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Essential Question
How did movies help to introduce Rock and Roll culture to mainstream audiences in the 1950s?
Overview
As the influence of teenagers expanded in the 1950s, it did not take long for movie studios to tap into their fascination with Rock and Roll. Some historians argue that the first so-called “Rock and Roll movie” to cause a sensation was Blackboard Jungle (1955), a film depicting the struggles of a high school teacher with a class full of “juvenile delinquents.” The film famously opened to the sound of “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets. The song reportedly played at such a high volume that teenage audiences rose from their seats to either dance in the aisles or to vandalize the auditorium, depending on the media coverage. Blackboard Jungle sent “Rock Around the Clock” directly to the top of the Billboard charts, while the movie’s notoriety led to widespread censorship. The controversy only further increased public interest in Rock and Roll, and Hollywood was ready to meet the demand.
In the aftermath of Blackboard Jungle, many other films emerged that featured Rock and Roll culture and its world. Among these were musical films such as Rock Around the Clock—light on storyline and constructed mainly as a showcase for the top performers of the day. There were also films in which the singing star became the movie star, typified by the films of Elvis Presley. Movies including Jailhouse Rock drew large audiences who came to see Elvis sing his hits while playing dramatic—but always musical—leading men. And then there were films that did not feature popular music at all, but nonetheless managed to capture the Rock and Roll attitude—particularly when they told stories of teenage life from the perspective of the teens themselves. In Rebel Without a Cause, James Dean did not sing a note, but captured the internal struggles of adolescent angst on film as no one had before. Dean’s rebellious screen persona would become as emblematic as Elvis’ swiveling hips in defining the look of early Rock and Roll.
In this lesson, students assume the role of entertainment industry professionals responsible for marketing a selection of movies from the early Rock and Roll era. Following an examination of trailers, posters, newspaper articles, and the Motion Picture Production Code of 1930, students will present to the class on the various stakeholders that helped shape the way Rock and Roll culture was introduced to mainstream movie audiences in the 1950s.
Objectives
Upon completion of this lesson, students will:
- Know (knowledge):
- The various subgenres of Rock and Roll movies that appeared in the mid-to-late 1950s
- Anxieties surrounding the release and popularity of the film Blackboard Jungle due to its depictions of race and juvenile delinquency
- How the Production Code was used to monitor film content prior to the 1968 adoption of a ratings system
- The specialized roles of various professional organizations in producing, marketing, and exhibiting American movies
- Be able to (skills):
- Analyze historical documents, periodicals, and film trailers
- Make connections between a selection of films concerning Rock and Roll culture and concerns over the perceived threat of juvenile delinquency in the mid-1950
Activities
Motivational Activity:
1. Play the trailer for Blackboard Jungle (1955). Students should take notes on any words and phrases the narrator uses to describe the onscreen action and music. Discuss as a class:
- What is this movie about? How does the film depict teenagers?
- By playing “Rock Around the Clock” over the image of “teenage savages,” what does the film seem to suggest about Rock and Roll music?
2. Explain that Blackboard Jungle was the first movie to feature a Rock and Roll song on its soundtrack. After the film’s release, “Rock Around the Clock” went to number one on Billboard’s Pop charts, where it remained for eight weeks. However, due to some people’s concerns over the content of the film, Blackboard Jungle was banned in several American cities.
3. Display June 4, 1955 New York Times article reporting the ban on Blackboard Jungle in Atlanta. Invite a student to read the article aloud. Discuss as a class:
- What are some of the reasons the Atlanta board of censors cite for banning the film? Based on your observations from watching the trailer, do you think the ban was warranted?
- Do you think the controversy over the film helped or hurt the popularity of the song “Rock Around the Clock?” Explain your answer.
Procedure:
1. Explain that the class will view three trailers for movies released soon after Blackboard Jungle: Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Rock Around the Clock (1956), and Jailhouse Rock (1957). Each of these films addressed concerns about teenagers in the mid-1950s, particularly the perceived threat of juvenile delinquency and the rising influence of Rock and Roll culture.
2. Divide class into four teams and distribute Handouts 1-4 (links below) to the respective teams. Explain that each team will represent a group of 1950s entertainment industry professionals. Before playing the first trailer, each team should review their handout which explains the role of their organization and a set of criteria which the team will use to review the movies. Each team will have a different final report to share with the class. Check for understanding before playing the first trailer.
Team 1: The Film Studio (Handout 1 – Movie Posters)
Team 2: The Record Label (Handout 2 – Soundtrack Credits)
Team 3: The Motion Picture Association of America (Handout 3 – The Production Code)
Team 4: The Theater Owners of America (Handout 4 – Harrison’s Reports)
3. Play trailer for Rebel Without A Cause (1955). Allow teams a few minutes to review their handouts and discuss the trailer as a group. Repeat the same process for Rock Around the Clock (1956) and Jailhouse Rock (1957).
4. Once you have screened each trailer, allow teams a few minutes to discuss and reach their final conclusions about the films.
5. Have each team present their findings to the class. For presentations, teams should elect several representatives to introduce their professional organization, explain their assigned task, and describe their methodology to determine which movie to promote or restrict.
Summary Activity:
To check for understanding, students will submit to the teacher an “exit ticket” on a blank piece of paper. On the paper, students will write 3-4 sentences in which they pick one of the four trailers viewed during the lesson (including Blackboard Jungle) and discuss why they would most want to see that movie in its entirety. Students may base their decision on the film’s subject matter, music featured, star actors, the reviews it received upon first release, or any combination of these factors.
Extension:
Ask students to read Handout 5 – “Intelligent Handling of a Touchy Problem” — an article from the April 9, 1955 issue of Harrison’s Reviews. (Explain that Harrison’s Reviews was a motion picture trade journal for independent theater owners that published film reviews and professional advice for theater owners.)
Write a short op-ed to Harrison’s Reviews responding to the RKO Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey’s decision to run a special trailer at the conclusion of each screening of Blackboard Jungle. Do you agree with the management’s decision? If yes, explain why you think the strategy helped the community, and if no, explain what you might have done differently to address people’s concerns about the film.
Standards
Common Core State Standards
College and Career Readiness Reading Anchor Standards for Grades 6-12 for Literature and Informational Text
- Reading 1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening for Grades 6-12
- Speaking and Listening 1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
- Speaking and Listening 2: Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
- Speaking and Listening 5: Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information
Social Studies – National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
- Theme 1: Culture
- Theme 2: Time, Continuity, and Change
- Theme 5: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
- Theme 6: Power, Authority, and Governance
- Theme 7: Production, Distribution, and Consumption
National Standards for Music Education
Core Music Standard: Responding
- Analyze: Analyze how the structure and context of varied musical works inform the response.
- Interpret: Support interpretations of musical works that reflect creators’ and/or performers’ expressive intent.
- Evaluate: Support evaluations of musical works and performances based on analysis, interpretation, and established criteria.
Core Music Standard: Connecting
- Connecting 11: Relate musical ideas and works to varied contexts and daily life to deepen understanding.
National Core Arts Standards
Responding
- Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.
- Anchor Standard 8: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
- Anchor Standard 9: Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.
Connecting
- Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
- Anchor Standards 11: Relate artistic ideas and work with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding.
Career Technical Education Standards (California Model) – Arts, Media and Entertainment Pathway Standards
Design, Visual and Media Arts (A)
- A1.0 Demonstrate ability to reorganize and integrate visual art elements across digital media and design applications.
A1.1 View and respond to a variety of industry-related artistic products integrating industry appropriate vocabulary.
A1.2 Identify and use the principles of design to discuss, analyze, and create projects and products across multiple industry applications.
A1.4 Select industry-specific works and analyze the intent of the work and the appropriate use of media.
A1.5 Research and analyze the work of an artist or designer and how the artist’s distinctive style contributes to their industry production.
A1.8 Compare how distortion is used in a variety of media to modify the message being communicated.
A1.9 Analyze the material used by a given artist and describe how its use influences the meaning of the work. ia, and Entertainment |
A3.0 Analyze and assess the impact of history and culture on the development of professional arts and media products.
A3.1 Identify and describe the role and influence of new technologies on contemporary arts industry.
A3.2 Describe how the issues of time, place, and cultural influence and are reflected in a variety of artistic products.
A3.3 Identify contemporary styles and discuss the diverse social, economic, and political developments reflected in art work in an industry setting.
A4.0 Analyze, assess, and identify effectiveness of artistic products based on elements of art, the principles of design, and professional industry standards.
A4.2 Deconstruct how beliefs, cultural traditions, and current social, economic, and political contexts influence commercial media (traditional and electronic).
A4.5 Analyze and articulate how society influences the interpretation and effectiveness of an artistic product.
A5.0 Identify essential industry competencies, explore commercial applications and develop a career specific personal plan.
A5.1 Compare and contrast the ways in which different artistic media (television, newspapers, magazines, and electronic media) cover the same commercial content.
A5.2 Explore the role of art and design across various industry sectors and content areas.
A5.4 Predict how changes in technology might change the role and function of the visual arts in the workplace.
A5.7 Synthesize traditional art work and new technologies to design an artistic product to be used by a specific industry.
A8.0 Understand the key technical and technological requirements applicable to various segments of the Media and Design Arts Pathway.
A8.3 Know the features and uses of current and emerging technology related to computing (e.g., optical character recognition, sound processing, cable TV, cellular phones).
A8.4 Analyze the way in which technical design (e.g., color theory, lighting, graphics, typography, posters, sound, costumes, makeup) contributes to an artistic product, performance, or presentation.
A8.7 Evaluate how advanced and emerging technologies (e.g., virtual environment or voice recognition software) affect or improve media and design arts products or productions.
Performing Arts (B)
- B2.0 Read, listen to, deconstruct, and analyze peer and professional music using the elements and terminology of music.
B2.2 Describe how the elements of music are used.
B2.5 Analyze and describe significant musical events perceived and remembered in a given industry generated example.
B2.6 Analyze and describe the use of musical elements in a given professional work that makes it unique, interesting, and expressive.
B2.7 Demonstrate the different uses of form, both past and present, in a varied repertoire of music in commercial settings from diverse genres, styles, and professional applications.
B7.0 Analyze the historical and cultural perspective of multiple industry performance products from a discipline-specific perspective.
B7.1 Identify and compare how film, theater, television, and electronic media productions influence values and behaviors.
B7.3 Analyze the historical and cultural perspective of the musician in the professional setting.