PERVERSION FOR PROFIT-1965-Infamous propaganda film warning of the horrors of adult magazines (called smut) and it's effects on society. It's on screen narrator is George Putnam, at the time a popular radio and TV commentator. It makes some valid points but it's all lost on it's unintentionally funny dialogue. It was produced by real estate developer and financier Charles Keating, later involved in the 1980's savings and loan scandal.
ASK ME, DON'T TELL ME-1961-Interesting short produced by Youth In Service, an early '60's organization that tired to help teenagers in gangs (or jacket clubs). Black, White and Hispanic youth are all involved. There's straight narration but occasionally another guy talks in jive and nice background music by The Five Chips (they do versions of Johnny B. Goode and La Bamba). It's very positive and not the usual propaganda crap.
THE TROUBLE MAKER-1957-Mel, a big mouth liar who likes to spread rumors gets 2 football players into trouble after lying about dating a female student. Not much else happens and at the end the narrator asks "what would you do?". It was directed by Herk Harvey who a few years later made the unforgettable CARNIVAL OF SOULS.
GANG BOY-1954-Badly made but interesting little short about teenager violence as two street gangs (one White, one Chicano) do battle. Danny, the leader of the Chicano gang narrates most of it as he looks back on his life and remembers how he became a "gang boy". Was this the inspiration for WEST SIDE STORY? Producer Sid Davis and writer/director Arthur Swerdloff made several other shorts along this line. Most of them used post-sync dialogue, a device later used to the hilt by Doris Wishman on most of her films.
Take care and stay dry!
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