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Leave It to Roll-Oh

19408 min 43 sec47 shots

A comic household fantasy follows a woman whose technician promises that Roll-Oh, her chromium-plated robot, will solve her domestic problems. At the push of a button, the mechanical servant responds to clipped commands, answers the door, and performs household tasks. The film then reveals Roll-Oh as a daydream and compares the robot with real automatic controls already used in homes, offices, factories, elevators, drinking fountains, fire-safety equipment, and airliners.

Examples include appliances that regulate heat or shut themselves off, an automatic dog feeder, light-sensitive switches, and safety devices that stop machinery or doors when a person is in the way. Much of the film explains automobile systems as small “robots”: the carburetor balances fuel and air, heat controls warm the mixture, distributor mechanisms adjust the spark, and other devices regulate voltage, engine temperature, gear shifting, and radio tuning. These automatic mechanisms handle routine tasks while making daily life and travel easier, more comfortable, and safer.

Provenance and rights

Original producer: Handy (Jam) Organization
Collection: Prelinger Archives
Original title: Leave It to Roll-Oh
Date: 1940
Original link: Open on Internet Archive
Rights: public_domain