Film

Sins of the Fathers

Director

Richard J. Jarvis

Year

1948

A dramatized story about a town where illegal activities are allowed to thrive, some of the politicians are dishonest, and a doctor and couple of colleagues try to help townspeople see that public health measures, especially those that might control syphilis, are necessary. Two of the most influential men in town oppose clean-up and public health efforts until their young adult children contract syphilis. Spliced into the dramatic film are segments of other educational films, including animated segments, that describe the symptoms and risks of syphilis. A butcher named Tony is excited about the birth of his first child, but the child is born dead because of a maternal syphilis infection.