University of Washington Communications School Class Projects and Newsreels, approximately 1930-1969

The only known existing film record of Professor Vernon McKenzie, a specialist in Propaganda and Psychological Warfare in the Department of Communications at the University of Washington. Contains an example of Russian propaganda, in the form of a film "Die Sovjetonia ist Militarische Vorbild" (The Soviet Union is a Military Idea), smuggled out of East Germany in 1953 by Prof. McKenzie. Overdubbed in English, Kinescope. Translated by German exchange student and performed by Radio and Television students. Film shows up to Stalin's death but ends at the point he fell out of favor.

A class project in the style of an educational program about the different parts of a sailboat. Includes an Army recruitment ad.

Spoof on the popular television show This is Your Life, hosted by Ralph Edwards. Includes real commercials spliced into class project [KCTS Channel 9 Educational TV, Texaco]. Interviewer, "Ralph Egbert" (parody of original show host), does a series of interviews with "Marlon Mitchum" (parody of Marlon Brando and Robert Mitchum). Spoof commercial for "Ffft Deodorant." Egbert presents the story of Mitchum's life, relaying the details of how he has been known as a kind and sensitive man while Mitchum interrupts him argumentatively. Appearances by childhood friends and colleagues include "Thelonius Machine" (perhaps a parody of Allen Ginsberg), "Silvia Flame" (a parody of fashion models), and "King Visor" (parody of film director King Vidor). Show ends with Mitchum angrily walking off the set.

Spoof of travel shows. The introduction shows a sign of cut-out letters spelling "Rendezvous" held in front of dented, hand-spun globe. Woman with thick Italian accent sits in a café in Italy. She reads aloud a travel manual with "Dos and Don't's." She is appalled at the stereotypes and misinformation, and wishes to meet the American travel agent who wrote it. A dream sequence of spinning paper with wiggly line brings her to America. She talks with a man standing in front of a small cherry tree in front of painted backdrop of the wilderness. She laments that Americans care for the big, and not beautiful. Images of an Italian canal, cathedral and stone village are edited in while she describes their qualities. They discuss different discrepancies in stereotypes between Americans and Italians. A young boy brings her a guitar, and she sings Italian songs. She finds out that he is the American travel agent that wrote the travel manual. Same dream sequence, and she is back in the café in Italy.

Class projects from a Milo Ryan Communications course.

Three class projects, including an extended advertisement for Pope and Shaw Chocolates; Playhouse 15 featuring scenes from Thornton Wilder's play, Our Town; and Pantomime Party, a charades-style game show.

Class projects from a Milo Ryan Communications course.

A classroom project about Mark Twain.

Communications 461 class final projects.

Communications 461 final project.

A class project in the style of a newscast.

Communications 461 Class Finals, Monday group.

Views of car races. Two men looking at a race car and discussing an engine.

Two sailors talking in a bar. Underwater footage, diving scenes, fight with octopus. A scene with a girl holding goggles in front of her face. Two men in a bar stab each other.

Communications 461 class final projects.

A class project about Edgar Allan Poe.

United University Scholarship Drive. Series of scenes acted out.

Class projects from a Milo Ryan Communications course.

A class final project. A person plays guitar and sings political folk songs about MacArthur, Kennedy, the World's Fair and the Space Needle. A satirical commercial for Jiffy Instant Cake Mix with a man standing in front of a picture of the Grand Coulee Dam, sticking his finger over the spillway while holding a bowl of cake mix.

Milo Ryan's class production about the American West and Frederic Remington.

A classroom project about The Old Testament, from Genesis through Exodus.