POST MORTEM
Sign in to track this film in your collection or want list.
Year Published: 1966
Format: 16mm
Description: This film "Post Mortem" shows the often overlooked and sometimes dangerous side effects of over the counter medications such as cold medicine. It shows a narrative of a husband who dies in a car accident after ignoring the warning label on his cold medicine (which probably contained codeine, a mild opioid narcotic). It is a Cine Associates Production (:15). A mother anxiously watches a football game on the television as her children play on the floor (:30). The clock goes off signifying it is dinner time (1:17), although her husband still has not arrived home. The telephone rings (2:12) as the film turns to show the scene of a car wreck (2:17). Police search the scene (2:35). The husband; John Long, was killed instantly in the accident in November of 1966 (2:55). The body is loaded to be taken to the morgue (3:13) as an officer spots a bottle of red cold medicine pills in the center console (3:40). Scenes from the day before show John hunting for cold medicine in the pharmacy (3:55). At breakfast before work, John is still ill (4:33) though he decides to go to work anyway. John sets his medication down on a newspaper article warning consumers of the dangers of driving while taking certain medications (4:54). John nearly forgets to take his pills with him to work and his wife runs them to his car (5:36). He arrives at the Miller & Larry construction yard (5:53). As he scours around the job site the film notes this was an important job he hoped would lead him to bigger, better paying jobs (6:51). John crosses the bridge he crosses daily, for the last time (7:53). While he had a clean driving record and never drank and drove (8:17) he was unaware of the affects of his cold medicine (8:29). John pulls off to his last stop at a diner (8:58) where he takes another dose of medication (9:47). He phones his wife to inform her he’ll be home for dinner (10:11). As the sun sets and turns to night, John begins to get drowsy (11:00). He loses control of the vehicle and crashes (11:53) as the warning label on his medication is zoomed in on (11:58). Other over the counter medications with similar side effects are noted in a pharmacy including Pertussin (12:09), Biamydrin (12:19) and Excedrin (12:20). A traffic cop guides traffic around the accident (12:34) as the film delivers a warning about taking medications and operating vehicles or heavy machinery. The credit screen follows (12:55). The film was produced by Cine Associates Inc. (13:36).
Complete Record:
Transcription
so [Music] passer he just was coming in the right spot as the ball carrier hit in that hole he met him head on as you saw third down two to go [Applause] full hour directing the attack right now out of time a quickie right down the middle number 83 chet anderson of minnesota and anderson has to be stopped in the south secondary by frank horak of tech description and wayne grimble of alabama well there's another first down the last time you saw anderson catch a ball it was the same pattern [Music] [Music] john long age 35 married five feet eight 162 pounds occupation architect address 2678 spring drive at approximately 9 15 on november 21st 1966 struck a utility pole and died almost instantly perhaps you used to know him if you could see his face it might seem familiar to you but we could not show his face to anyone because he doesn't have one anymore how did the end of his story begin at a bar was he a victim of fatigue did his mind wander away for just a second was he a poor driver a bottle of red pills was found in the glove compartment of his car a simple drug you find in any drugstore oh [Music] the day before his last he bought a bottle of cold pills [Music] irrelevant fact [Music] it might seem so but the most important message in his life was close at hand so very close at hand but he missed it completely the next morning he still had his cold but he decided to go to work anyway the pills had given him considerable relief and he took two more that morning he did not read the newspaper but even if he had he probably would have overlooked the message [Music] john's wife was very thoughtful and she always took good care of him me [Music] when he forgot the pills that morning she remembered them she too had the message in her hands but failed to read it [Music] my [Music] everything was going fine at the building site [Music] the project was progressing as planned this building was important to him [Music] in fact it seemed like the most important thing in his life [Music] he dreamed of more buildings like this one day perhaps a bridge [Music] a bridge like this one every time he crossed it he felt a strong desire to build one john did not know that something else was more important in his life this very day than any bridge ever built than anything else something he completely ignored he did not know that because of an oversight he was crossing this bridge for the last time because of something that seemed trivial 9 000 americans die or suffer injuries on highways every day many because of ignorance because they missed a message or did not realize its importance in their lives john never drove recklessly he obeyed traffic signs speed limits he did not drive when he had been drinking but like thousands of others he didn't understand the powerful effects of a tiny pill [Music] on the last stop he was still unaware of danger but he had a chance to notice or perhaps the girl behind the counter if she knew she could warn him [Music] [Music] tomorrow he will become a statistic but he still thinks he will be home for dinner tonight [Music] hmm [Laughter] [Music] me [Music] caution do not drive or operate machinery while taking this medication five billion pills are consumed in the united states every year millions of people use them every day how many of them know that some common drugs extremely helpful in our fight with illness produce side effects such as the overwhelming desire to sleep hallucinations nausea dizziness hypertension blurred vision and so on [Music] take this message very seriously before it is too late this message can make the difference between whether you will or will not come home for dinner tonight so [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music] you
1 user has this film:
Periscope Film
No related films.
Original permalink · Record added: 2025-01-23 16:47:26