Let's Be Good Citizens at School (1953)

Shows the importance of being neat and careful and of helping in such ways as picking up another's coat and making a new child feel he belongs to the group.

What makes a good citizen at school? According to the incredibly irritating, sing-song narrator of this film, good citizenship involves "being careful not to destroy what belongs to other people," "playing safe," "being neat," "minding your own business," and making sure that your pencil has "a good sharp point." As evidence of where these rules can lead us, we are briefly introduced to Harvey -- "the happiest boy in school" -- as this tubby, mongoloid child waddles along an open-air walkway, grinning idiotically and waving frantically at every kid in the school yard, who all cheerfully wave back. It's pretty strange. This film has an actual tracking shot, as Harvey waddles quickly past his happy legions.
If nothing else, this film reflects how "safety," "togetherness" and "citizenship" all served as synonyms for "conformity" in the fifties. It's not a particularly entertaining production, but it is satisfactorily ill.

Producer: Camerart Pictures

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• social
• guidance
• citizenship
• 1950s
• children
• school
• rules
• conformity
• brainwashing

[solitarydot]

Tommy is cool as hell.

[mafiaslicka]

fucking Tommy, what a dipshit



[tstlkevanilla]

Lol at 5:58.

[nanlisa]

Look at what happened in Cleveland yesterday (Monday, February 27). Another high school shooting. And also yesterday, a fifth grader right here in Philadelphia brought a gun into school.

I don't care if this film was from 1953! They need to show it in the schools today! We don't need any more Columbines!

[MrPancakers]

All of these kids are old people now.

[TheWoshmc]

3:30 like a boss

[LucindaMorde]

6:15 He clearly saw his leg stretched out.

[Left4funn]

3:27 haters gon' hate

[InRegardsToMetal]

the new cover looks......gay.

[1010Huey]

Harvey: Rush Limbaugh when he was popular.

[tauwilltriumph]

@vivi2466 gay=swell in 50s lingo

[spellgrounds]

who the hell edited the audio ? and this world needs more Tommys the school system robs the children of their own creativity and destroys their souls in many cases , thats why I hassled the shit out of all my school teachers and headmasters and all they could do was to cain my ass Lol !

you don't have to be a murder to rebel against the system