Loose Bolts? (1973)

Director	Peter Schlaifer
Producer	Red Ball Films
Contributors	David Clennon (narrator), P.M.J. Herman (interviewer)
Length	29 min
B&W/Color	color
UO Library Catalog description:	Deals with work on assembly lines. Interviews employees at a Ford [sic] automobile plant in order to show their reactions to this well-paid, but potentially dehumanizing type of work.
Call #	FILM Mc173
Genre	documentary
Rare	no
Online	no
Copyright status	public domain
Physical condition	fair
Oregon-related	no

Notes:

Actually takes place in a General Motors plant, not Ford as the catalog description says. Still distributed on VHS from Merrimack Films. “Loose Bolts? (1973) is the classic study of what became known as the “Lordstown syndrome.” In-depth interviews with assembly-line workers, foremen, and elected union officials in this 30-minute video show how a bored and dissatisfied workforce turns out cars with major flaws. Commentary is supplied by Robert Guest, author (with Charles Walker) of the pioneering study, The Man on the Assembly Line.” Proper title format includes the question mark. David Clennon is a character actor who has appeared on television (thirtysomething) and film (The Right Stuff).