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Unusual Occupations III

1937 Documentary

Part of the Cast

Ken Carpenter - Narrator
Vic Bilkovsky - Himself
Revis Cortwright - Himself
George Kona - Himself
Carlos Llopas - Himself
Anne McKenly - Herself
L.J. Murphy - Himself (glass tinter)
Joe Strobel - Himself
Kathryn Stuberg Jr - Herself
Kathryn Stuberg - Herself



This series entry features a number of people with offbeat occupations. In San Francisco, George Kona makes hand-carved reproductions of fine furniture with intricate designs. Some of his handiwork has been on display in the Smithsonian Institution. Anne McKenly of Cleveland, Ohio is the president of a welding school. Vic Bilkovsky's angleworm farm in Alhambra, California sells cans of 50 worms at 40 cents apiece. He sold 5 million cans of his 'product' in 1937. A Mexico City artist paints pictures only of bulls and bullfighting. In Hollywood, Revis Cortwright trains dogs to act in the movies. For over thirty years, Joe Strobel has worked in soap factory in Los Angeles. His job is tasting the soap 'batter' to ensure it has been cooked enough before it is formed into bars. L.J. Murphy, the only resident of Rhyolite, Nevada, lives in a house made of beer bottles. Finally, Kathryn Stuberg and her daughter run a factory in Hollywood that makes mannequins for department stores.
Summary written by Rob Crawford

L.J. Murphy took care of the Bottle House from 1929 until his death in 1953. Did he live in the bottle house? Unknown, but everything indicates he probably did. .

Narrated by Ken Carpenter
Written by Gayne Whitman
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Filming locations: Alhambra, California - Cleveland, Ohio - Hollywood, California
Los Angeles, California - Mexico City, Mexico
Rhyolite, Nevada and San Francisco, California


This film is also known by "Unusual Occupations L-7-2 " in the United States