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6.1/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.1/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. National Recovery Administration (NRA) Promo remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have three minutes to kill and a strange curiosity about 1930s economic policy, this is for you. If you are looking for actual entertainment, maybe watch City Lights instead. Honestly, even a tax audit might be more fun.
The whole point of this short is to tell bosses to hire people. It’s heavy-handed, obviously. But seeing Moe Howard before he became the bowl-cut face of slapstick is genuinely jarring.
Moe doesn't poke anyone in the eyes here. He just looks really concerned about unemployment rates. It’s like watching a ghost.
The pacing is aggressive. It hits you with the message immediately and never lets up. It feels less like a movie and more like someone shouting a flyer at your face.
It makes me think of The Toll of the Sea, though they have nothing in common. Except for that weird, dusty feeling you get when watching something from the early talkie era. Everything feels like it's being held together by tape and optimism.
Is it worth watching? Not really. But it’s a weird piece of history. It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Five and Ten Cent Annie, though without the charm.
Just don't expect a masterpiece. It’s a commercial. A very loud, very earnest commercial from a different planet.