Goodbye, Mr. Germ

Features actor (and sometime director) James Kirkland, this short film apparently predates the TB vaccine, or at least its widespread use. Kirkland is the doctor (or scientist) father of two youngsters. His lab consists of various different animals and pets. He imagines inventing a radio that can hear germs speak, and that he can understand their language. Most of the film features Kirkland talking to a animated tuberculosis germ (he views through his microscope) as they discuss how TB is transfered from one person to another, how the body fights it, and how it can live dormant for years in a person's body waiting for a moment of physical weakness that allows it to escape. TB causes one to cough until eventually it ruptures blood vessels such that the discharge contains blood. Kirkland then tells the germ that they've been able to discover "him" in the body now, which is then verified with an X-ray.

MS young boy and girl looking out a window whisper to each other
MS young boy and girl looking out a window POV from behind them
MS parrot squawks
MS boy and girl walk over to their father to talk to him. father is smoking a pipe and reading a book in a chair
MS picture of the germ that causes tuberculosis
MS father explains the personality of the germ
MS father tells bird to be quiet
MS father (head shot) wondering about germ while daughter listens on
MS cat walks across laboratory desk as DOG barks up at it
MS bird squawks in the cage
MS rabbit in a castle with a carrot fence around it
MS rats crawl up on each other
MS owner comes home
MS owner feeds monkey a banana and rabbit a carrot
MS owner takes off jacket and puts on lab coat
MS monkey looks at camera
MS owner takes monkey down onto his shoulder
MS DOG barks
MS Owner places monkey on table
MS parrot swings in cage
MS monkey looks around on floor
MS professor talks about the germs he’s learned about
MS DOG barks on the floor
CS professor turns dial on machine
MS professor tells everyone to be quiet and puts on eye patch
CS spinning spiral on machine
CS flashing nodes on machine
MS professor looks into microscope
microscope POV - nothing in view
MS professor turns microscope to focus
microscope POV - birds eye view of animated TB germ
microscope POV - animated TB germ looks up as a microphone is handed down to him
MS TB germ grabs microphone and says hello to the professor
MS professor looks into microscope and asks TB germ to tell us about him
MS TB germ complies
MS TB germ talks about himself
MS professor talks into microphone to the TB germ
MS aunt Matilda coughing
MS aunt Matilda and baby nephew eating at a table
MS head shot of baby nephew Edgar
MS aunt Matilda feeds baby nephew Edgar
MS aunt Matilda blows on spoonful of food to make sure it isn’t hot and tastes a little of it
CS spoons with food
CU animated TB steps out of spoon of food
MS baby nephew Edgar eats the spoonful of germed food
MS animated picture of Edgar’s lungs
MS TB sliding through lungs/ body of Edgar
text: “Lungland” Lots and Lots for Sale
MS TB swims and lands and stands inside the body of Edgar
MS professor asks what happened next?
MS animated stills of Edgar’s lungs
MS TB germ creates a germ family. TB stands and smiles as little germ kids march by.
MS germs peek out of lung and continue to come out
MS professor smiles and looks through microscope
MS animated TB replies through the microphone
MS animated germs dance inside Edgar’s body to produce warmth
MS germs bottled up in cell
MS professor talking above microscope
MS professor pointing to a diagram in book
MS professor closes book and speaks again
MS TB talking into microphone
MS sleeping germs, one germ wakes up
MS grown up Edgar
MS Edgar with girlfriend
MS Edgar eating
MS Edgar going to sleep
MS germs multiplying
MS Edgar eating with girlfriend eating outside
MS germs swimming inside body
MS germ pokes hole in vein and blood squirts out
MS Edgar coughing up up some blood
MS Edgar at a sanitarium
MS Edgar sitting outside drinking milk
MS professor speaks above microscope
MS germ TB speaks
MS professor listens and responds
MS Edgar puts paper cup into bag
MS bag is taken to get burned
MS male in laboratory doing research
MS man making a culture
MS professor talks above microscope
MS TB germ talks into microphone
MS professor talks above microscope
MS TB germ talks into microphone
MS professor talks above microscope
MS TB germ talks into microphone
MS doctor giving a boy a skin TB test
MS TB germ talks into microphone
MS doctor talks to boy and father about test
MS professor talks above microscope
MS TB germ talks into microphone
MS professor talks above microscope
MS TB germ talks into microphone
MS professor points at and explains an x-ray
MS TB germ talks into microphone
MS monkey looks around
MS bird looks around
MS DOG looks around
MS TB germ talks into microphone
MS professor talks above microscope
MS TB germ talks into microphone and falls over
MS TB germ talks into microphone
MS professor in chair talking to children
MS mother brings in a drink for the three of them