A peek inside the pea processing operations that culminate in Del Monte brand canned peas. With glimpses of 1930s kitchens and images of Depression-era California agriculture.

<BR>

plus-circle Add Review

comment Reviews

Reviewer: compoundeye - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 25, 2011

Subject: Fresh as the moment when the pod went pop! ...as the slogan for Birds Eye peas in the 1970s used to go.



This Del Monte film from 1939 still looks good even after all these years.



Granted the domestic scenes are amusing, as they differ somewhat from modern so-called 'sensibilities', and the father is so incredibly stilted and hammy in his grimacing delivery... but WOW! a magic book that zooms you into a whole World of Pea-dom. I'd sit through 5 mins of happy family guff any day of the week to get to the other 15mins of the film, and it makes you wish there was a whole series of shorts with the magic book variously whisking you off to look at Del Monte tinned peaches or pineapple chunks for instance...



The harvesting scenes are very dated indeed - pitchforks! - and it's good that something once so banal and commonplace has been preserved on film for us to now marvel at its oddity.



As mentioned, the narration is rather fruity and overwritten -'aluminum prairie schooners' [whatever one of those might be], 'mr & mrs pea must be thinking life is one long rumba dance by now...', that sort of thing... but you know, I kind of like it - it adds warmth and nostalgic charm.



Where this film really excels though is the pea sorting footage. Just about every conceivable form of machine is used to shake, wash, separate, grade, float, channel, mix, convey the peas into the waiting hands of the manual sorters with their eagle eyes and little vacuum tubes.



This film is a real joy, and the parts of it that seem odd to our jaded modern eyes are precisely what makes it so charming and worthy of watching. It reminds me more than a little of many 'through the round window' industrial silent shorts that used to crop up on 1970s childrens TV which I used to love and miss profoundly.







- April 25, 2011Fresh as the moment when the pod went pop!

Reviewer: donwert - favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 29, 2010

Subject: The Humble Pea Another one of those fascinating shorts that shows the amazingly complicated process by which a simple product---in this case, canned peas---

is made. I'm always amazed at the ingenuity and sheer brain power that goes into making something so basic we hardly ever think about it. - October 29, 2010The Humble Pea

Reviewer: brokennib - - April 3, 2010

Subject: pursuit of whirlled peas..... Watching this gave me a sudden attack of immaturity, I cant help but giggle every time they find a new use for the word "Pea" Especially the insight of their "pea region" furthering their "Pea pursuits"



Yeah, I know..... I think I need some air. - April 3, 2010pursuit of whirlled peas.....

Reviewer: nightfishsnake - favorite favorite favorite - August 15, 2006

Subject: a nostalgic look at pea canning

filmed in the early 20th century and just hear

how dated the dialogue

film that looks current is the boy's haircut(i'm

sorry,but the boys today ARE wearing that style!)

with the timeless tradition of sibling rivalry

blended

the canned peas of that era really have a fresh

garden taste?i know today's canned peas don't;

they taste bland,starchy and overcooked.BLAH!!!

but you have to admit,the selective method that

was used in those days was of heavy scrutiny,

despite the now obsolete machinery used in the



technology compares to what was utilized at that

time!overall,the documentary had a certain kind

of charm to it,it was made at a time when our

country still had its' innocence and everything

was simple yet it's rather funny to watch a documentary that wasfilmed in the early 20th century and just hearhow dated the dialogue is.the only thing in thefilm that looks current is the boy's haircut(i'msorry,but the boys today ARE wearing that style!)with the timeless tradition of sibling rivalryblended in.the question that's on my mind is:didthe canned peas of that era really have a freshgarden taste?i know today's canned peas don't;they taste bland,starchy and overcooked.BLAH!!!but you have to admit,the selective method thatwas used in those days was of heavy scrutiny,despite the now obsolete machinery used in the film.it 's amazing how different the modern daytechnology compares to what was utilized at thattime!overall,the documentary had a certain kindof charm to it,it was made at a time when ourcountry still had its' innocence and everythingwas simple yet pure.truly nostalgic! - August 15, 2006a nostalgic look at pea canning

Reviewer: lwilton - favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 4, 2006

Subject: Absurdism in everyday reviews While everything is absurd in an era of total absurdism, the dinner scene depicted in this infomercial (which is essentially what it was, lacking only the hard sell) was typical of an American dinner table and conversation from practically the founding of the country to the mid 1960s.



It is impossible to believe now, but families used to sit down at least once a day and actually TALK to each other, sometimes for up to an hour. Parents were even able (and permitted) to help in their children's education. An encyclopedia in the living room or den was as common in the last century as an iPod in the pocket is now.



It is perhaps worth considering that these films were made to appeal to the people of the era when the film was made. To do that they had to depict people and situations that the normal people of the time could relate to. Much as commercials and movies depict the mayhem and war zone that is modern America today so that we can believe that we are seeing realistic situations and will go out and buy the sponsor's products. - August 4, 2006Absurdism in everyday reviews