A Really Important Person

Notes of Life

Invalid date •English

Mike is a a failed singer/songwriter with a good heart. When he decides to give his dream one last shot by entering a singing contest, he is threatened by rising talent, J.R. When friendly competition turns personal, Mike must search his soul to find himself and deliver his greatest performance.

Stairway to Light

November 1945 •English

This John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short tells the story of 18th Century French physician Dr. Philippe Pinel, who initiated enlightened, humane treatment of the mentally ill.

The Woman in the House

May 1942 •English

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 argument with her fiancé. He leaves her house, goes off to serve in the Boer War, and dies of malaria. Catherine blames herself for his death and fears others will also blame her. She does not leave her house for forty years. Groceries are delivered to the house, but no one sees who retrieves them. When the Nazis bomb her house in September 1941, she is forced to cope with the outside world.

Glengarry Glen Ross

September 1992 •English

When an office full of Chicago real estate salesmen is given the news that all but the top two will be fired at the end of the week, the atmosphere begins to heat up. Shelley Levene, who has a sick daughter, does everything in his power to get better leads from his boss, John Williamson, but to no avail. When his coworker Dave Moss comes up with a plan to steal the leads, things get complicated for the tough-talking salesmen.

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas

December 1977 •English

A poor otter family risks everything for the chance to win the cash prize of a talent contest for Christmas.

The Seesaw and the Shoes

May 1945 •English

This short shows how two objects led to important discoveries. Children playing with a seesaw inspire French physician Rene Laennec to invent the stethoscope, and a pair of shoes made of caoutchouc lead Charles Goodyear to discover the process for vulcanizing rubber.

80 for Brady

February 2023 •English

Four longtime best friends decide to live life to the fullest by embarking on a wild trip to Super Bowl LI to see their hero, quarterback Tom Brady play. Inspired by a true story.

Lafangey Parindey

August 2010 •Hindi

The path of a street fighter and a dancer on skates, who are in love, is paved by friendship, grit and hope.

Passing Parade

October 1938 •English

Three specific and separate stories of life's passing parade are presented.

That's Why I Left You

June 1943 •English

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 early on in their married life, such as the basics of trying to make ends meet. But after Joe leaves Mary and their inner city life, she finds an unpostmarked envelope under their apartment door with her name written in Joe's handwriting. It contains a letter explaining why he left. It has primarily to do with his feeling that another part of his life was being left behind for his married life, that other life which consists of a want to travel, especially sail the south seas. The actual impetus to leave was inadvertently fostered by Mary through the birthday present she bought for him. So what actually did happen to Joe and will he ever return to his loving wife?

Dreams

November 1940 •English

This entry in MGM's Passing Parade series looks at the meaning of dreams, including one by Abraham Lincoln that foretold his death.

State Fair

February 1933 •English

The children of Iowa farmers find love, with mixed results, at the state fair.

Nutshells

July 1995 •Arabic

To face the declining revenues of the hotel that Raouf runs, he announces a competition to eat the largest amount of food in order to attract more guests, but hundreds of poor people join the contest, turning it into a tragedy that demonstrates various forms of suffering.

Contest

February 1982 •Romanian

An outdoors orientation contest turns into a journey to the participants' self and conscience.

Souvenirs of Death

June 1948 •English

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 way into the hands of an American gangster.

Angel of Mercy

May 1939 •English

This MGM Passing Parade series short tells the story of Clara Barton, the founder of the Red Cross.

Please Stand By

January 2018 •English

A young autistic woman runs away from her caregiver in order to boldly go and deliver her 500-page Star Trek script to a writing competition in Hollywood. On an adventure full of laughter and tears, Wendy follows the guiding spirit of Mr. Spock on her journey into the unknown.

Madero of Mexico

November 1942 •English

This Passing Parade series short chronicles the political life of Francisco Madero, who tried to bring democracy and land reform to Mexico.

X Un Millón de Euros

June 2023 •Spanish

To My Unborn Son

October 1943 •English

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, explaining what he was fighting for in resisting the Nazi invasion of his homeland. A John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short.