UPDATE: Barry worked with Periscope Films to get a higher quality version of the film and preservation of the original film. Read more here: https://www.farmjeep.com/revolution-in-farming/
Originally published July 04, 2020: This film, Revolution in Pleasantville, is from 1948 and presented by the Newgren Company and the Monroe Auto Equipment Company. There’s some great vintage footage in it! Thanks to Barry and to Clint Dixon for doing the research to locate this and provide context for the “Revolution” campaign!
At around the 5:52 point in the video watch as two jeeps roll out of the factory. Then, the camera angle switches and three dark colored jeeps roll past the camera, as if they were rolling right out of the Willys-Overland factory also. However, the first two are ‘lefties’, while the third has a standard setup.
In this still shot from the video you can see a CJ-2A with a Worman hardtop in the window of the dealership.
I have a copy of this. It’s very cool
To see.
They screened this video at the Spring Willys Reunion in Aurora, Ohio in May 2019 (its 21st century premier?). It was very enjoyable to watch, and apparently a huge effort to acquire – I think a trip to France was required, if I recall the story correctly.
Not quite a trip to France, but the services of Google translate were required. It was found in a film shop in Paris. Long wait on copyright review – over a year. Had planned to release it last summer. It is, I think, an important film because it is really an infomercial. It shows how to use the Monroe lift and how to plow with the Jeep.
Then there is the appearance of a number of “lefties” (spare on the driver’s side) that were produced for a short period in the spring of 1948. Lots of other interesting items that we will be writing about, including the Monroe test farm in GA.
Barry: I was surprised at how much of an infomercial it was! Great work on this!