Roosevelt’s numerous allies included the burgeoning Hollywood film industry. The following transcript is from a film produced by the Hollywood studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and starring the actor Jimmy Durante. The clip used humor and song to express support for Roosevelt and to propose ways in which American employers could contribute to economic recovery.

00:00:00

[orchestral music]

[audience applauding]

00:00:25

JIMMY DURANTE: [singing to music] You and you and you and you, you’ve got a President now. He gave the land a New Deal. You hold the cards, now you deal. You and you and you and you and you put shoulders to the plough. He gave us what we asked fer, now pay him back somehow. Step out in front, get back of the President, and give a man a job. He bore the brunt, now bear with the President, and give a man a job. If the old name of Roosevelt makes the old heart throb, you take this message straight from the President and give a man a job.

00:01:11

You look like a banker. Who drives your car?

MALE AUDIENCE MEMBER 1: I drive it myself, but have a cigar.

JIMMY DURANTE: Keep your cigar and hire a chauffeur and keep a man from becoming a loafer.

You look like a grocer.

MALE AUDIENCE MEMBER 2: No, sir. My job’s extermination.

00:01:26

JIMMY DURANTE: You must give your assistants each a nice weekend vacation.

MALE AUDIENCE MEMBER 2: And I’ll need more men to kill the rats.

JIMMY DURANTE: We want you to hire a crowd. You do good work if you hang out this sign. [handing him a National Recovery Administraion (NRA) poster] It means “No Rats Allowed.”

What’s the matter with you?

FEMALE AUDIENCE MEMBER: I’m a very sick woman.

JIMMY DURANTE: Oh, a hypo-crondiac. You’d best get a doctor for pneumonia, a doctor for insomnia, one for osmosis and two for halitosis.

00:01:56

One for amenia and one for exczem-ia, neuritis, bronchitis, phlebitis, St. Vitus or any other kind of an -itis, that will delight us. You must get a doctor for every disease you’ve got, and that way he’ll give you lots of enjoyment. And in that way, Madam, you will help to end unemployment.

Now listen to me, everybody. Step up in front, get back of him, get back of the President and give a man a job.

You know he bore the brunt, you know that, I know it. So step up and give a man a job. You know who’s in back of this signia of NRA? No? Well, I’ll tell you. And when I do, it’ll give your heart a trump.

00:02:36

You take this message straight from the President and give—a—man—a job.

[cheering and applause]