Blackboard Jungle, the

The movie's cast is thoroughly excellent. Ford is at once tough and terribly vulnerable as the embattled new teacher, Margaret Hayes is all patrician slinkiness as For'd wanne-be paramour, Sidney Poitier is convincing as the slowly mellowing student, and Anne Francis is even sexier than she was in "Forbidden Planet" as Ford's supportive but insecure wife.

There's much to appreciate in this film. Partly intended to help comat the growing problem of juvenile delinquency in 50s America, the film tries hard to achieve realism and generally succeeds. The students in Ford's class are disillusioned, lazy, suspicious, arrogant, obnoxious, and sometimes dangerous--which is exactly how teens are in real life. The only typical teenage bad habit that's not portrayed (or at least suggested) is cursing, which of course 50s moral standards would not allow on the big screen. But if they don't swear, Ford's students have no trouble finding other ways to be both annoying and anarchic, just like real kids. Interestingly, Ford discovers (much like this reviewer did) that sometimes the best way to reach apathetic kids is with a cartoon. Sad.

Another great thing about this movie is its approach to the politics of the school world. The movie's teachers argue and struggle not only with their students, but amongst themselves. Moreover, the encroaching dangers of multiculturalism are, perhaps inadverdantly, accurately addressed as Ford must deal with ethnic divisions amongst his students which some are eager to exploit for their own gain, as when Ford is unfairly accused of racism simply because of some careless word choices. In today's schools Political Correctness is indeed the rule, often to the detriment of real learning and growth, so at least one of the film's pertinent warnings has gone ignored.

Though some might find "The Blackboard Jungle" dated, it is in fact as timely in all the important ways as it was in the 50s. The American educational problem continues to undercut many of society's more noble aims, and it will do so as long as the powers that be refuse to take the necessary steps to reach a solution. Teens must be taught there are absolutes in life and be expected to live up to them, not encouraged to simply indulge their every whim. Perhaps if enough of us adults in liberated America come to realize this for ourselves, we can at least begin to convince our children of it.


Never Give Up   March 20, 2002
hille2000 (USA)
Filmmakers through their motion pictures often reflect or mirror traits or problems with society. Some filmmakers even affect society by their works. The effects of some movies may be positive or they may have an opposite effect that is detrimental to society. Problem: Filmmakers may glamorize a problem in society by the very motion pictures they make. BLACKBOARD JUNGLE made in 1955 was a realistic look at adolescence contempt for society at an inner city trade school for delinquent boys under the direction of Richard Brooks. It was said to be shocking for its time and was even blamed for provoking violence. Glenn Ford played a new teacher who decides that his only chance of teaching the boys anything is to reach the roughest boy of the bunch played by Sidney Portier. Poitier gave a brilliant performance as the one youth that new true right from wrong and only used his tough facade to survive in a world of his peers where he would otherwise have been the low man on the rung. Vic Morrow gives another impressive performance as Artie West, the one student who is beyond reach. Morrow remains one of our most underrated actors of the last decade. Richard Kiley gives a heart rendering performance as a teacher who brings his record collection to class trying to reach out and share his enjoyment of music, which results in the ultimate destruction of his vinyl. When the delinquents threaten Glenn Ford's wife played by Anne Francis the line is crossed. In the end Glenn Ford never gave up on his kids, as did his contemporaries.


This Movie is Timeless   January 14, 2002
C. W. Emblom (Ishpeming, Michigan USA)
I remember seeing this movie in 1955 when I was eleven or twelve years old, and it's surprising how much I remembered about the movie before viewing it again. Since ordering the movie I have looked at it again three additional times. Being a former teacher, I enjoy teacher movies, and if a movie rates five stars it must be able to withstand repeated viewings. This movie easily passes that test. I enjoyed noticing the difference in audio/visual materials used in the school in the movie, namely the use of a reel-to-reel tape recorder and a movie projector to show movies. This movie ushered in the rock-and-roll era with the song "Rock Around the Clock", and introduced the term "Daddy-o". I plan on showing this movie to my after school class of students on social history of the 1950's. I know they will enjoy it.


A gritty portrayal of an unyielding teacher's crusade!   October 11, 2000
drew behr (Cliffside Park, New Jersey United States)
I first saw this movie in the early 70s on TV and have rented it numerous times since the advent of VHS. It is an eye-opening portrayal of Richard Daddiere, an eager navy veteran who giddily wins his first teachng assignment at a hopelessly urban hellhole of a school. Right from the start though, one can immediately sense that his altruistic belief in the nobility of teaching will be reduced that of a desperate corrections officer doing his best to quell a daily uprising. And this does become the case very early into the film and serves as the film's central conflict. His first day of class begins with one of the punks hurling a baseball within inches of his head the first moment he turns his back on them, blasting a cracked hole into the blacboard. Daddiere wryly retorts with, "Well...whoever threw that will never play centerfield for the Yankees." This is our introduction to the likes of Artie West, more than convincingly played by the late Vic Morrow, a vicious punk whose demeanor instantaneously reveals that it is lkely that he'll not live a day beyond his twenty-first birthday. Then there is Gregory Miller, smoothly played by Sidney Poitier-a cool black cat who knows the score and is inherently decent. Daddiere smells this in him and encourages him to put his keenness to good use rather than waste his potential by being a lowlife like West and the rest of hs ilk. But Miller's race justifies his roguery, and he remains a sympathetic character for the duration. Then there is Bilozzi, a frightened punk and who takes sides with West because he's too afraid to be his own man and think for himself. I really admired this film, as it credibly depicted one man's quest to teach the unteachable, even though he well realizes that it is an unwinnable battle. Glenn Ford's performance is astonishingly good. His character seethes with a relentless desire to achieve his goal despite whatever these delinquents do to deter him. Louis Calhern also turns in a wonderful performance as a jaded, veteran history teacher who serves as a type of Greek chorus for Daddiere, constantly reminding him from the start that all that is does not glitter. When Daddiere insists to him at one point that "If only I could just reach them...get inside their minds!", Calhern wittily replies, "Mind? A mind would indicate the presence of a brain!". For anyone considering teachingin the New York City public school system, please watch this film SEVERAL times, for despite the fact that it is almost fifty years-old, it is by no means a dated film.


Saw this film when it released in '55-still great now!   May 31, 1999
It has a certain sentimental value to be but it sure earns that five stars. This is a film with a socially commenting relative plot which along the way had many small moments. When Dadier told Miller to stop calling him chief-he did it anyway, Dadier exposing his own racism when he called Miller,"you black...." and then did not finish the sentence. Miller did not seem to hold that against him because he saw Dadier as flawed like everyone else. It was a realy good commentary on our process of socialization in the US and I think is still relative today. Today instead of knives and baseballs thrown against the blackboard-kids use guns and bombs. In many ways it seems like nothing has changed since 1955. Anyway I liked the ending-it was hopeful-maybe not what audiences would like today-but suggested that kids can change with trust and commitment from those who matter in their lives-parents, teachers etc. Joe.