Posted on 03/15/2005 9:56:21 AM PST by ZGuy
Sy Wexler, an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose educational movies - from "Squeak the Squirrel" to "Teeth Are for Life" - flickered for decades in darkened classrooms around the world, died on Thursday in Los Angeles. He was 88 and lived in Hollywood.
The cause was cancer and the neurological disease diffuse Lewy body syndrome, his family said.
For a generation of baby boomers, Mr. Wexler's films were as dependable a classroom ritual as the duck-and-cover drill. Usually from 11 to 28 minutes long and shot in 16-millimeter black and white, they were as much a part of education in the postwar decades as the Internet and interactive CD-ROM's are today.
Few of the films had catchy titles. There was "High Blood Pressure," "Congestive Heart Failure" and "Career: Medical Technologist." There was "Early Marriage," "Fertilization and Birth" and "Happy Family Planning." There was "Fire Science," "Smoking and Heart Disease" and "Venereal Disease: Why Do We Still Have It?"
But in the 50's and 60's, movies like these were an essential part of how science, in particular the delicate subject of sex education, was taught. In hundreds of films, both live-action and animated, Mr. Wexler brought to life obscure processes like the metabolization of protein ("How a Hamburger Turns Into You"), the problem-solving abilities of animals ("Squeak the Squirrel") and the nature of human creativity ("Wondering About Things").
Among his other films were "The Great Rights," about the Bill of Rights; "Tell Me Where to Turn," a guide to using social service agencies; and "One and Two and Three," for teaching retarded children to count.
Simon Wexler was born in Manhattan on Oct. 6, 1916, and studied chemistry at the City College of New York. He was a cameraman with the Army Signal Corps in World War II, working with the director Frank Capra on the well-known documentary series "Why We Fight."
After the war, Mr. Wexler and a partner, Bob Churchill, started Churchill-Wexler Films, based in Hollywood. Overseeing a staff of animators, technicians and editors, Mr. Wexler worked as producer, director and screenwriter, sometimes as cameraman and occasionally as talent scout (his son Howard appeared in several of his films). At the studio, the daily routine included a break at 4 for tea, generally prepared by the mailman as part of his afternoon round.
After Mr. Churchill left the company in 1961, Mr. Wexler started Wexler Film Productions. From the late 60's on, he concentrated on medical films, including "Complete Dentures," "Clinical Applications of Microporous Tape" and "The Case of a Persian Student With Painless Hemoptysis."
The films were one way that news of medical advances was disseminated: in the days before Power Point, doctors often commissioned movies from Mr. Wexler to accompany their presentations at professional meetings. To illuminate medical subjects visually, Mr. Wexler might photograph the behavior of cells through the lens of a microscope or take his camera into the operating room to film surgery in progress.
Mr. Wexler is survived by his wife, the former Helen Rosalind Nager, whom he married in 1942; two sons: Howard, a filmmaker, of Los Angeles, and David, a film preservationist, of Santa Barbara; and three grandchildren.
Many of Mr. Wexler's films won awards, including prizes from the Biological Photographers Association and the International Scientific Film Festival. He received a blue ribbon from the American Film Festival for "Varicose Veins."
....such educational films as "Lead Paint: Delicious But Deadly," and "Here Comes the Metric System!"
....such fishing films as 'Cast Out' or 'The Reel Deal.'
....such films as "The Erotic Adventures of Hercules" and "Dial 'M' for Murderousness".
....such films as "'P' is for Psycho" and "The President's Neck is Missing".
....such films as "Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die" and "Gladys, the Groovy Mule".
....such films as "The Greatest Story Ever Hula-ed" and "They Came to Burgle Carnegie Hall".
....such Fox Network Specials as "Alien Nose Job" and "The Five Fabulous Weeks of the Chevy Chase Show".
....such self-help videos as "Smoke Yourself Thin" and "Get Some Confidence, Stupid!"
....such nature films as "Earwigs: Ewwww" and "Man vs. Nature: The Road to Victory".
....such celebrity funerals as "Andre The Giant, We Hardly Knew Ye" and "Shemp Howard, Today We Mourn A Stooge".
....such telethons as "Out With Gout '88" and "Let's Save Tony Orlando's House".
....such cartoons as "Christmas Ape" and "Christmas Ape goes to Summer Camp".
....such driver's ed films as "Alice's Adventures through the Windshield Glass" and "The Decapitation of Larry Leadfoot".
....such TV spinoffs as "Son of Sanford and Son" and "After Mannix".
....such instructional videos as "Mothballing Your Battleship" and "Dig Your Own Grave and Save".
....such public service videos as "Designated Drivers, the Lifesaving Nerds" and "Phony Tornado Alarms Reduce Readiness".
....such medical films as "Alice Doesn't Live Anymore" and "Mommy, What's Wrong With That Man's Face?".
....such automated information kiosks as "Welcome to Springfield Airport" and "Where's Nordstrom?".
....such Do-It-Yourself home videos such as "The half-assed approach to foundation repair"
Did he also do "Death on the Highway" and "Men, Don't Let THIS Happen to You"?
Did Wexler make "Hemo the Magnificent?"
That was my favorite. I still remember Eddie Albert's immortal utterance: "Seawater!"
My favorite classroom film moment: "Someday, man will go to the moon." 1979
I'm pretty sure "Death on the Highway" was from the Ohio State Patrol. They produced the immortal "The Final Factor..."
"Our Mister Sun"
"Dressing up as Hitler on Halloween Ain't Cool"
"Our Mister Sun"
yes indeed. A genius.
the neurological disease diffuse Lewy body syndrome
Yeah, I remember the film on that one. The friendly forest ranger explained that you got it from kissing the same dog your friend did, if I recall the story correctly.
"Death on the Highway" was from HIGHWAY SAFETY FOUNDATION, who also made "Signal 30", "Mechanized Death", "Highways of Agony", "Wheels of Tragedy", etc.
I collect old 16mm school films... have over 3000!
"The Case of a Persian Student With Painless Hemoptysis."
I would pay to own a copy of this one.
Amazing. Well, both FF and D on the H made a profound impression on me.
Amazing. Well, both FF and D on the H made a profound impression on me.
< Hi. I'm Troy McClure. You might remember me from such educational film strips as, "Here comes the metric system" and "Lead Paint: Delicious but deadly."
Does anyone out there remember a scary educational film shown in schools in the 60's about the dangers of firecrackers ?
I just checked it out in the IMDB and it was not a Wexler film. It was part of the Bell Labs science series and get this - it was directed by none other than Frank Capra. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0156602/
I always liked "Our Friend, The Negro".
Here's another instructive video
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1363325/posts
A/V Squad geeks everywhere are a little bit sadder today.
I'll be wearing my retainer for the rest of the day in memory of this man.
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