Yes, it’s December 21st once again! This time around Balladeer’s Blog presents a look at assorted short films to go with today’s “shortness” theme.
The United Fund
THE MEANEST MAN IN THE WORLD (1954) – This heavy-handed United Fund short was probably effective in its day. Back then people may have felt they were being too callous by openly laughing at the antics in this public service message.
Our central character, “Jim”, comes home late at night after a marathon work day. He startles his wife, who, in typical 50s fashion sleeps in a separate bed. In fact he startles her SO much you get the impression she had a man on the side who may have left her bed a little too close to Jim’s homecoming for comfort.
Jim’s got even bigger problems, though. Money is tight, so tight that Jim tells his still-paniced wife that this year they won’t be able to afford their usual contribution to the United Fund. Our hero then falls asleep, while the disgusted narrator of this ham-fisted production sneers at his alleged callousness.
Now the real fun begins. This joyously tasteless production tries to equate being unable to afford a United Fund contribution to monumental acts of deliberate cruelty. Jim’s dream counterpart stalks up to a hospital and viciously KICKS THE CRUTCHES out from under a poor crippled boy, then STANDS THERE LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY while looking down at Continue reading
NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) Division Two – 1. INDIANA UNIVERSITY SOUTHEAST GRENADIERS ### 2. CORNERSTONE UNIVERSITY GOLDEN EAGLES ### 3. WARNER UNIVERSITY ROYALS ### 4. INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY WILDCATS (Defending Champions) ### 5. UNION (KY) BULLDOGS ### 
6. NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY BEACONS ### 7. INDIANA UNIVERSITY EAST RED WOLVES ### 8. BETHEL (IN) PILOTS (Riverboat Pilots) ### 9. SAINT THOMAS UNIVERSITY BOBCATS ### 10. COLLEGE OF IDAHO COYOTES ### 
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The last two teams standing in the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) were the UNIVERSITY OF SAINT FRANCIS COUGARS and the BAKER UNIVERSITY WILDCATS. Daytona Beach was the site of this very lopsided game. 
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The two winningest programs in D2 football history – the NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS and the UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA LIONS – faced each other in yesterday’s title tilt. Amid ample snowfall neither team scored in the 1st Quarter but the Bearcats – the defending champs – managed a 7-3 lead by Halftime. 
Comment: Why aren’t there more teams called Troopers?
Comment: There’s something about the stark simplicity of these helmets paired up with the unique name the Farmers. 
Comment: Yes, that’s Eisenhower as in General and President Dwight Eisenhower aka “Ike.” 
EBBIE (1995) Balladeer’s Blog’s Seventh Annual Christmas Carol-A-Thon rolls along with this 1995 telefilm starring soap opera queen Susan Lucci. The eternally-sexy Lucci plays Elizabeth “Ebbie” Scrooge, our regulation “grasping and covetous” business magnate who runs the Dobson’s department store empire. This version of A Christmas Carol is kind of cute and it tries hard. 
MISTER NOBODY 
