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Los Angeles Times
By Kevin Thomas
We see them on infomercials or at the mall, delivering spiels. In the documentary Pitch People, they speak for themselves. Stanley Jacobs' Pitch People, which screens tonight at 7:30 at the Egyptian, is one of the most entertaining films the American Cinematheque's Alternative Screen showcase has presented.
Finding an apt subject is ever the documentary filmmaker's key task, and in this Jacobs has been truly inspired. He introduces a group of pitch people--individuals who try to sell all manner of gadgets and products by demonstrating how they work--at fairs, flea markets and, of course, on TV, especially in the age of the infomercial.
These are colorful, engaging folks who work hard trying to induce us to buy those kitchen gadgets that slice, dice, grate and shred with lightning speed and efficiency. The golden rule, we learn, is that the product must actually work and that the pitch person must believe in it. Whether you will actually get around to using such thingamajigs once you get them home is a whole other matter--the last thing that the pitch person wants you to think about.
Receiving special attention are two brothers, Arnold and Lester Morris, of Asbury Park, N.J. Their father, Nat, was a pioneering legend in the field...
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