''Do Not Fold, Staple, Spindle or Mutilate'' is a 1967 Canadian short drama film, directed by John Howe for the

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; ) is a Canadian public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary films, animation, web documentaries, and altern ...

.Gary Evans, ''In the National Interest: A Chronicle of the National Film Board of Canada from 1949 to 1989''.

University of Toronto Press The University of Toronto Press is a Canadian university press. Although it was founded in 1901, the press did not actually publish any books until 1911. The press originally printed only examination books and the university calendar. Its first s ...

, 1991. . p. 153.

Synopsis

Written by American playwright and screenwriter Millard Lampell, the film stars

Ed Begley Edward James Begley Sr. (March 25, 1901 – April 28, 1970) was an American actor of theatre, radio, film, and television. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film '' Sweet Bird of Youth'' (1962) an ...

as an established

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

leader fighting an attempt by the union membership to push him out in favour of a new, younger leader with a more modern approach. The modern union wants to change the leadership without realizing how far their leader has brought them since the 1930s. As things heat up, both sides share their views with the old union leader speaking his mind and generally winning the debate. But, after a lifetime of service for the cause, he has outlived his usefulness and esteem among the workers of his factory. Times have changed, a new strategy is needed, and he realizes that he must retire.

Title

The origin of the expression "Do not fold, spindle or mutilate" comes from the inscription on an IBM punch card. Office workers organized papers and forms by stapling or folding them together, or by impaling them on a spindle. Because punched card readers scan uniform rectangular holes in a precise arrangement, any damage to the physical card makes it unusable. In the 1950s and 1960s, when the use of punch cards became widespread, manufacturers printed a warning on each card reading "Do not fold, spindle or mutilate". In 1964, the student revolution at Berkeley used the phrase as a symbol of authority and regimentation.

Soundtrack

Dave Brubeck David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasti ...

composed the score for this film. It was recorded in his home studio in

Wilton, Connecticut Wilton is a New England town, town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the town population was 18,503. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Wester ...

and became part of his album ''Summit Sessions''.

Awards

* Canadian Labour International Film Festival,

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

: Grand Prize, 167 August 15, 1967 * 20th Canadian Film Awards,

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

: Genie Award for Best Film Over 30 Minutes, 1968 * International Labour and Industrial Film,

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

: Award of Excellence, 1969 * International Labour and Industrial Film,

: Diploma of Merit, 1969

References

Works cited

External links

* *
''Do Not Fold, Staple, Spindle or Mutilate''
at the new NFB collection catalog {{ACCT Short Films 1967 films Best Theatrical Short Film Genie Award winners National Film Board of Canada short films 1967 short films Films directed by John Howe (director) 1960s English-language films Canadian drama short films 1960s Canadian films English-language drama short films English-language Canadian films