Tongue-in-cheek film showing a domestic robot freeing housewives of their chores (and intimating that their work is hardly necessary); actually a promo showing how relays and switches function in the modern automobile. Shown at the New York World's Fair in 1940.

ROLL-OH, THE DOMESTIC ROBOT, IS CONSTRUCTED TO TAKE CARE OF MANY DISAGREEABLE HOUSEHOLD CHORES. SCARES THE MAILMAN. GOOD HUMOROUS GAG FILM.



Ken Smith sez: Roll-Oh is a big, clunky, slow-moving robot -- a "chromium-plated butler" of the future -- and Jam Handy uses him as a metaphor to show how "robots" (such as thermostats and automatic choke controls) make modern driving a breeze. Roll-Oh can light candles with his breath and water plants with his fingertips, even though you know he's only a bunch of cardboard boxes painted silver. Watch for the the demostration of the "Petomat," and the scene where Roll-Oh uses his vacuum feet. More robots in films, please!



CHEVROLET ADVERTISING AUTOMOBILES FANTASY HOUSES DOMESTIC WORKERS HOMES INTERIORS LIVING ROOMS WOMEN MEN APPLIANCES GAGS GADGETS DOORS POSTAL CHAIRS BUTTONS CONTROL PANELS MACHINERY TECHNOLOGY Robots Chevrolet Motor Co. (sponsor) Futurism Humor Surrealism Home economics Housework Women Laziness Double-takes Mailmen Letter carriers Workers (postal) Pets Food (pet) Inventions Gizmos Oddities Doubletalk Buttons Hands (pushing buttons) Vacuum cleaners Candles (lighting) Flowers Fountains (water) Water fountains Children (African American) African Americans (children)

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Reviewer: tribtower - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 27, 2013

Subject: They had know how. Do we? Well done Jam Handy screenwriters. Clever tongue

in cheek and ya might learn something too. The

nit-picking about the pronounciation of "ROBOT"! as "ROBUT" is the way many Canadians say this word. I can see all the multicultural stuff they've tried to cram into your Yankee heads has'nt done one bit of good. The people of 1940

who this was intended for knew the message was the medium. WOW! all those wonderful appliances

featured in the movie- we would'nt even know how to make one of those in this country any more. Whata pop-up toaster. As for that- writing a fine little shooting script, this too would be out of the question. Look at the stuff on TV or even worse at the movies. Hate to be hard on ya one of

you even put this 73 year old advertising film into a video. And that AMERICAN made pop-up toaster, you can find one like at the GOODWILL THAT STILL WORKS. Nuff said. - May 27, 2013They had know how. Do we?

Reviewer: I X Key - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 29, 2011

Subject: This film used in a new classical music video!



I X Key _ Beauty (Presto) [Version for 12 Pianos]



I hope you'll enjoy!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1-9GCMetq8 Good morning! Material from this is used in my new classical music video!I X Key _ Beauty (Presto) [Version for 12 Pianos]I hope you'll enjoy! - July 29, 2011This film used in a new classical music video!

Reviewer: Robin_1990 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 22, 2008

Subject: Another Great Jam Handy Film! I can't get enough of these Jam Handy films. Please Rick, Upload More! - April 22, 2008Another Great Jam Handy Film!

Reviewer: Attacking Martian - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - January 11, 2008

Subject: Roll-Oh is Fun-Oh to Watch You can always count on the fact that promo films from GM and it's various subsidies are always going to be of top-notch quality and full of fun things to see. I've seen this before but enjoyed seeing it again. - January 11, 2008Roll-Oh is Fun-Oh to Watch

Reviewer: 'Juana Bee - favorite favorite favorite - October 5, 2006

Subject: A valid way to pronounce "robot"... To StratoGeezer and other reviewers below: Don't be so hard on our poor announcer! If you look up the word "robot" in Webster's dictionary, you will find that there are two possible pronunciations; the first is like "row-bought", as most people say, the second like "row-b't", with the final vowel represented by an upside-down 'e', which is similar to the second 'e' in "sherbet". Although it does have an odd ring nowadays, originally it was considered the "correct" pronunciation! Professional narrators do go to school for these things. 'Juana Bee -- October 5, 2006A valid way to pronounce "robot"...

Reviewer: bread - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 1, 2006

Subject: This was the first Jam Handy film i ever saw! A few years ago, before i knew about this website, i saw this film on a magazine cover disc. They included it to use with a divx player that was on the disc. I just re-discoverd the film here and enjoyed it again. I love the comedy, which is very funny. The water fountain was very interesting, as i have never seen a water fountain like that. Also, when i first saw this film, i didn't know it was a ad for chevrolet (I'm 15 and live in australia, chevrolets have not been sold here since the early 80's). If you like Jam Handy films, you will enjoy this film. One of the best films in the archive. - October 1, 2006This was the first Jam Handy film i ever saw!

Reviewer: StratoGeezer - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 10, 2006

Subject: The "Robit" Film The announciation of the narrator is half the fun of watching these films. Although this film centers around a a hilarious, clunky, stereotypical 1950's robot, the narrator pronounces it as "Robit" over and over.



This "robit" is totally good humor to watch - especially the part where he vacuums up a mess with his foot. The voice is perfect.



This film associates all sorts of now ancient technologies with robot-like qualities. It's a good analogy - and really interesting to see illustrations of the latest technologies of the time - especially the insides of the mechanical car radio - showing the push button mechanisms.



Finally - there is some wierdness and awkward humor with the water fountain scene, in which a little black child is appaently unable to comprehend the electric eye that turns the stream of water on and off. He does it about five times before taking a drink..... This illustrates clearly that much more than the technology has changed since the 1950's! - August 10, 2006The "Robit" Film

Reviewer: ERD - favorite favorite favorite - April 13, 2006

Subject: Clever Clever little film that leads to praising the workings of the automobile of 1940. Today, of course, it is dated. - April 13, 2006Clever

Reviewer: xirdneh - favorite favorite favorite - March 28, 2006

Subject: Amusing Funny little film turns into an automobile campaign. By the way, where's the GET MARTINI button? - March 28, 2006Amusing

Reviewer: pottersclay75 - favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 22, 2005

Subject: Watch out for the "robuts" Other than the narrator's annoying way of saying "robut," this film is very entertaining.



Roll-oh is great. They must have had a great number of problems with the furnace, though, since Roll-oh's control panel had a permanent "fix furnace" button. He needs a vocabulary update since he has not evolved past caveman speech.



The only problem with this film is that you think its going in one direction, and then get stuck with looking at car parts for the last half. But, Jam Handy didn't bite the hand that fed it. - August 22, 2005Watch out for the "robuts"

Reviewer: BraddS - favorite favorite favorite - March 9, 2005

Subject: Everything You Need To Know About Roh-Bits A 1930s Popular Mechanics vision of the robotic near future, probably meant to be around 1960. The repairman's technical double talk at the beginning appeared to be bogus radio electronics terms ("the heterodynes were feeding back into the stimulus reaction activators"), probably meant to impress the audience, as radio was the latest high-tech of the 30s. It was also a little annoying to hear the narrator constantly referring to simple electro-mechanical devices as little thinking machines, but I guess he probably had no idea that the first generation of vacuum-tube digital computers was already being perfected in Philadelphia, Boston and Iowa. Points awarded for showing a future where electric can openers are never envisioned. - March 9, 2005Everything You Need To Know About Roh-Bits

Reviewer: HuckleberryFinn - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 12, 2004

Subject: I want to kill this robot and its manufacturer(s) Roll-Oh has got to be the squarest, clunkiest hunk of metal crap ever grace the silver screen. Still, the family keeps it around because it's somehow proficient at completing household tasks.



This film gets 5 stars for including an African American boy pre-1960 without mentioning his race or implying he's a drug addict. - April 12, 2004I want to kill this robot and its manufacturer(s)

Reviewer: Marysz - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 9, 2004

Subject: Roll-Oh, Robot Prince Charming The film opens with a nerdy repairman leaving a woman a "Roll-Oh," a large robot who performs her household chores. Roll-Oh is clearly a masculine robot who (unlike some human husbands) is happy to help out around the house. He brings her flowers, vacuums, and cooks her dinner while she sits in the living room reading magazines. According to his control panel, he also makes beds and fixes the furnace. Whenever the woman asks Roll-Oh to do a household chore, he says "Yes, ma'am, Roll-Oh do!" in a with a smile. And then he immediately does it without complaining! But then Roll-Oh vanishes. The film reveals what we women already know, Roll-Oh's "just a day-dream after all." After Roll-Oh's gone, the woman is stuck back alone in the kitchen. She wanders around listlessly as the male voice-over tells us about the "thinking machines" in her kitchen that keep the coffee hot and the toast brown. What a come-down! Where did Roll-Oh go? After learning about automatic lights and automated airplane instruments, we find out what happened to Roll-Oh. He materializes inside a Chevrolet. The car is driven by a woman whose face we never see (maybe it's the same woman, out looking for her dream robot). Little does she know that Roll-Oh is under the hood "feeding the engine." Yes, he's still cooking. Two little Roll-Ohs disagree about the "spark" in the engine, but do they fight about it? Nope-- "each takes his turn." Then Roll-Oh is in the car's gearshift and all the (female) driver has "is to tell him what to do." Roll-Oh is obviously every woman's dream. He helps out around the house with a smile and keeps her car in great shape so she can go wherever she wants. This truly is a futuristic film. - March 9, 2004Roll-Oh, Robot Prince Charming

Reviewer: Spuzz - favorite favorite favorite - September 18, 2003

Subject: Oh! Roll-Oh! Somewhat overpraised look at "the future" featuring one heck of a clunky robot, a woman who sits around and reads magazines all day, and the usual shill about how great Chevrolet is. I did like the inventions of "today", the unplugging kettle and the timed dog dish, but the rest was all just okay. - September 18, 2003Oh! Roll-Oh!

Reviewer: Cell Sam - favorite favorite favorite - July 22, 2003

Subject: Leave it to Roll-Oh A true fantasy film where the housewife is able to free herself of house work to sit around all day and read magazines. The only thing missing is the bon bons. Take a look at our pretty housewife in 3 or 4 mos.: My ! her figure has filled out - she's as big as Roll-Oh !

Another interesting part of the film shows a black boy at a wonderous new water fountain. It is ironic at this time that black americans were told that such water fountains were "For Whites Only". If only Roll-Oh could see what we can do now ! - July 22, 2003Leave it to Roll-Oh