Command Performance

This educational short, likely produced in the 1940s, offers a meticulous look at the shellac record manufacturing process, set to the lilting strains of Johann Strauss II’s "The Blue Danube." Filmed in black-and-white, it begins with the creation of the original master plate, showing technicians capturing a live performance—perhaps a string ensemble playing the iconic waltz—onto a wax disc. The film then details the intricate steps: cutting the master, electroplating it to form the mother plate, and crafting durable stampers. Factory scenes follow, with workers feeding shellac compound into presses, where the stampers imprint grooves onto spinning discs. Close-ups reveal the precision of aligning labels and trimming edges, culminating in stacks of shiny 78 RPM records ready for distribution. Likely aimed at music enthusiasts or wartime audiences (shellac was rationed during WWII), the film blends industrial fascination with cultural appreciation, using "The Blue Danube" as a melodic thread tying the technical process to its artistic purpose.