blackboard jungle is a 1955 social commentary

by Freda O'Kon 7 min read

The American drama film Blackboard Jungle (1955) is a social commentary that highlighted violence in urban schools and also helped spark the rock-and-roll revolution by featuring the hit song “Rock Around the Clock” (1954) by Bill Haley and His Comets. It was the first major film to feature rock music on its sound track.

The American drama film Blackboard Jungle (1955) is a social commentary that highlighted violence in urban schools and also helped spark the rock-and-roll revolution by featuring the hit song “Rock Around the Clock” (1954) by Bill Haley and His Comets.

Full Answer

What is Blackboard Jungle about?

Blackboard Jungle is a 1955 social commentary film about teachers in an inner-city school. It is based on the novel of the same name by Evan Hunter.

When did the movie Blackboard Jungle come out on DVD?

How did Dadi-O get his name on the blackboard?

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Why did Blackboard Jungle cause controversy?

The novel The Blackboard Jungle caused a great deal of controversy surrounding the state of education in the United States during the 1950's. It paints a less than bright picture of inner-city education as it focuses on a young teacher teaching at a trade school filled with young, violent juvenile delinquents.Jan 21, 2007

What year was Blackboard Jungle?

March 25, 1955 (USA)Blackboard Jungle / Release date

Who is Mr dadier?

Plot. In the mid-1950s, Richard Dadier is a new teacher at North Manual Trades High School, an inner-city school of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Led by student Gregory Miller, most engage in anti-social behavior. The school principal, Mr.

What is Blackboard Jungle song?

Rock Around the ClockToday's Morning Edition music is from the song "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and His Comets. It didn't grab much attention when it was released as a B-side in 1954. But once it was featured in "Blackboard Jungle" the following year it quickly became a hit.Feb 19, 2015

How old was Sidney Poitier when he was in Blackboard Jungle?

He grew up in the Bahamas, but moved to Miami at age 15, and to New York City when he was 16. He joined the American Negro Theatre, landing his breakthrough film role as a high school student in the film Blackboard Jungle (1955)....Sidney Poitier.Sidney Poitier KBE2002–2007Ambassador to UNESCO18 more rows

What was the significance of the film Blackboard Jungle quizlet?

SIGNIFICANCE: WAS USED IN MOVIE: "BLACKBOARD JUNGLE" IN 1955, WHEN IT BECAME A MAJOR HIT AND AN ANTHEM FOR TEENAGE REBELLIOUSNESS (EVEN ASSOCIATED WITH JUVENILE DELINQUENCY WHICH WAS THE THEME OF THE MOVIE). ALSO BECAME A HUGE HIT IN ENGLAND AND IS ONE OF THE MAJOR INFLUENCES OF ALL THE BRITISH ROCKERS.

How old is Sidney Poitier and what is his net worth?

Sidney Poitier was a Bahamian-American Oscar-winning actor, director, activist, and ambassador who had a net worth of $20 million....Sidney Poitier Net Worth.Full Name:Sidney PoitierNet Worth:$20 MillionAge:94Country:United StatesBorn:20 February 19272 more rows•Jan 13, 2022

Who wrote Blackboard Jungle?

Richard BrooksBlackboard Jungle / ScreenplayRichard Brooks was an American screenwriter, film director, novelist and film producer. Nominated for eight Oscars in his career, he was best known for Blackboard Jungle, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Elmer Gantry, In Cold Blood and Looking for Mr. Goodbar. Wikipedia

Did Sidney Poitier star in Blackboard Jungle?

In his third big-screen hit that year, Poitier did a role reversal from his "Blackboard Jungle" days -- this time going behind the teacher's desk at an inner-city London school. Poitier turned to directing in the '70s, first on projects like "Buck and the Preacher" and "Uptown Saturday Night" where he also starred.

What is the movie Blackboard Jungle about?

Box office. $8,144,000. Blackboard Jungle is a 1955 social drama film about teachers in an interracial inner-city school, based on the 1954 novel The Blackboard Jungle by Evan Hunter and adapted for the screen and directed by Richard Brooks. It is remembered for its innovative use of rock and roll in its soundtrack, ...

How many copies of Blackboard Jungle were sold?

Thanks to BLACKBOARD JUNGLE, the song hit number one on the Billboard charts, eventually selling 25 million copies and becoming what Dick Clark called 'The National Anthem of Rock'n' Roll.'.

What does Kraal offer Dadier?

Kraal offers Dadier a job, but he declines. After chiding his class for calling each other racially divisive names, Dadier is himself falsely accused by Mr. Warneke of using racial epithets in the classroom. West encounters Dadier during his gang's robbery of a newspaper truck.

Why was Rock Around the Clock not heard in the movie?

In some theaters, when the film was in first release, the song was not heard at all at the beginning of the film because rock and roll was considered a bad influence.

Who are the teachers in the movie Dadier?

Dadier befriends two other new teachers, Joshua Edwards and Lois Hammond. Dadier's class includes not only Miller but Artie West, a rebellious bully and gang leader. The class shows no respect for Dadier. Dadier encourages Miller to lead the class in the right direction.

Who is Richard Dadier?

In the mid-1950s, Richard Dadier is a new teacher at North Manual Trades High School, an inner-city school of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Led by student Gregory Miller, most engage in anti-social behavior.

Who plays Dadi-O in the movie?

When the teacher, Mr Dadier (Glenn Ford), writes his name on the blackboard early in the film, one of the students throws a baseball and knocks a hole in the blackboard at the end of his name, Dadier becomes Dadi-O and the class erupts in laughter and calls him "Daddy-O".

Why was Blackboard Jungle rejected?

Due to the movie's theme of juvenile deliquency & violence, "Blackboard Jungle" was initially rejected in other countries such as Italy and the United Kingdom, but some of the scenes from the film were eventually cut out in those particular countries.

Who is Asgard's son?

Presented by Microsoft Teams | With his new streaming series upon us, we take a look at everything that motivates Asgard‘s not-so-favorite son, Loki — with input from a clinical psychologist — and what can be done to get to the root of his issues. Check out the video above!

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Overview

Blackboard Jungle is a 1955 American social drama film about teachers in an interracial inner-city school, based on the 1954 novel The Blackboard Jungle by Evan Hunter and adapted for the screen and directed by Richard Brooks. It is remembered for its innovative use of rock and rollin its soundtrack, for casting grown adults as high school teens, and for the unique breakout role of a black …

Plot

In the mid-1950s, Richard Dadier is a new teacher at North Manual Trades High School, an inner-city school of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Led by student Gregory Miller, most engage in anti-social behavior. The school principal, Mr. Warneke, denies there are discipline issues, but the school faculty, particularly Mr. Murdock, warn Dadier otherwise. Dadier befriends two other new teachers, Joshua Edwards and Lois Hammond. Dadier's class includes Miller and Artie West, a r…

Cast

• Glenn Ford as Richard Dadier
• Sidney Poitier as Gregory Miller
• Vic Morrow as Artie West
• Anne Francis as Anne Dadier

Critical reception

"As a straight melodrama of juvenile violence this is a vivid and hair-raising film", wrote Bosley Crowther of The New York Times in a positive review. "Except for some incidental romance, involving the teacher and his wife and a little business about the latter having a baby, it is as hard and penetrating as a nail." Variety called it "a film with a melodramatic impact that hits hard at a contemporary problem. The casting, too, is exceptionally good". Harrison's Reportscalled the fil…

Box office

According to MGM records the film earned $5,292,000 in the US and Canada and $2,852,000 elsewhere.

Awards and honors

In 2010, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) listed the soundtrack of the movie on its list of the Top 15 Most Influential Movie Soundtracks of all time. TCM described the impact and the influence of the movie:
MGM brought Hollywood into the rock'n'roll era with BLACKBOARD JUNGLE. In search of the kind of music teens like the film's potential delinquents were listening to, director Richard Brooks borr…

Cultural impact

The film marked the rock and roll revolution by featuring Bill Haley & His Comets' "Rock Around the Clock", initially a B-side, over the film's opening credits (with a lengthy drum solo introduction, unlike the originally released single), as well as in the first scene, in an instrumental version in the middle of the film, and at the close of the movie, establishing that song as an instant hit. The record had been released the previous year, gaining only limited sales. But, popularized by its us…

Home media

The film was released on DVD in North America on May 10, 2005 by Warner Home Video.