THE PILLSBURY MAN AND HIS REACH FOR GREATNESS

Year Published: 1950s

Description: “The Pillsbury Man and His Reach for Greatness” (late-1950s) is a color promotional film for the Pillsbury Company, a US-based company that was one of the world's largest cake manufacturers and producers of grain and other foodstuffs. This film specifically highlights the means of producing Pillsbury’s famous boxed cake mixes, from the harvesting of wheat to careful testing of the product by professional home economists in one of the six modern test kitchens at Ann Pillsbury Home Service Center. The film also highlights the modern, automated technology that allows for streamline production and distribution of products, such as the IBM 026 keypunch keyboard. Pillsbury Company was founded in 1869 by Charles Alfred Pillsbury and his uncle John S. Pillsbury. Pillsbury once claimed to have the largest grain mill in the world at the Pillsbury A-Mill overlooking Saint Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. By the 1950s the brand was popular across the United States, having introduced a national baking competition, which came to be known as the Pillsbury Bake-Off that was broadcasted on CBS. The film makes numerous reference to Paul S. Jerue, who was an executive at Pillsbury during the mid-20th century. He held various leadership roles within the company, particularly in the sales and marketing divisions, and was influential in Pillsbury's expansion and brand development during that time Film opens, golden wheat stalks sway in wind (0:10). Red combine harvester drives through wheat field (0:12). Agricultural laborers harvest plants by hand in field (0:22). Farmer collects harvested sugar cane on ox-pulled cart (0:28). Steam locomotive makes its way across lush green landscape, transports natural resources (0:35). Metropolitan Bank Building, Minneapolis (c.1918) (0:48). Pillsbury salesman pulls up to supermarket in perhaps 1955 Buick Special (0:57). Employee holds handful of milled grain in palm for camera, worker oversees 48 flour grinding machines (added to mill as part of 1937 expansion) (1:14). Exterior of a what appears to be Pillsbury “A” Mill in Minneapolis, Minnesota (1:17). Modernized control board with various switches and buttons to coordinate packaging, production of different ingredients (1:22). Shot of employee’s hand filling box cake mix with batter mixture one-by-one (1:43). Other consumer goods packaged on automated assembly line, shot of exterior of Pillsbury cake mix box c. 1955 (1:50). Factory employee operates fork lift in storeroom piled high with bags of flour (2:04). Exterior, Pillsbury Research & Development Laboratories (2:17). Various labs and lab experiments, food scientists bake cake mixes to find areas for improvement (2:24). The Ann Pillsbury Home Service Center reception area (3:03). Six modern test kitchens at Ann Pillsbury Home Service Center, one features 1950s GE electric wall oven; Professional home economists test various recipes (3:10). Use of what appears to be model of 60s-era teletype printer (3:50). Pillsbury service center: Employees sitting at various desks transport signed order slips to various offices around building (4:05). Woman uses IBM 026 keypunch keyboard to process data from the sales order (4:37). Closeup shot ticker tape machine (4:48). Boxes of Pillsbury hot roll mix roll off of assembly line (5:00). Advertising meeting between Pillsbury execs and Ray Mithun, president, Mithun Agency (5:21). Other marketing materials for other Mithun clients: Poster for Hamm's Beer, The Kroger Co. (6:05). Leo Burnett, president of Leo Burnett Worldwide advertising agency, overlooks work of writers, account executives in charge of Pillsbury account (Advertising company Leo Burnett would go on to create iconic Pillsbury's Doughboy in 1965) (6:14). Return to salesman walking up to supermarket (6:53). Closing credits play over shot of Metropolitan Bank Building (7:15). Film ends (7:22).

Complete Record: “The Pillsbury Man and His Reach for Greatness” (late-1950s) is a color promotional film for the Pillsbury Company, a US-based company that was one of the world's largest cake manufacturers and producers of grain and other foodstuffs. This film specifically highlights the means of producing Pillsbury’s famous boxed cake mixes, from the harvesting of wheat to careful testing of the product by professional home economists in one of the six modern test kitchens at Ann Pillsbury Home Service Center. The film also highlights the modern, automated technology that allows for streamline production and distribution of products, such as the IBM 026 keypunch keyboard. Pillsbury Company was founded in 1869 by Charles Alfred Pillsbury and his uncle John S. Pillsbury. Pillsbury once claimed to have the largest grain mill in the world at the Pillsbury A-Mill overlooking Saint Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. By the 1950s the brand was popular across the United States, having introduced a national baking competition, which came to be known as the Pillsbury Bake-Off that was broadcasted on CBS. The film makes numerous reference to Paul S. Jerue, who was an executive at Pillsbury during the mid-20th century. He held various leadership roles within the company, particularly in the sales and marketing divisions, and was influential in Pillsbury's expansion and brand development during that time Film opens, golden wheat stalks sway in wind (0:10). Red combine harvester drives through wheat field (0:12). Agricultural laborers harvest plants by hand in field (0:22). Farmer collects harvested sugar cane on ox-pulled cart (0:28). Steam locomotive makes its way across lush green landscape, transports natural resources (0:35). Metropolitan Bank Building, Minneapolis (c.1918) (0:48). Pillsbury salesman pulls up to supermarket in perhaps 1955 Buick Special (0:57). Employee holds handful of milled grain in palm for camera, worker oversees 48 flour grinding machines (added to mill as part of 1937 expansion) (1:14). Exterior of a what appears to be Pillsbury “A” Mill in Minneapolis, Minnesota (1:17). Modernized control board with various switches and buttons to coordinate packaging, production of different ingredients (1:22). Shot of employee’s hand filling box cake mix with batter mixture one-by-one (1:43). Other consumer goods packaged on automated assembly line, shot of exterior of Pillsbury cake mix box c. 1955 (1:50). Factory employee operates fork lift in storeroom piled high with bags of flour (2:04). Exterior, Pillsbury Research & Development Laboratories (2:17). Various labs and lab experiments, food scientists bake cake mixes to find areas for improvement (2:24). The Ann Pillsbury Home Service Center reception area (3:03). Six modern test kitchens at Ann Pillsbury Home Service Center, one features 1950s GE electric wall oven; Professional home economists test various recipes (3:10). Use of what appears to be model of 60s-era teletype printer (3:50). Pillsbury service center: Employees sitting at various desks transport signed order slips to various offices around building (4:05). Woman uses IBM 026 keypunch keyboard to process data from the sales order (4:37). Closeup shot ticker tape machine (4:48). Boxes of Pillsbury hot roll mix roll off of assembly line (5:00). Advertising meeting between Pillsbury execs and Ray Mithun, president, Mithun Agency (5:21). Other marketing materials for other Mithun clients: Poster for Hamm's Beer, The Kroger Co. (6:05). Leo Burnett, president of Leo Burnett Worldwide advertising agency, overlooks work of writers, account executives in charge of Pillsbury account (Advertising company Leo Burnett would go on to create iconic Pillsbury's Doughboy in 1965) (6:14). Return to salesman walking up to supermarket (6:53). Closing credits play over shot of Metropolitan Bank Building (7:15). Film ends (7:22).