“BEHIND THE SHADOWS” 1920s AMERICAN TUBERCULOSIS ASSOCIATION SILENT SHORT FILM XD21764

Want to support this channel and help us preserve old films? Visit Visit our website This late 1920s or early 1930s silent black and white short directed by Leo Lipp for the National Tuberculosis Association (founded as the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis, now the American Lung Association) dramatises the life of a young man infected with TB by a careless aunt to emphasize the need for testing those with symptoms of the disease (TRT 10:25). An opening title card: “Tuberculosis-- Destroyer ancient as man-- yet at last we know enough about it to root it out” (0:08). A physician sits at an office desk surrounded by five young men and women. Behind him is an X-ray photograph showing lungs and a ribcage (0:17). Intertitles: “Tuberculosis is caused by a living germ.” A splice. A still image of microphotography enlarged to poster size. A pointer indicates a TB germ (0:30). “The germs get into the body in various ways.” A