I think this is the first one of these shorts I've seen that's considered an 'Underground Film'. It was listed as such in the picture's opening frames, so I'm wondering if it was part of some kind of series, as opposed to a more generic use of the term. One might have considered the topic an underground subject almost sixty years ago, but watching today, it seemed like a fairly even handed depiction of patients in a mental hospital. The picture was produced by the Oklahoma State Department of Health, and the size and scope of the treatment facility depicted was fairly impressive, considering how far we've come since then.
The story focuses in on a single patient, his name sounding something like Fred Clanton (I see no credits posted for this film short). As the story opens, we get Fred's voice over narration exhibiting his paranoia upon entering treatment, but thereafter another narrator takes over to describe what every new patient goes through. All are initially bathed upon entering, with blood and spinal fluid samples taken, followed by diagnosis and staff assignments for the patients. Treatment is prescribed based on the severity of cases in an environment that's meant to be therapeutic and non-stressful. As patients improve, they're moved to other parts of the facility, marking progress as they interact and work with other patients of similar circumstance. Depending on the progress of their treatment and effectiveness of prescribed medications, patients eventually release to the outside world where they can now relate rationally to their spouses, families and friends.
Overall, the picture took a positive approach in it's portrayal of mental illness. With it's title of the same name, one's initial reaction might be to expect something of an exploitative nature like a lot of those 'educational' films of the era. But this one appeared genuinely informative, and an unexpected insight into how far treatment for mental illness had advanced six decades ago.
The story focuses in on a single patient, his name sounding something like Fred Clanton (I see no credits posted for this film short). As the story opens, we get Fred's voice over narration exhibiting his paranoia upon entering treatment, but thereafter another narrator takes over to describe what every new patient goes through. All are initially bathed upon entering, with blood and spinal fluid samples taken, followed by diagnosis and staff assignments for the patients. Treatment is prescribed based on the severity of cases in an environment that's meant to be therapeutic and non-stressful. As patients improve, they're moved to other parts of the facility, marking progress as they interact and work with other patients of similar circumstance. Depending on the progress of their treatment and effectiveness of prescribed medications, patients eventually release to the outside world where they can now relate rationally to their spouses, families and friends.
Overall, the picture took a positive approach in it's portrayal of mental illness. With it's title of the same name, one's initial reaction might be to expect something of an exploitative nature like a lot of those 'educational' films of the era. But this one appeared genuinely informative, and an unexpected insight into how far treatment for mental illness had advanced six decades ago.