Passing Parade No. 53: The Great American Mug

A visit to a barbershop, the place where men go to relax, gossip, and trade old stories and jokes. It's a place of the latest gadgets too. Then, using a photo on the wall as a taking-off point, the film hearkens back to a turn-of-the century tonsorial parlor. There, a shave and a haircut are two bits. Beards and sideburns are trimmed, special brushes help keep hair from falling out, and for 30 minutes, a man can relax in a mohair chair that cost the barber $20 installed. In the back, a traveler can take a bath for 20 cents. The stories and jokes seem to be the same - only the prices have changed.