Good Grooming for Girls, 1940s

This 1940s Coronet film opens at a young woman’s engagement shower, where a mother or teacher lectures on glamour through grooming—static and talky yet intriguing. It shifts to a school assembly, all girls, as a speaker touts poise, slamming slouchers and fidgeters like nail-biters. In black-and-white with sound, it drills hygiene—washing, eating right—exercise, and clothing fit, with Pond’s cold cream in view. A Black maid serves, while teens flirt in a convertible and dance under a “Franklin High” banner, blending charm with dated norms.