hunter who wrote the blackboard jungle

by Annetta Ledner 3 min read

Blackboard Jungle was based on a popular 1954 novel by Evan Hunter. The film hit a nerve with its unusually brutal depiction of the social conditions of urban schools, and the music and the theme made the movie hugely popular with teenage audiences.

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

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.

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 is the meaning of Blackboard Jungle?

Definition of blackboard jungle : an urban school whose students are generally belligerent and disorderly.

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

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

Was Sidney Poitier in Rock Around the Clock?

Article content. Blackboard Jungle, which entered wide release on March 25, 1955, was groundbreaking enough, providing early success for actors such as Sidney Poitier, Vic Morrow, Jamie Farr, and Paul Mazursky, but its theme song, Rock Around the Clock, made it a true milestone for youth culture.Mar 12, 2015

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.

Why did schools condemn the film Blackboard Jungle?

The film Blackboard Jungle was banned in Memphis, Tennessee, on this day because authorities feared that its depiction of juvenile delinquency was too graphic and might lead kids who see the movie into delinquency.

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Community Reviews

Absorbed this novel. One of those rarities which I always recommend and often reflect back on in my daily happenings. Impactful and one for the ages. Highly recommend.

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.'.

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.

What was the first book Hunter wrote?

The book that launched Hunter into a full-time writing career and onto the bestseller lists was his first major novel, The Blackboard Jungle. Written in 1954, this controversial story cracked down on the public school system and dramatized student violence as no other novel of its time did.

What is Evan Hunter's most famous book?

The book that launched Hunter into a full-time writing career and onto the bestseller lists was his first major novel, The Blackboard Jungle. Written in 1954, this controversial story cracked down on the public school system and dramatized student violence as no other novel of its time did. Hunter used his own teaching experience to create protagonist Richard Dadier, who lands his first real job as an English teacher at North Manual Trades High School in New York City. Dadier knows the students here will be tough, but nothing has prepared him for the world he enters. Hunter's popular and groundbreaking novel attracted much attention when it was first published, and it became a top bestseller in 1955. Set against the changing social culture of the 1950s, The Blackboard Jungle is a fascinating time capsule that brilliantly illuminates an issue still in the forefront of our minds.

Who is Evan Hunter?

He graduated from Hunter College, were he majored in English and psychology, with minors in dramatics and education. He was a prolific writer who also wrote under the names of Ed McBain, Curt Cannon, Hunt Collins, Ezra Hannon, and Richard Marsten. His first major success came in 1954 with the publication of The Blackboard Jungle, which was later adapted as a film. He published the first three books in the 87th Precinct series in 1956 under the name of Ed McBain. He also wrote juvenile books, plays, television scripts, and stories and articles for magazines. He won the Mystery Writers of America Award in 1957 and the Grand Master Award in 1986 for lifetime achievement. He died of laryngeal cancer on July 6, 2005 at the age of 78.

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Overview

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…

Factual background

Hunter's novel was based on his early job as a teacher at Bronx Vocational High School, now known as Alfred E. Smith Career and Technical Education High School in the South Bronx. Hunter, then known as Salvatore Lombino, took the teaching job in 1950 after graduating from Hunter College. He was quickly disillusioned and quit in frustration after two months.

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.

Cast

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

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…