Who cares about the life and death of a drop of gasoline? You will after you see Down the Gasoline Trail. Mixing smart animation, live-action photography, and an original musical score, Jam Handy's nameless animation wizards crafted a delightful film that manages to engage the viewer in the details of a process we ordinarily take for granted. This early JHO/Chevrolet film superimposes cartoon animation over industrial photography as it follows an anthropomorphized drop of gasoline through the "efficiently designed gasoline delivery system" of a Chevy engine. The little drop swims, slides and flies through the gas tank, fuel pump, and manifold until he is finally inflated like a balloon by the carburetor and blown to bits by a spark plug. "He's led a very fortunate life!" the narrator reminds us as the little drop sprouts angel wings and flies off to smog heaven. A fun film; informative and well-produced.
