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Early Films Featured Food

The Associated Press

Some 600,000 advertising, educational or industrial films were produced in the United States in the middle third of this century. Food, drink, nutrition and manners were important topics - whether the message was from the dairy industry to drink more milk, or from the meat industry that cooking good, meatfilled meals would win a girl the man of her dreams.

For example, in “Carving Magic,” a television technician named Joe impresses his wife and friends by - hold onto your hats - carving a turkey!

The 1959 film, sponsored by Swift and Co., may have been early inspiration for the director, Herschell Gordon Lewis, who went on to make movies that earned him the nickname “King of Gore.” Another helping of roast beef?