This is different from what I usually view and review here; I found this on a site (don't ask which one) last night, which was the first time I had heard of this 20 minute short. The topic: promoting the hiring of handicapped individuals by employers and businesses. Of course it is an admirable idea and an all-star cast is present. A reel of film is projected in a boardroom to corporate bigwigs in an attempt to convince them of this movement, and the projectionist is someone who would become quite famous himself in a few years.
Sorrell Booke-for me it was odd to hear his normal speaking voice instead of his Boss Hogg accent-is in charge and those in the room include Charlotte Rae. The famous names that appear throughout-mostly for only a few seconds-include Beverly Archer, Martin Mull, Ed Asner, Norman Lear, Jim Neighbors, Carroll O'Connor, Jim Nabors, and two Golden Girls: Rue McClanahan and Betty White. The projectionist also created the film, which uses various approaches to address the idea... some are supposed to be better than others. Thus, the opening musical number done by people in wheelchairs and several with dwarfism (!) was supposed to be cringe-worthy. This was also supposed to be comedic, and that was hit or miss. At least it was a nice message and many examples were listed as to why employers shouldn't shy away from those with a handicap, whether it be blindness, deafness, wheelchair, dwarfism, or anything else.
This projectionist/producer-named HOWARD SCARFF-was played by none other than... Michael Keaton! Even better, he wears a Star Wars shirt that says “Darth Vader Lives”... which was odd as he did not die in A New Hope, but it was still an amazing sight. This was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film; I mention that as it lost to Teenager Father, directed by someone who found fame in the 80's: Taylor Hackford.
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