Jerry Pulls the Strings

This 1939 promotional film, screened at the New York World’s Fair, advertises vacuum-packed International Maple coffee. A young puppeteer convinces his coffee-packer father-in-law that puppetry is a worthy career, using 80 string marionettes and detailed sets to narrate coffee’s journey—from growth and harvest to roasting and vacuum canning for flavor preservation. Blending charm and innovation, it ties artistry to industry in a Depression-era marketing gem.