Trader Thorne

Joe Wilding is the hotshot car salesman at the local Ford dealer. The year is 1950 and the new Fords have just come out. He's assigned to teach the new salesman how to sell cars. The movie follows Joe thru a typical day of calling leads, dropping off business cards, fishing for new prospects, talking to potential buyers in the showroom and working a deal. The new guy starts to get the idea and by the end is sufficiently confident and motivated he proposes to his girlfriend. She accepts.

Directed by Jack Tilles, Trader Thorne leans on a strong ensemble — Hugh Beaumont, Glen Denning, Frances Helm — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1950.