My Bathroom 1969. The Bathrooms Are Coming. American Standard, Commercial oddity fun. Outtakes?

[weaktearecords]

This is incredible! I heard this years ago on WFMU and though it was one of the weirdest ideas ever, but now I would have loved to see this show. I presume that the narrator was talking to her through his own microphone and a live orchestra provided the music. That must have been quite the show. Anyone going would have been pumped up and ready to sell some plumbing! I'll never look at an American Standard logo on a urinal the same way again!

[TerrysQuest]

I play this every so often on my radio show The Quest on WPKN from Bridgeport, a similar station to WFMU if you like free-form radio. It always makes people say WTF?

[OofusTwillip]

This is from the 1969 industrial musical, "The Bathrooms Are Coming", composed by Sid Siegel, and made for American Standard to show its employees at the annual company meeting. Companies used to commission big musicals like this, featiuring top Broadway and Hollywood talents, like Florence Henderson. These shows even had original cast albums, so employees could take the show home with them.

This footage is missing the music & narration tracks.

[thomasbrown]

It’s originally a duet. It seems this actress is singing only one part and waiting for the other singer to finish.

[zapkvr]

I heard about this on QI. I was just watching the episode again after ten years.

[thomasbrown]

There’s a great documentary on Netflix about this: Bathtubs over Broadway.

[lonniebishop]

Odd but wonderful, and a real find. Outstanding picture quality.

[UNOwen]

Erm, how can there be'outtakes' from a 'commerical', as industrials were NEVER for public consumption.

Yes, they ARE outakes, but, from the film, I believe.