Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox

Filmmaker Sara Lamm never met Emanuel H. Bronner—he died in 1997—but she's a fan of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap, the product he concocted after emigrating to the U.S. from Germany in 1929. It's a “peppermint-infused, all-natural, multipurpose liquid” that can be used to “wash your hands, brush your teeth, clean your hair, and more.” Bronner's heirs still make the soap at the family's plant in Los Angeles and sell more than 4.5 million bottles of it each year. Every container is wrapped with a label detailing in tiny print the unusual and evolving philosophy that Bronner, a third-generation master soapmaker, first espoused in 1912 and that he called “the Moral ABC,” designed “to unite all mankind free.” Lamm uses archival footage to introduce Bronner, who was briefly committed to a mental hospital in Illinois in 1947 before escaping and moving to California; but the real star of the film is Bronner's mild-mannered son, Ralph, who, when Lamm wrote to the company for information, flew to New York from his home in Menomonee Falls, WI, to meet her—while also, of course, acquainting even more people with the “magic soap.” DVD extras include audio commentary by the director; an updated 13-minute interview about the family business with Bronner's grandson, David; a featurette on fair trade olive oil; and a radio piece by Lamm. Recommended. Aud: J, H, C, P. (F. Zoretich)