Blackboard Jungle

Rating: Unrated

Movie Release Date: March 19, 1955

DVD Release Date: May 10, 2005

Plot 411: A new teacher is faced with a class of unruly boys and apathetic co-workers but continues in his fight to reach them both.

Review: Similar to Dangerous Minds, this is another show about bad kids and teachers with good intentions. I guess you can say this is the grandfather of this genre since it was made in the '50s. I was surprised at the short PSA-like message before the film started. The film really was made in an effort to educate the public about the increasingly rebelious behavior of kids of this generation. It's interesting to see that not much has changed since then. In the film, one of the reasons for the disruptive behavior is the war. It took away fathers and mothers both - men to war, women out of the home and into the workplace - leaving the child alone with no moral teaching from either their family or church. In some ways, this still applies today. Another interesting thing about the film is how differently women were portrayed. They were much more fragile and faint of heart than we are today. I suppose the women's lib movement of the '60s and '70s are responsible for this. Besides the male/female dichotomy, I was surprised that there wasn't a color barrier between the black and white kids. In fact, Sidney Poitier played one of the students who were seen as a leader. I found this, and the diversity found within the rest of the class, to be interesting and even forward-thinking for this time period.

Watch It: For another take on students of the 1950s. It's like Grease but without the singing and dancing.

Skip It: If you're looking for a unique plot. This one's pretty much the same as all the rest.

Trailer: