print and has been edited to approximately half the film’s original length.

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