The rest of Soapy the Germ Fighter doesn’t live up to this sparkling line, but it comes close at times, especially with Billy’s odd concept that being clean is being a “sissy.”
This short film was made in 1951 by Avis Films of Hollywood, which also brought the world Eyes Bright and Foundation Foods in the same year.
The cheapness of being shot silently is pretty evident. Billy has the back of his head to the camera, all the better to add dialogue in post-production because you never see his mouth move. And Soapy moves his arms around to emphasize his words—even when he isn’t talking.
The short features a female narrator who knows the bathing habits of every kid as she declares he’s “one of the cleanest boys” in town. We can only hope she’s not staring into bathrooms.
It’s a shame the star of Soapy, who keeps calling Billy “pardner” but doesn’t have a Western drawl, never came forward to claim the role as his.
The film was made available to groups in British Columbia by the provincial health department, as the Women’s Institute in the very small settlement of Quick decided to rent it and show it at the local school in 1952 (the Institute still exists).
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