the movie blackboard jungle

by Dr. Vita Tillman Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago 4 min read

See more

"Blackboard Jungle" is remembered for many things. It was the first movie to feature a rock and roll song, "Rock Around the Clock," which Brooks personally chose for the soundtrack. (It wasn't until the movie came out that the song hit No. 1.) "Blackboard Jungle" was a huge hit, MGM's top earner that year, and on a shoestring budget to boot.

Is Blackboard Jungle based on a true story?

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....Blackboard JungleBox office$8,144,00016 more rows

What was the movie Blackboard Jungle about?

World War II veteran Richard Dadier (Glenn Ford) takes a teaching position at a rough New York City school for boys. The staff warns him that the students are nearly impossible to control, but the optimistic Richard remains unfazed. Soon, though, he realizes that his class isn't merely rowdy -- they can be downright dangerous. The students, led by the thuggish Artie West (Vic Morrow), threaten their teacher and his family with violence, yet Richard refuses to give up on the troubled teens.Blackboard Jungle / Film synopsis

Why was blackboard jungle so popular?

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. Fights and riots broke out in many towns in England where the movie was shown.

Where did they film Blackboard Jungle?

Although set in 'New York', 'North Manual High School' never existed outside the MGM backlot in LA. In fact, almost the entire film was shot here in the studio. The only real location comes when Mr Dadier (Glenn Ford) returns to his old middle-class school for advice.

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

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.Jan 7, 2022

How old was Sidney Poitier in The 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

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

What is Blackboard Jungle song?

Rock Around the ClockBLACKBOARD JUNGLE ('55) launched the Rock and Roll era by using "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and His Comets as its theme music. The song was chosen for the theme after it was heard among records owned by Peter Ford, the son of the film's star, Glenn Ford.

Was there a remake of Blackboard Jungle?

Here is some of Schlockmania's favorite home video news thus far this year: Scream Factory has announced the details on their special edition release for the classic exploitation film Class Of 1984. The film is a kind of post-punk version of The Blackboard Jungle in which new teacher Andy Norris…Apr 15, 2015

Who played the teacher in Blackboard Jungle?

One teacher (Louis Calhern) openly mocks Dadier's professional concern. Blackboard Jungle has the instincts of a tabloid exposé. The new music teacher (Margaret Hayes) becomes the target of a rape attempt on the first day of school.

What year did the movie Blackboard Jungle come out?

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

Overview

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…

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 not only Miller but Artie …

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.

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.