Shot 36 / 10:37–11:35Select a shot, or shift-click to select multipleSelect a shot, or double-tap to select multiple

What Makes Us Tick

195211 min 35 sec36 shots

Animated scenes introduce John Q. Public, a “typical” American homeowner who supports his family, carries insurance, keeps savings, and has a small amount of money available to invest. When John admits that he does not understand common stock, the film uses a fictional oil-drum manufacturer to explain how a growing business can form a corporation and sell shares to raise money for new plants and equipment.

Stock buyers become partial owners, elect directors, and may receive dividends when the company earns enough to pay them. The explanation covers federal registration, an investment banker's role in selling a new issue, and the requirements a company must meet before its stock can be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. A sample transaction follows brokers in Colorado and Maine as they send matching orders to buy and sell 100 shares at $10 each. Ticker tape then reports the trade across the country.

The closing section connects personal savings and stock investment with industrial expansion, employment, consumer goods, and the capacity to convert factories to defense production during wartime. Although common stock is associated with national prosperity and growth, the film also warns that ownership carries risk. John and other prospective investors are advised to get the facts before putting their money to work.

Provenance and rights

Original producer: Sutherland (John) Productions
Collection: Prelinger Archives
Original title: What Makes Us Tick
Date: 1952
Original link: Open on Internet Archive
Rights: public_domain