The 1940s and 1950s were an odd time in the development of education. Particularly in the development of the very affordable
9mm film projector, meaning that school across the United States could
afford to own multiple units. Once this occurred the educational film
industry began to boom. Much like the development of computers and most currently smartboards, the use of educational shorts was considered to be the magic wand that
would transform education into something easy and affordable. The
educational films were often touted at the time to be the ultimate font
of knowledge for students to suckle at.
Which of course it turned out not to be. Eventually various companies found that they could not compete with topic covering the normal range of academic subjects: Literature, science, mathematics, etc. They decided to branch off into social guidance areas. This essentially began with Sid Meyer's classic The Dangerous Stranger, a short
about being wary of people you don't know. Students at the time took
these with the required pound of salt, but administrators thought they
sent an "important message" so they kept ordering them.
Among
the topics covered the ones about relationships and dating are the most
hysterical. As sex was a taboo subject, the films tended to flit around
the subject in a ham-fisted manner, sometimes eliminating it entirely. Often the "bad relationship" or the "wrong girl/boy" are depicted as the ones having the most fun, while the good youths are boring, drab, and ultimately lifeless.
Dating Dos and Don't (1949)
Beginning to Date (1953)
The Prom: It's a Pleasure (1963)
Better Use of Leisure Time (1950)
For more fun try Across the Wounded Galaxy by Rex Hurst
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