Electrifying the farm
•Warnock family starred in filmBy KATIE MATZ
Article Photos
Although the 1940s were dominated by World War II, original Slinky's were flopping down steps, refrigerators had been invented, and Tupperware was helping to ease housewives' kitchen burdens. Cities were bustling with new businesses, which ultimately meant new employment, and the American farmer's work load was finally cut drastically with the help of electricity.
But up until 1940, however, 90 percent of all American farms operated without electricity. This made their days strenuous and their work by kerosene lanterns tedious.
Electric companies remained privately owned until the mid-thirties and refused to serve the rural market because it was not profitable enough. In response, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a contract in 1935 creating the Rural Electrification Administration (REA), which would finally bring the convenience and stability of electrical sources to American farmers.
Urging farmers to become aware of this new policy, the REA asked Pare Lorentz, the head of the United States Film Service, to make a film about the availability of electricity in rural America.
Directed by Joris Ivens, Dutch filmmaker, the nearly 45 minute movie was to show the many advantages electricity would bring to farmers. When the time came to select a farm, Ivens chose the Parkinson family, which included parents Bill and Hazel and children Dan, Jake, Tom, Frank (who is better known in the film as Bip) and Ruth, from Warnock.
"My grandmother had to convince my grandfather to do the film," said John Parkinson, grandson of Bill and Hazel. "It showed farm life, and it was basically a before, during and after showing of a farm having electricity."
The movie, titled "Power and the Land," made its first premiere at the Old Trail Theater in St. Clairsville on Aug. 31, 1940.
The rest is history.
"It was shown around the country in several towns to four to six million farmers," said Dr. Ephraim K. Smith, professor of history at California State University and independent film producer. "It was a very effective piece of advertising, but what was remarkable was how well it was done."
"I imagine it had quite a positive impact at that time, and the REA is still in existence," (John) Parkinson said.
Nearly seven decades later, the original Parkinson family, though now all deceased, will make their second appearance on public television WOUB on July 8 at 10 p.m. in a documentary about the making of "Power and the Land" produced by Smith and narrated by Walter Cronkite, broadcast journalist who anchored CBS Evening News from 1962-1981.
Smith credits "Power and the Land" as one of his favorite movies, as he has shown it to countless students in many of his classes and believes this film "helped electrify the American farm."
With his enthusiasm in the film, he decided, through working with Heritage Productions as well as Detroit Public Television, to produce "Power for the Parkinsons," in which the Parkinson family again makes an appearance, along with several relatives and friends.
"This is my sixth documentary, and I just fell in love with the film when I was teaching film history," Smith said.
He said every time he would show "Power and the Land" to his classes, he would wonder what ever became of the Parkinsons.
"About eight years ago I had this itch, so I stopped by St. Clairsville to see if the farm was there," Smith said. "One thing led to another, and I began working on a documentary."
The documentary, which has already been shown in Detroit and Indianapolis, among several other cities, will soon make its premiere in West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
"I want people to feel good about this country," Smith said. "I'm not sure what will happen with this documentary since there's no sex, no violence and no profanity, but I just thought people would enjoy to look back in time."
Smith said it's hard to imagine life without electricity since it seems like a "disaster when it happens to us now."
After filming the documentary, "Power for the Parkinsons," Smith decided to produce yet another companion DVD called "The Parkinsons." This tells the remarkable story of life for the Parkinsons after 1940 and what became of Bill, Hazel, Dan, Jake, Tom, Bip and Ruth.
Also narrated by Cronkite, this DVD is available for purchase on the Web site, www.powerforparkinsons.com.
"I would give a great deal of money to be back in 1940 and walk through that farm," Smith said. "I think these documentaries are more than just films about rural electrification, and I hope people will see it not just as an Ohio story."
Additional photos appear on page C-1.
Matz may be reached at kmatz@timesleaderonline.com
