51 STATE, THE {THE FIFTY-FIRST STATE}: MONEY {THE OCCUPANT IN THE SINGLE ROOM} (TV)
Summary
One in this series of nightly news programs providing
in-depth coverage of issues affecting the New York
metropolitan area. This program examines the topic of
money. The first segment is entitled "The Occupant in
the Single Room," by Richard Kotuk. The film depicts
the plight of elderly people who are attempting to
remain in single-room-occupancy hotels, much to the
chagrin of building managers who would prefer to sell
their properties. During the documentary, these elderly
residents describe their standard of living, the
difficulty of living on a fixed income, and the
loneliness they feel. Among those interviewed are two
residents of Hotel 123, Baron Von Mueller and Father
Francis Ryan. Residents then describe the horrible
conditions of their hotel, confirmed by footage of
cockroaches in their rooms, burned out apartments, and
general decay in the building. The building's owner
says that he is not responsible for the tenants and
suggests they go on welfare and get housing assistance
from government agencies. A critic of this building
operator condemns society's disrespect for the elderly.
In the second segment, filmmaker Marc Brugnoni looks at
the life of an average middle-class family of four on
Long Island in a short film entitled "Hanging in the
70's." The husband and wife, both of whom work, map out
their budget and document the fact that they cannot save
any money for the future. They express concern over
paying for their children's college education and talk
about how they are just "hanging in there." After this,
Robert Sam Anson delivers a commentary entitled "Eat,
Eat, People Are Starving!" in which he expresses his
point of view about people who should be cut off from
receiving food supplies so that the United States may
save money. In the next segment, "Let the Buyer
Beware," Marquita Pool investigates the controversy over
the accuracy of the Better Business Bureau. During her
report, Pool asks people whether they feel the Better
Business Bureau can serve the public fairly since it is
funded by big business. Those interviewed include
Woodrow Wirsig of the Better Business Bureau; Andrew
Goodman, the president of the New York department store
Bergdorf Goodman; author David Caplovitz; and Florence
Rice of the Harlem Consumer Education Council. In
addition, attorney Stephen Mindell, who works for the
New York State Bureau of Consumer Fraud, comments on
the changing status of the consumer in today's society.
In the final segment, "On the Importance of Financing
Your Fantasy," Dan Chaykin reports on the need for human
beings to afford some pleasure, even if their lives are
financially unstable. Chaykin visits two tap dance
studios in New York City, suggesting that people may
dance their worries away.
Cataloging of this program has been made possible by
Senator Roy M. Goodman.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS WNET New York, NY
- DATE: 1974
- RUNNING TIME: 0:58:48
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:10840
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Aged; Consumer protection; Economics; Housing - Conditions; Inflation (currency); New York City - Housing
- SERIES RUN: WNET (New York, NY) - TV series, 1972-1976
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Promos - "The 51 State"
CREDITS
- Gordon Hyatt … Executive Producer
- Richard Kotuk … Producer, Reporter
- Dan Chaykin … Producer, Reporter
- Lisa Feiner … Producer, Reporter
- Marquita Pool … Producer, Reporter
- Ted Ransom … Producer, Reporter
- Isabella Dane … Associate Producer
- Eulogio Ortiz … Associate Producer
- Marc Brugnoni … Production (Misc.), Filmmaker
- Mick Colgan … Director
- Christopher Kogler … Animation
- Leslie Clark … Researcher
- David Gale … Researcher
- Raenelle Garris … Researcher
- Richard Peaslee … Theme Music by
- Howard Tuckner … Reporter, Correspondent
- Robert Sam Anson … Reporter, Political Correspondent
- David Caplovitz … Guest
- Andrew Goodman … Guest
- Stephen Mindell … Guest
- Florence Rice … Guest
- Francis Ryan … Guest
- Von Mueller, Baron … Guest
- Woodrow Wirsig … Guest