From the Thirties through the Fifties, it was usually Warner Brothers who brought the themes of drugs, poverty, crime and juvenile delinquency to the big screen. However it was MGM that took the first real hard look at troubled inner city schools with "Blackboard Jungle", breaking with it's tradition of deep dramas and frothy musicals. It's too bad none of this really helped; looking back from the vantage point of today, we know that the warnings presented in pictures like these didn't make a difference. Things are worse than ever, to the point where the subject matter has escalated to topics like guns in school as depicted in "Bowling for Columbine".
The trailer for the movie prepares the viewer for 'teenage terror in the school', and quite remarkably, the picture succeeds on a number of levels. Not only does it show newly hired high school teachers attempting to deal with delinquents in their classrooms, but there's also a subtext involving race relations that nearly boil over in the confrontation between Miller (Sidney Poitier) and West (Vic Morrow). Richard Dadier's (Glenn Ford) coolness under fire goes a long way to win his students' trust, but it wasn't easy. Balancing the demands of a new job against the responsibilities of marriage and impending fatherhood, Dadier questions his ability to survive the classroom after being beaten up, accused of racism, and generally tormented by his students. This is one of Ford's finest performances.
Considering Sidney Poitier's record as an actor in mature, professional roles ("In the Heat of the Night", "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"), it's a bit awkward seeing him play a heel role like he does here. A year later he upped the ante as an escaped convict, shackled to Tony Curtis in "The Defiant Ones". For viewers who have only seen him in noble roles like the character Mr. Tibbs, it's a treat to catch him in his early career revealing a hint of what was to come.
The rest of the juvenile cast (quite a misnomer, as all were in their twenties) is quite effective here, particularly Vic Morrow as the openly defiant thug who continuously challenges Dadier over his control of the classroom. Dan Terranova (Belazi), Rafael Campos (Morales), and Paul Mazursky (Emmanuel) all do well representing their ethnic counterparts. But you could have knocked me over with a feather when I learned that the character Santini was played by Jamie Farr in his very first screen role! There's a bit of trivia worth noting.
Overall, I think this is a film worth recommending, both as entertainment and for it's historical perspective. It's interesting to reflect on how far we've come in the half century or so since the picture came out. In retrospect, it doesn't strike me that "Rock Around the Clock" was exactly the right theme song to bookend the picture, as it's upbeat tune and lyrics seem more appropriate for something along the lines of "American Graffiti". But then again, if you look at a 1955 play list, you won't find anything that comes close to matching the rebellious spirit of the era. Of course, there was more to come, and compared to the headlines of today, the events portrayed here virtually pale in comparison.
The trailer for the movie prepares the viewer for 'teenage terror in the school', and quite remarkably, the picture succeeds on a number of levels. Not only does it show newly hired high school teachers attempting to deal with delinquents in their classrooms, but there's also a subtext involving race relations that nearly boil over in the confrontation between Miller (Sidney Poitier) and West (Vic Morrow). Richard Dadier's (Glenn Ford) coolness under fire goes a long way to win his students' trust, but it wasn't easy. Balancing the demands of a new job against the responsibilities of marriage and impending fatherhood, Dadier questions his ability to survive the classroom after being beaten up, accused of racism, and generally tormented by his students. This is one of Ford's finest performances.
Considering Sidney Poitier's record as an actor in mature, professional roles ("In the Heat of the Night", "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"), it's a bit awkward seeing him play a heel role like he does here. A year later he upped the ante as an escaped convict, shackled to Tony Curtis in "The Defiant Ones". For viewers who have only seen him in noble roles like the character Mr. Tibbs, it's a treat to catch him in his early career revealing a hint of what was to come.
The rest of the juvenile cast (quite a misnomer, as all were in their twenties) is quite effective here, particularly Vic Morrow as the openly defiant thug who continuously challenges Dadier over his control of the classroom. Dan Terranova (Belazi), Rafael Campos (Morales), and Paul Mazursky (Emmanuel) all do well representing their ethnic counterparts. But you could have knocked me over with a feather when I learned that the character Santini was played by Jamie Farr in his very first screen role! There's a bit of trivia worth noting.
Overall, I think this is a film worth recommending, both as entertainment and for it's historical perspective. It's interesting to reflect on how far we've come in the half century or so since the picture came out. In retrospect, it doesn't strike me that "Rock Around the Clock" was exactly the right theme song to bookend the picture, as it's upbeat tune and lyrics seem more appropriate for something along the lines of "American Graffiti". But then again, if you look at a 1955 play list, you won't find anything that comes close to matching the rebellious spirit of the era. Of course, there was more to come, and compared to the headlines of today, the events portrayed here virtually pale in comparison.