Gee. I work at a dealership and I'm supposed to sell cars? And keep track of prospects and sales? Thanks John for bringing that revolutionary concept to auto retailing. And that mustache sure is a great disguise. Who'd have thought it was you
@@davidtagliaferri The suggestion is that the salesman just happened to be there when a guy showed up ready to buy a car, that he didn't have to work for the sale.
Considering Ford had people that spied on employees to make sure they were living the way Henry wanted his workers to live (no drinking, no staying out late, ect), and if you didn’t, it was cause for firing. Then this was just the way things were.
If you had watched this film in 1927 and seen yourself portrayed as a lunkheaded dealer, lackadaisical salesman, or a dirty sneak of an accountant, would you be motivated?
Schrodinger's Zombie, and anyone else still interested, "floor gravy" roughly translates to "b.s.", with specific reference to one's monetary worth. The expression came out of the culture of the Speakeasy during Prohibition. I remember my grandmother using the phrase.
@@bradboustead1682 I guess I'm floor gravy then. I stay out of car dealerships until I'm 100% ready especially with my wife since she always wants to go home with a new car.
A lot of that started to change after the 1908 Rhodes Opera House fire in Boyertown Pa in my state. 171 people were killed because the people couldn’t get out because the doors opened inward. It took awhile before it was changed across the country.
35 cars sold in one month by a single salesman? That’s pretty good. Even 15 cars a month is good enough for a salesman to keep his job at any dealer. I used to work at a Hyundai dealer and the top salesman sold an average of 30 cars a month and he was considered great at his job.
No thank you..... Sitting on a cold seat taking a poop in an unheated alcove off the back porch? Dying of the lymphoma that didn't kill me in 2012? 1927 was no picnic. (or the aftermath of the crash two years later)
@@martyzielinski2469 you might not have even made it to get lymphoma. Congratulations on beating it. That is great! Progress is everything. Looking back is interesting but wouldn't want to go there for real..
No idea but that salesman was handed a check for the modern equivalent to just over $4000. The rent on the dealer was over $6000. I hope these weren’t weekly paychecks.
I'm guessing they wanted to catch up to old Henry Ford on the SOB of the year award. Looks like Mills rolled 13 that week, that's about average to above average for a month now. Used car losses? also known as incompetence! I find it interesting May was their big month, I would of guessed fall, both for the new models, closeout on the old and farmer's crops coming in they had money and the fall and settled up their accounts with the merchants.
$850 was a huge monthly salary in 1927. The average high school teacher was earning about $2500 a year. Even by 1970, most people did not make that much.
John, I hired you to be the bookkeeper, not the self appoint company spy. You're FIRED!
This an amazing look into our past and how the Chevrolet Dealers were structured nearly 100 years ago. Fascinating !
John is the kind of twerp most employees would throw off the roof of a building.
Gee. I work at a dealership and I'm supposed to sell cars? And keep track of prospects and sales? Thanks John for bringing that revolutionary concept to auto retailing. And that mustache sure is a great disguise. Who'd have thought it was you
Little did they know...Two years later they would all be waiting in the bread lines waiting for a crumb...LOL!
Sad but true.
What does he mean when he says floor gravey?
@@davidtagliaferri The suggestion is that the salesman just happened to be there when a guy showed up ready to buy a car, that he didn't have to work for the sale.
the entire sales staff got $850 not just one guy/ looked like there were four guys so probably $200 each
You never hear a swear word in a silent film.
The good ol days, when they actually left the text on screen LONG ENOUGH TO READ IT ALL!!
FLOOR GRAVY!
John, I hired you to be the bookkeeper, not the self appointed company spy. You're FIRED!
In the days before computers, accountants like John were the main source of hard data in a business. Profits went UP as a result of his spying.
Considering Ford had people that spied on employees to make sure they were living the way Henry wanted his workers to live (no drinking, no staying out late, ect), and if you didn’t, it was cause for firing. Then this was just the way things were.
awesome!
awsome!
If you had watched this film in 1927 and seen yourself portrayed as a lunkheaded dealer, lackadaisical salesman, or a dirty sneak of an accountant, would you be motivated?
Schrodinger's Zombie, and anyone else still interested, "floor gravy" roughly translates to "b.s.", with specific reference to one's monetary worth. The expression came out of the culture of the Speakeasy during Prohibition. I remember my grandmother using the phrase.
Why is there even an audio track to this??????????
Love the random "Floor gravy!"
Can anyone tell me what the heck that means?
The customers who walk into the showroom ready to buy.
@@bradboustead1682 I guess I'm floor gravy then. I stay out of car dealerships until I'm 100% ready especially with my wife since she always wants to go home with a new car.
Wow, the girl in the drug store’s a real beauty and she had time to talk with the salesman!
The accountant is a self-appointed micro-manager. "Floor Gravy", I say!
John, that is a fake mustache, not a fucking cape of invisibility.
The same logic by which a pair of eyeglasses hides the fact that Clark Kent is Superman.
Inward opening exterior door? That workplace building is a fire trap. 🔥
In those days the modern concepts of fire safety were in their extreme infancy.
A lot of that started to change after the 1908 Rhodes Opera House fire in Boyertown Pa in my state. 171 people were killed because the people couldn’t get out because the doors opened inward. It took awhile before it was changed across the country.
35 cars sold in one month by a single salesman? That’s pretty good. Even 15 cars a month is good enough for a salesman to keep his job at any dealer. I used to work at a Hyundai dealer and the top salesman sold an average of 30 cars a month and he was considered great at his job.
Back before sounds.
look at how much our dollar has been devalued in less than 100 years....where did all of that value go? into the bankers pockets I suspect...
When he was informed that fat John died ; he owner of the dealership said "well what is for lunch " ? i'm hungry !
Two colors, black and real black.
Most films were still silent at this time. The first feature sound film The Jazz Singer would come out this same year.
@@stevenoverwood2474 fatty Arbuckle films are a good example too.
@@56cadd True and Charlie Chaplin from the silent era.
@@stevenoverwood2474 ya him and the other 2 stunt guys that they would put 20s music to, Harold Loyd and Buster Keaton.
take me thereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
No thank you..... Sitting on a cold seat taking a poop in an unheated alcove off the back porch? Dying of the lymphoma that didn't kill me in 2012? 1927 was no picnic. (or the aftermath of the crash two years later)
Marty Zielinski take me there anyway, I would'nt mind it one bit. I'd give anything to go back.
@@martyzielinski2469 you might not have even made it to get lymphoma. Congratulations on beating it. That is great! Progress is everything. Looking back is interesting but wouldn't want to go there for real..
What is at 19:57 "Burning the Midnight Mazda" ? wtf ?
Mazda made light bulbs back then, probably a reference to working nights with the lights on.
John Bangs is my new "movie" name
What does he mean when he says floor gravey?
Customer who walks into the showroom ready to buy.
where was it filmed? detroit?
Edgewater Grocery Co. has me thinking Chicago.
The checks say Andrews Chevy, in Chicago.
I wonder what the commission was on a 1927 Chevrolet.. 1 dollar? 2?
Couple 5180$, sedan 2100$ in 27.
No idea but that salesman was handed a check for the modern equivalent to just over $4000. The rent on the dealer was over $6000. I hope these weren’t weekly paychecks.
22:42 Holy crap Mr. Andrews, this guy's nutty as a fruitcake!
Apparently front and rear bumpers were optional back then.
They were considered as nice options, safety wasn't a thing back then.
Find a way to screw the employees, that’s good business.
I'm guessing they wanted to catch up to old Henry Ford on the SOB of the year award. Looks like Mills rolled 13 that week, that's about average to above average for a month now. Used car losses? also known as incompetence! I find it interesting May was their big month, I would of guessed fall, both for the new models, closeout on the old and farmer's crops coming in they had money and the fall and settled up their accounts with the merchants.
An old car salesman told me, "if you can make it through January and February, you can March through April and May"
$850 was a huge monthly salary in 1927. The average high school teacher was earning about $2500 a year. Even by 1970, most people did not make that much.
It wasn't all for one guy, it was divvied up between four guys. About $200 each which was still a lot of money for that time period.
The sales manager got $250 or just over $4000 today. Hope that wasn’t weekly.
vsau
vsauce army coming through
Luna maya sekxy
Now this was just...dumb.
Freaky