What About Juvenile Delinquency? (1955)
Title
What About Juvenile Delinquency? (1955)
Subject
Juvenile delinquency films
Crime
Teenage boys
Social guidance films
Cold War--Influence
Education
Description
Juvenile delinquency in the 1950's was seen as a huge crisis post-WWII and during the Cold War. Teenagers in those years had more leisure time than ever before. The efforts to create the ideal teenage citizen pushed educational boundaries by providing social guidance films to schools. Jaime is a teenage gang member, but his parents have no clue. On a night out with the guys, Jaime finds out something that stirs mixed emotions and he storms home. When a horrendous incident occurs involving Jaime's father, Jaime is faced with a tough decision. Either he goes against his morals and keeps quiet to defend his gang, or he opens up to the community counsel to save his high school and classmates, while keeping his family's integrity. The question is also up to you; what would you do?
Creator
Harvey, Herk (Director)
Travis, Margaret (Writer)
Source
Prelinger Archives
Publisher
Centron Productions
Date
1955
Contributor
Padilla, Luis
Rights
Public Domain
Format
Various
Language
English
Type
Moving image
Identifier
What About Juvenile Delinquency? Directed by Harvery Herk. Lawrence, KS: Centron Productions, 1955. SD. B&W. Accessed January 18, 2016, Web. https://archive.org/details/WhatAbou1955
Coverage
Lawrence, Kansas
United States
Original Format
Various
Duration
10:41 minutes
Producer
Wolf, Art
Director
Harvey, Herk
Transcription
BLONDE GUY: Here he comes!
[Car approaches]
SKINNY GUY: Where we heading?
ALPHA MALE: I’ll tell you when we pick up Jaime.
SKINNY GUY: What’s that guy waiting for!?
BLONDE GUY: Give a bump!
SKINNY GUY: Yeah
[HITS CAR INFRONT]
BLONDE GUY: Hit em again!
SHORT HAIR GUY: Ugh, cut it out we’ll get in a jam.
ALPHA MALE: What’s the matter, you chicken or something?
[HITS CAR, AGAIN]
ALPHA MALE: Come on move it!
[MAN STEPS OUT OF CAR]
JAIME’s DAD: What do you punks think your doing, anyway?
BLONDE GUY: What was that you called us?
JAIME’s DAD: I just bought that car. Now look!
[SUPSPENSFUL MUSIC IN THE BACKGROUND]
[HAPPY/JAZZY BACKGROUND MUSIC]
JAIME’S MOTHER: Don’t you have any homework Jaime?
JAIME: I told you no. I’m going out, as soon as the guys come by and get me. What time?
JAIME’s MOTHER: It’s already after 8. I don’t know why you can’t stay home for one evening. Your father be home in a little bit.
[CAR BEEP]
JAIME’s MOTHER: Could be home now. Just where is that your going Jaime?
JAIME: If I knew ill tell you. I don’t know.
[CLOSES DOOR, CAR TAKES OFF
JAZZY/HAPPY BACKGROUND MUSIC/PEOPLE LAUGHING, GUYS ENTER DINER]
ALPHA MALE: What do you have boys? I’ll write your orders with my new pencil.
JAIME: Hey! Those are great! My dads got one just like it. Where’d you get it?
ALPHA: We just slummed all over a guy. Fell out of his pocket!
JAIME: What! When did this happen?
ALPHA: Just before we picked you up.
BLONDE GUY: We bumped some guy in a big Buick, and he gets out and starts getting smart.
SHORT HAIR GUY: Yeah, starts calling us names!
SKINNY GUY: Boy did we give it to him! We sure messed him up! You should have been there Jaime.
JAIME: Well who was it?
BLONDE: I don’t know some big bald-headed guy.
JAIME: What kind of a car did you say it was?
[BACKGROUND MUSIC STOPS]
SKINNY GUY: Ugh it was ugh…What’s the matter with you?
JAIME: I asked you what kind of a car it was. I wanna know!
ALPHA MALE: It was a yellow Buick why? Why do you wanna know for Jaime?
[JAIME TAKES SWEATER PATCH OFF AND STORMS OUT]
BLONDE GUY: What’s his problem!?
ALPHA: I don’t know but this isn’t the place to find out. Well see him in the morning in school when we give this to him. (sweater patch)
[JAIME HEADS HOME]
JAIME’s MOTHER: Jaime!
JAIME: How’s dad?
JAIME’s MOTHER: How’d you know?
JAIME: I…I…I heard it over the radio. How is he?
JAIME’s MOTHER: He’s all right. He’s resting now. He was terribly shaken up and bruised though. It makes me sick to think about it.
JAIME’s FATHER: Jaime
JAIME: I’m sorry dad, I’m sorry.
JAIME’s FATHER: There’s nothing for you to be sorry about son. It wasn’t your fault.
[SUSPENSFUL MUSIC PLAYS/FATHER SEES MISSING PATCH ON JAIME’S SWEATER]
JAIME’s FATHER: I’m all right now, you better get upstairs to bed.
JAIME: I’m sorry dad.
[SUSPENFUL MUSIC]
ALPHA: Better take this back Jaime.
BLONDE GUY: We didn’t know it was your dad Jaime.
SKINNY GUY: We wouldn’t have don’t it if we’ve known.
JAIME: Leave me alone!
ALPHA MALE: Take it Jaime!
JAIME: You keep it. I don’t want anything more to do with it.
ALPHA MALE: Now look Jaime don’t get smart. Don’t forget you could have been along instead of one of us. It could have been one of our dads’!...Wouldn’t see me moping around if it had been my old man.
JAIME: Don’t worry, I’m not forgetting a thing. Just count me out from now on!
SALLY: There he is!
BILL: Jaime! We wanna talk to you!
ALPHA MALE: He’s busy!
CHUCK: Have you seen the paper this morning Jaime?
BILL: Have you read about the special sanction the City Counsel is having this morning?
SALLY: And all the things are talking about doing a curfew, upping the age of drivers’ licenses, canceling the football games, the parties, the dances, and everything else!
CHUCK: It isn’t fair Jaime! The high school students haven’t had anything to do with the things that have been happening. Like last night! And the statue that was broken and the theater seats and all that! But were all going to suffer for it!
JAIME: I didn’t have anything to do with it either.
ALPHA MALE: And don’t look at us!
BLONDE GUY: We didn’t kick over any statues!
CHUCK: You got to help us Jaime.
JAIME: But what do you expect me to do?
BILL: Were going over to the City Counsel meeting right now to see if they’ll listen to our side before they do anything about it. Mr. McFursin said we could go. He’ll excuse us from school.
CHUCK: And he said you could go with us!
JAIME: Look all of yall leave me out of everything you’ve planned. All I want to do is mind my own business.
CHUCK: But this is your business Jaime!
ALPHA MALE: You heard him! He’s not going anywhere. He’s no sap. Were going to the City Counsel (chuckles).
CHUCK: Go ahead and laugh. Right now you guys are more afraid than we are, but your not fooling us! You think you can laugh at anybody who stands up to you. And pretty soon everyone else will be laughing at em and you’d think you won! Well I don’t care if you laugh or not. It wont be funny if the City Counsel does what they’re talking about.
ALPHA MALE:I wouldn’t advise any of you to go to that meeting if I were you! I’m warning yall!
CHUCK: Are you going with us Jaime?
ALPHA MALE: No he’s not!
CHUCK: I’m talking to Jaime!
JAIME: What do you want me to do?
SALLY: They’ll listen to you Jaime, because it was your dad that…
JAIME: Ill go with you.
ALPHA MALE: Your not going anywhere!
[TEACHER APPROACHES, EVERYONE SPLITS UP
SUSPENFUL MUSIC AS A CAR TAKES OFF]
ALPHA MALE: C’mon lets get the car!
MAYOR MANUEL: Were not talking about pranks and letting off steam. Were talking about criminal acts of violence! I say if these kids wanna go around beating up people and wrecking things to prove how tuff they are. Then its time to prove to them just how tuff we are!
CHUCK: Mayor Manuel could we say something? I’m sorry were…
MAYOR MANUEL: What’s all of this!
POLITICIAN #1:Do you have some facts to give us that we don’t already have?
BILL: I don’t know wither you’ll call em facts or not. But…Well, everyone keeps talking about teenagers as if we were a bunch of freaks or something?
MAYOR MANUEL: Were just wasting time! We’ve wasted too much time already! We’ve invited Mr. McFursin here; he’s the principal of the high school. He can tell us anything these kids can tell us!
[LOUD DISCCUSSION IN THE BACKGROUND]
Mr. McFarsin: No, no, I’m sorry, I can’t. That’s why when these students came to me today I asked them if they’ll be willing to come down here and put their case before you, and I think you should hear what they have to say. This is Bill Stillwell, the head of the student counsel. And Chuck Leewood, captain of our football team. And Sally Lawrence here, ugh senior class president and ugh
SALLY: Jaime! Jaime’s dad was the one who got hurt last night!
POLITICIAN #1: Mr. Mayor, I think Mr. McFarsin is right. And I think these students are right too! Teenagers are not all delinquents only a few are involved in these criminal acts that were all concerned about. If these teenagers who represent all the rest, have the courage to come here then I think we should not only listen to them but I think we should invite them to stamp out this vandalism. I say lets let em talk!
[BACKGROUND APPLAUSE FROM THE CROWD]
POLITICAIN #2: We don’t want to punish all teenagers for the trouble that a few are causing, but something has to be done. You know how serious the juvenile delinquency problem has become. We have to take some action to prevent this sort of thing from happening again. Now, if you have some suggestions to offer, were willing to listen to you.
What can we do? And what can you do to prevent juvenile delinquency. You tell us!
[SUSPENSFUL MUSIC IN THE BACKGROUND AS JAIME LOOKS BACK AT HIS GANG]
NARRATOR: What would you do if you were Jaime? What can we do about juvenile delinquency? What would you say?
THE END
[Car approaches]
SKINNY GUY: Where we heading?
ALPHA MALE: I’ll tell you when we pick up Jaime.
SKINNY GUY: What’s that guy waiting for!?
BLONDE GUY: Give a bump!
SKINNY GUY: Yeah
[HITS CAR INFRONT]
BLONDE GUY: Hit em again!
SHORT HAIR GUY: Ugh, cut it out we’ll get in a jam.
ALPHA MALE: What’s the matter, you chicken or something?
[HITS CAR, AGAIN]
ALPHA MALE: Come on move it!
[MAN STEPS OUT OF CAR]
JAIME’s DAD: What do you punks think your doing, anyway?
BLONDE GUY: What was that you called us?
JAIME’s DAD: I just bought that car. Now look!
[SUPSPENSFUL MUSIC IN THE BACKGROUND]
[HAPPY/JAZZY BACKGROUND MUSIC]
JAIME’S MOTHER: Don’t you have any homework Jaime?
JAIME: I told you no. I’m going out, as soon as the guys come by and get me. What time?
JAIME’s MOTHER: It’s already after 8. I don’t know why you can’t stay home for one evening. Your father be home in a little bit.
[CAR BEEP]
JAIME’s MOTHER: Could be home now. Just where is that your going Jaime?
JAIME: If I knew ill tell you. I don’t know.
[CLOSES DOOR, CAR TAKES OFF
JAZZY/HAPPY BACKGROUND MUSIC/PEOPLE LAUGHING, GUYS ENTER DINER]
ALPHA MALE: What do you have boys? I’ll write your orders with my new pencil.
JAIME: Hey! Those are great! My dads got one just like it. Where’d you get it?
ALPHA: We just slummed all over a guy. Fell out of his pocket!
JAIME: What! When did this happen?
ALPHA: Just before we picked you up.
BLONDE GUY: We bumped some guy in a big Buick, and he gets out and starts getting smart.
SHORT HAIR GUY: Yeah, starts calling us names!
SKINNY GUY: Boy did we give it to him! We sure messed him up! You should have been there Jaime.
JAIME: Well who was it?
BLONDE: I don’t know some big bald-headed guy.
JAIME: What kind of a car did you say it was?
[BACKGROUND MUSIC STOPS]
SKINNY GUY: Ugh it was ugh…What’s the matter with you?
JAIME: I asked you what kind of a car it was. I wanna know!
ALPHA MALE: It was a yellow Buick why? Why do you wanna know for Jaime?
[JAIME TAKES SWEATER PATCH OFF AND STORMS OUT]
BLONDE GUY: What’s his problem!?
ALPHA: I don’t know but this isn’t the place to find out. Well see him in the morning in school when we give this to him. (sweater patch)
[JAIME HEADS HOME]
JAIME’s MOTHER: Jaime!
JAIME: How’s dad?
JAIME’s MOTHER: How’d you know?
JAIME: I…I…I heard it over the radio. How is he?
JAIME’s MOTHER: He’s all right. He’s resting now. He was terribly shaken up and bruised though. It makes me sick to think about it.
JAIME’s FATHER: Jaime
JAIME: I’m sorry dad, I’m sorry.
JAIME’s FATHER: There’s nothing for you to be sorry about son. It wasn’t your fault.
[SUSPENSFUL MUSIC PLAYS/FATHER SEES MISSING PATCH ON JAIME’S SWEATER]
JAIME’s FATHER: I’m all right now, you better get upstairs to bed.
JAIME: I’m sorry dad.
[SUSPENFUL MUSIC]
ALPHA: Better take this back Jaime.
BLONDE GUY: We didn’t know it was your dad Jaime.
SKINNY GUY: We wouldn’t have don’t it if we’ve known.
JAIME: Leave me alone!
ALPHA MALE: Take it Jaime!
JAIME: You keep it. I don’t want anything more to do with it.
ALPHA MALE: Now look Jaime don’t get smart. Don’t forget you could have been along instead of one of us. It could have been one of our dads’!...Wouldn’t see me moping around if it had been my old man.
JAIME: Don’t worry, I’m not forgetting a thing. Just count me out from now on!
SALLY: There he is!
BILL: Jaime! We wanna talk to you!
ALPHA MALE: He’s busy!
CHUCK: Have you seen the paper this morning Jaime?
BILL: Have you read about the special sanction the City Counsel is having this morning?
SALLY: And all the things are talking about doing a curfew, upping the age of drivers’ licenses, canceling the football games, the parties, the dances, and everything else!
CHUCK: It isn’t fair Jaime! The high school students haven’t had anything to do with the things that have been happening. Like last night! And the statue that was broken and the theater seats and all that! But were all going to suffer for it!
JAIME: I didn’t have anything to do with it either.
ALPHA MALE: And don’t look at us!
BLONDE GUY: We didn’t kick over any statues!
CHUCK: You got to help us Jaime.
JAIME: But what do you expect me to do?
BILL: Were going over to the City Counsel meeting right now to see if they’ll listen to our side before they do anything about it. Mr. McFursin said we could go. He’ll excuse us from school.
CHUCK: And he said you could go with us!
JAIME: Look all of yall leave me out of everything you’ve planned. All I want to do is mind my own business.
CHUCK: But this is your business Jaime!
ALPHA MALE: You heard him! He’s not going anywhere. He’s no sap. Were going to the City Counsel (chuckles).
CHUCK: Go ahead and laugh. Right now you guys are more afraid than we are, but your not fooling us! You think you can laugh at anybody who stands up to you. And pretty soon everyone else will be laughing at em and you’d think you won! Well I don’t care if you laugh or not. It wont be funny if the City Counsel does what they’re talking about.
ALPHA MALE:I wouldn’t advise any of you to go to that meeting if I were you! I’m warning yall!
CHUCK: Are you going with us Jaime?
ALPHA MALE: No he’s not!
CHUCK: I’m talking to Jaime!
JAIME: What do you want me to do?
SALLY: They’ll listen to you Jaime, because it was your dad that…
JAIME: Ill go with you.
ALPHA MALE: Your not going anywhere!
[TEACHER APPROACHES, EVERYONE SPLITS UP
SUSPENFUL MUSIC AS A CAR TAKES OFF]
ALPHA MALE: C’mon lets get the car!
MAYOR MANUEL: Were not talking about pranks and letting off steam. Were talking about criminal acts of violence! I say if these kids wanna go around beating up people and wrecking things to prove how tuff they are. Then its time to prove to them just how tuff we are!
CHUCK: Mayor Manuel could we say something? I’m sorry were…
MAYOR MANUEL: What’s all of this!
POLITICIAN #1:Do you have some facts to give us that we don’t already have?
BILL: I don’t know wither you’ll call em facts or not. But…Well, everyone keeps talking about teenagers as if we were a bunch of freaks or something?
MAYOR MANUEL: Were just wasting time! We’ve wasted too much time already! We’ve invited Mr. McFursin here; he’s the principal of the high school. He can tell us anything these kids can tell us!
[LOUD DISCCUSSION IN THE BACKGROUND]
Mr. McFarsin: No, no, I’m sorry, I can’t. That’s why when these students came to me today I asked them if they’ll be willing to come down here and put their case before you, and I think you should hear what they have to say. This is Bill Stillwell, the head of the student counsel. And Chuck Leewood, captain of our football team. And Sally Lawrence here, ugh senior class president and ugh
SALLY: Jaime! Jaime’s dad was the one who got hurt last night!
POLITICIAN #1: Mr. Mayor, I think Mr. McFarsin is right. And I think these students are right too! Teenagers are not all delinquents only a few are involved in these criminal acts that were all concerned about. If these teenagers who represent all the rest, have the courage to come here then I think we should not only listen to them but I think we should invite them to stamp out this vandalism. I say lets let em talk!
[BACKGROUND APPLAUSE FROM THE CROWD]
POLITICAIN #2: We don’t want to punish all teenagers for the trouble that a few are causing, but something has to be done. You know how serious the juvenile delinquency problem has become. We have to take some action to prevent this sort of thing from happening again. Now, if you have some suggestions to offer, were willing to listen to you.
What can we do? And what can you do to prevent juvenile delinquency. You tell us!
[SUSPENSFUL MUSIC IN THE BACKGROUND AS JAIME LOOKS BACK AT HIS GANG]
NARRATOR: What would you do if you were Jaime? What can we do about juvenile delinquency? What would you say?
THE END
Files
Citation
Harvey, Herk (Director) and Travis, Margaret (Writer), “What About Juvenile Delinquency? (1955),” Post War Teen Tuning, accessed April 28, 2024, https://postwarteentuning.omeka.net/items/show/5.