Bill Jack vs Adolf Hitler

The future of American industry or a blueprint for chaos? This film about the Jack & Heintz Co. in Cleveland, Ohio shows how the enlightened yet unorthodox employment policies of charismatic company owner Bill Jack created a workforce of ‘associates’ who were allowed to smoke - and even dance - on the job and were so productive that they were awarded a coveted ‘E’ for efficiency award by their sole wartime contractor, the US Armed Forces.

Despite its superficially unpromising subject matter, this film captures an American business at the height of its success, in a series of witty and entertaining clips. From the public shaming of an employee pestering a female worker, to workers enjoying a free holiday on the alluringly named Honeymoon Isle, the film shows the daily reality of the company’s unorthodox but successful personnel practices. Once the war was over the valuable military contracts dried up and the company - which made starters for aeroplanes - was forced to merge with another business called Precision Products. The owners Bill Jack and Ralph Heintz sold their stock and gradually the enlightened work practices disappeared.