John Nesbitt
John Nesbitt was an actor, announcer, narrator, producer, and screenwriter. He is best remembered as having been the producer/narrator of MGM's "John Nesbitt's Passing Parade" short films series.
| Known For | Acting |
|---|---|
| Most Rating | 0.2162 |
| Birthday | 1910-08-23 |
| Place of Birth | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
| Also Known As | John Booth Nesbitt, |
1941
Willie and the Mouse
10/1
John Nesbitt's "Passing Parade" purports to show how the behavior of mice can be studied in relation to the interaction of school children.
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Willie and the Mouse
1938
Passing Parade
7/1
Three specific and separate stories of life's passing parade are presented.
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Passing Parade
1945
The Golden Hunch
9/1
This entry in John Nesbitt's "Passing Parade" series is about the great moments in the lives of famous men who found found an answer or made a great d...
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The Golden Hunch
1947
Tennis in Rhythm
10/1
A "Passing Parade" MGM short featuring tennis star Alice Marble
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Tennis in Rhythm
1941
Your Last Act
8/2
This short looks at the odd bequests that people have made in their wills over the years. They include a woman who left her fortune to her pet cat and...
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Your Last Act
1942
Mr. Blabbermouth!
5.091/11
Following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, America was rife with rumors about the size of Japan's armed forces and how well-equipped they were to wage...
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Mr. Blabbermouth!
1944
A Lady Fights Back
4/2
The saga of the Normandie is recounted from her life as a luxury liner, the horrific fire that nearly destroyed her, and her resuscitation to join in...
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A Lady Fights Back
1948
The Fabulous Fraud
7/2
In this John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short, we learn the story of Dr. Franz Anton Mesmer, the man who discovered hypnotism.
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The Fabulous Fraud
1943
Storm
6.556/9
A look at how the weather bureau tries to warn farmers and businessmen about approaching large storms. Although some precautions can be taken to lesse...
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Storm
1947
The Amazing Mr. Nordill
6.625/4
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short takes a look at the gentlemanly life and masterful counterfeiting exploits of Everett Nordill, one of the cle...
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The Amazing Mr. Nordill
1938
The Face Behind the Mask
5.667/6
This dramatized short film describes the historical mystery of France's "man in the iron mask". King Louis XIV imprisoned a man who was never identifi...
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The Face Behind the Mask
1941
Hobbies
10/1
John Nesbitt takes a look at hobbies in this Passing Parade short.
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Hobbies
1947
A Really Important Person
8/3
A policeman's son searches for a suitable subject for an essay about an important person.
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A Really Important Person
1941
Of Pups and Puzzles
7.25/8
This short film shows how the war department utilizes a Ph.D., a chimp, and three dogs to help design aptitude tests for men applying for work.
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Of Pups and Puzzles
1941
Out of Darkness
7/2
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short tells of the Nazis' efforts to shut down an underground resistance newspaper in occupied Belgium.
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Out of Darkness
1940
Trifles of Importance
7.5/2
Part of John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series, this short shows how three seemingly unimportant things can affect people. The first is how the number 7...
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Trifles of Importance
1938
The Ship That Died
6.375/4
This MGM An Historical Mystery short traces the final voyage of the Mary Celeste, a ship discovered at sea, in December 1872, devoid - for no discerni...
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The Ship That Died
1938
That Mothers Might Live
6.182/11
That Mothers Might Live is a 1938 American short drama film directed by Fred Zinnemann. The short is a brief account of Hungarian physician Ignaz Semm...
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That Mothers Might Live
1938
Kentucky
6.077/13
Young lovers Jack and Sally are from families that compete to send horses to the 1938 Kentucky Derby, but during the Civil War, her family sided with...
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Kentucky
1951
Good Wrinkles
7/2
Sunny-sweet the prune shows us how prunes are made from certain kinds of plums, why they're so good for you, and, in live action, some recipes made wi...
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Good Wrinkles
1943
That's Why I Left You
10/1
Young couple Joe and Mary Thompson love each other and their children despite the struggles that they have that are typical of most young couples earl...
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That's Why I Left You
1942
The Woman in the House
6.625/4
This short looks at the illness anthropophobia, the fear of people. In 1901, young Catherine Starr, who lives in a small English coastal town, has an...
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The Woman in the House
1943
Don't You Believe It
6.5/2
This Passing Parade entry looks at several historical "truths" that just aren't so: Steve Brodie never jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge; Mrs. O'Leary's...
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Don't You Believe It
1939
Unseen Guardians
6.667/3
The "unseen guardians" of the title are the Postal Inspection Service, which investigates mail order racketeering; the Underwriters' Laboratories, whi...
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Unseen Guardians
1943
Who's Superstitious?
7/2
This short film examines the origins of several superstitions including crossing your fingers, knocking on wood, rabbit's feet, and breaking champagne...
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Who's Superstitious?
1941
Main Street on the March!
6/12
This Best Short Subject Academy Award winning film begins in the spring of 1940, just before the Nazi occupation of the Benelux countries, and ends im...
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Main Street on the March!
1939
Angel of Mercy
8/2
This MGM Passing Parade series short tells the story of Clara Barton, the founder of the Red Cross.
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Angel of Mercy
1941
This Is the Bowery
6.75/4
In this somewhat whitewashed documentary on Manhattan's Bowery a newcomer to the area takes his first step toward redemption after a meal, bed, and in...
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This Is the Bowery
1938
The Forgotten Step
9/1
An American art collector, living in France in the 1870s, who loses his fortune in a stock market crash devises a scheme to get back his wealth throug...
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The Forgotten Step
1949
Clues to Adventure
8/2
This MGM Passing Parade series short presents how separate events led to the creation of three provisions - freedom of speech, freedom of the press, a...
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Clues to Adventure
1948
Goodbye, Miss Turlock
6.538/13
Narrator John Nesbitt laments the disappearance of the rural one-room schoolhouse in America. He reminisces about his own days as a student in such a...
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Goodbye, Miss Turlock
1949
Mr. Whitney Had a Notion
6.333/3
Historical short showing how Eli Whitney (best known for the invention of the cotton gin) played a significant role in the introduction of mass produc...
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Mr. Whitney Had a Notion
1943
To My Unborn Son
7.5/2
A Yugoslav man, dying after being shot while attempting to help defend his village, writes a letter of encouragement and hope to his unborn child, exp...
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To My Unborn Son
1942
The Incredible Stranger
6.667/3
In December 1892, a silent mysterious and very private man, for whom a new house has just been built, arrives in the small town of Bridgewood to keep...
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The Incredible Stranger
1948
My Old Town
6.167/3
Narrator John Nesbitt reminisces about his hometown and childhood in this Passing Parade series short.
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My Old Town
1954
The Little Match Girl
0/0
Adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of a destitute little girl who sells matches, and uses them to escape the cold on Christmas Eve,...
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The Little Match Girl
1942
The Film That Was Lost
7.5/2
In this John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short, a look is taken at the problems of film preservation efforts in the 1930s and early 1940s.
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The Film That Was Lost
1945
Watchtower Over Tomorrow
5.4/5
Short documentary film about the Dumbarton Oaks plan and the proposed formation of the United Nations.
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Watchtower Over Tomorrow
1945
The Great American Mug
7.667/3
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short takes a look at the typical American barbershop throughout the years.
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The Great American Mug
1939
The Story That Couldn't Be Printed
7/2
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short tells the story of John Peter Zenger, who in Colonial New York was tried for sedition based on what he printe...
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The Story That Couldn't Be Printed
1943
This Is Tomorrow
7/2
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short takes a look at the evolution of the American city, from the initially small farming village, to the eventual...
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This Is Tomorrow
1943
Forgotten Treasure
8/2
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series short highlights the film preservation efforts of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Several scenes from...
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Forgotten Treasure
1946
Our Old Car
6.5/2
In this John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short, a man traces his history by the succession of cars his father owned. [This short appears in its entirety...
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Our Old Car
1939
The Story of Alfred Nobel
7.333/3
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short tells the story of Alfred Nobel, who invented dynamite, and later established the Nobel Prize.
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The Story of Alfred Nobel
1945
The Great Morgan
6/3
Frank Morgan is hired to put together a movie using odds and ends from the MGM vaults. He does so by splicing together a string of completely unrelate...
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The Great Morgan
1941
Whispers
10/1
In this John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short we see how gossip can be used to spread propaganda or to ruin a person's reputation.
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Whispers
1940
American Spoken Here
9/1
This MGM John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series short takes a look at the origins of North American slang.
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American Spoken Here
1939
The Giant of Norway
7/1
This short tells the story of Norwegian explorer and diplomat Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930). After a life of adventure, he was instrumental in resettlin...
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The Giant of Norway
1939
New Roadways
8/1
The "new roadways" of the title refer to various projects, carried out in the USA's research laboratories, that benefit mankind. These include solar e...
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New Roadways
1944
Return from Nowhere
6/2
In this John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short, a man recovers his lost memories when he is forced to relive events in his dreams.
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Return from Nowhere
1942
We Do It Because
7/1
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short explores the origins of various customs such as shaking hands, kissing, and why ships are christened.
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We Do It Because
1943
Trifles That Win Wars
10/1
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short looks at how a few specific inventions made a major contribution to the U.S. war effort.
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Trifles That Win Wars
1949
Annie Was a Wonder
4.8/10
In this John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series short, narrator John Nesbitt tells the story of Scandinavian immigrant Annie Swenson, who worked as cook...
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Annie Was a Wonder
1944
Main Street Today
6.4/5
This patriotic short film promotes America's war effort at home. The story looks at a fictional small town's main street, seeing where additional work...
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Main Street Today
1945
Stairway to Light
7.167/12
This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short tells the story of 18th Century French physician Dr. Philippe Pinel, who initiated enlightened, humane treatm...
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Stairway to Light
1949
City of Children
6/3
This final John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series short looks at a community, Mooseheart, in Illinois that orphaned children call home.
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City of Children
1945
It Looks Like Rain
10/1
This short film takes a look at the tools and methods used to forecast the weather.
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It Looks Like Rain
1939
The Story of Dr. Jenner
9/1
This short focuses on the story of Dr. Edward Jenner, who developed vaccination.
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The Story of Dr. Jenner
1942
Famous Boners
6.333/3
This Passing Parade series entry looks at three instances of people who either caused or were the victims of errors.
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Famous Boners
1950
Screen Actors
6.333/3
This short film takes a look at the off-screen personas of screen actors. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2012.
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Screen Actors
1939
Yankee Doodle Goes to Town
8/1
Made just before America would be forced into the Second World War, this short subject is a brief dramatized history of American democracy. It targets...
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Yankee Doodle Goes to Town
1948
Souvenirs of Death
7.667/3
This MGM John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series short tells the story of how a Mauser pistol used on the battlefield by Germans during WWII makes its wa...
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Souvenirs of Death
1942
Inflation
6.333/3
The Devil works with Adolf Hitler to cause inflation in the United States.
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Inflation
1942
Flag of Mercy
9/1
The 1939 dramatic short "Angel of Mercy," about Red Cross founder Clara Barton, is reedited to relate the story to America's involvement in World War...
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Flag of Mercy
1944
Grandpa Called It Art
7/1
This MGM Passing Parade series short takes a look at changing definitions of art in the United States.
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Grandpa Called It Art
1945
Music in the Sky
0/0
A film recreating a broadcast of the Westinghouse Radio Program starring John Charles Thomas and John Nesbitt. Program narrator was Gayne Whitman and...
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Music in the Sky
1942
Madero of Mexico
7/2
This Passing Parade series short chronicles the political life of Francisco Madero, who tried to bring democracy and land reform to Mexico.
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Madero of Mexico
1940
The Hidden Master
10/1
Shows how important luck can be in a person's life.
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The Hidden Master
1943
Nursery Rhyme Mysteries
6.5/2
This Passing Parade series short examines the origins of three popular Mother Goose nursery rhymes.
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Nursery Rhyme Mysteries
1945
People on Paper
6.5/2
Americans are preoccupied with the news, but need an escape from many of the events reported in the news. These escapes in the past have included dime...
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People on Paper
1942
The Magic Alphabet
8/1
This MGM John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series short dramatizes how the work of Dutch physician Christiaan Eijkman, who searched for a cure for beri-be...
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The Magic Alphabet
1939
Forgotten Victory
8/1
This MGM John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series short tells the story of Mark Carleton, a worker for the USDA who travels across the world trying to fin...
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Forgotten Victory
1941
Strange Testament
7.5/2
This MGM Passing Parade series short tells the story of Julian Poydras, whose encounter with a girl at Mardi Gras had a profound effect on his later l...
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Strange Testament
1946
Magic on a Stick
8/2
This MGM Passing Parade series short recounts how English chemist John Walker invented the wooden friction match during the 1820s.
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Magic on a Stick
1940
Utopia of Death
8/1
This short film focuses on the mysterious and legendary Seri Indians who live in a utopian colony off the west coast of Mexico.
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Utopia of Death
1939
One Against the World
10/1
This short film presents the story of Dr. Ephraim McDowell, who came under scrutiny for his pioneering of surgical practices.
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One Against the World
1940
A Way in the Wilderness
8/1
This Passing Parade entry tells the story of Dr. Joseph Goldberger (1874-1929), a Hungarian immigrant who devoted his life to finding the cause of pel...
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A Way in the Wilderness
1945
The Seesaw and the Shoes
7/1
This short shows how two objects led to important discoveries. Children playing with a seesaw inspire French physician Rene Laennec to invent the stet...
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The Seesaw and the Shoes
1940
Dreams
6/2
This entry in MGM's Passing Parade series looks at the meaning of dreams, including one by Abraham Lincoln that foretold his death.
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Dreams
1940
XXX Medico
9/1
Highlights a new system that will enable doctors to operate over long distances.
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XXX Medico
1944
The Immortal Blacksmith
10/1
This Passing Parade short tells the true story of Vermont blacksmith and inventor Tom Davenport, who lived the first half of the 19th century.
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