Bacteria — Friend or Foe?. I’d say, after watching this film, mostly friend, but there are a few that are impossible to get along with. This 50s educational film about the basics of bacteriology is made a lot more fun by three things. The first is Ted, a guy who has a job as a lab assistant despite knowing absolutely nothing about bacteria. His coworker Frank has to explain everything to him, and even then, he is easily overwhelmed, so much so that the narrator has to talk for him most of the time. The second is the geeky illustrations and animations of various kinds of bacteria, including a totally awesome petri dish chart that I simply must have for the Film Ephemera Museum of Quirky Devices. The third is the film’s attempt to have actors play Famous Bacteriologist from History, such as Leeuwenhoek, Pasteur and Koch. The actors try hard, but their silent performances invite msting, especially Leeuwenhoek. These three fun elements keep the film from being overly dry, which is good, because bacteria can’t flourish that way.
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
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