Rules for School (DVD)

VOLUME 5
RULES FOR SCHOOL

Prior to the era of the open classroom, schoolhouses were places of order and discipline. Assisting in the behavioral conditioning necessary for a smoothly-operating classroom, educational filmmakers often focused their attention on proper school-going etiquette.

This collection of films samples some of the subtle (and not-so-subtle) messages that were communicated to multiple generations of American youth, on topics such as safety (Jam Handy's Take Your Choice), vandalism (Mike Makes His Mark), and overzealous school spirit (School Spirit and Sportsmanship).

The films also serve as a time capsule of sorts, offering a fascinating glimpse into the concerns of parents and teachers about the threat and consequences of nonconformist behavior.

School Rules: How They Help Us
Coronet
1953 Color 10 Min.
How Quiet Helps at School
Coronet
1953 B&W 10 Min.
Manners in School
Centron / McGraw-Hill
1958 B&W 11 Min.
Safe Living at School
Coronet
1948 B&W 10 Min.
Take Your Choice
Jam Handy
ca. 1962 Color 12 Min.
School Spirit and Sportsmanship
Coronet
1953 B&W 10 Min.
Making the Most of School
Coronet
1958 B&W 9 Min.
Rescue Man
Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation
1982 Color 14 Min.
Mike Makes His Mark
Agrafilms
1952 Color 25 Min.
Noontime Nonsense
Emerson Film Corp.
1955 B&W 13 Min.

BONUS SHORTS: A TEACHER'S GUIDE

Maintaining Classroom Discipline
Caravel Films
1947 B&W 14 Min.
When Should Grown-Ups Stop Fights?
The Department of Child Study Vassar College
ca. 1955 B&W 14 Min.
Civil Defense in School
Norwood Studios
ca. 1959 B&W 23 Min.
Adult Guards for School Crossings
Dallas Jones
ca. 1960 B&W 6 Min.
Story-telling: Can You Tell It in Order?
Coronet
1953 Color 10 Min.

Film Notes by A/V Geeks
Founder: Skip Elsheimer

Curated by Skip Elsheimer
Produced for video by Bret Wood

This collection was mastered from vintage 16mm prints circulated among schools and rescued, decades later, by collectors. The image and sound quality of these orphan films do not conform to Kino's usual standard.