Pratt Library gets you in the back-to-school spirit with a retrospective of classic educational scare films!

In their day, the educational films shown in school were considered the future of liberal education, providing educators an opportunity to indoctrinate captive audiences in the proper ways of mental hygiene and physical safety. From the classic era of the ‘50s and ‘60s right up until ABC’s star-studded after-school TV specials in the ‘70s and ‘80s (which featured future celebs like Jodie Foster and Scott Baio), these cautionary tales covered everything from dating do’s and don’ts to the perils of drug abuse and reckless driving in a hard-hitting style full of tragedy and devoid of subtlety. They were scary, yes, but also titillating – after all, where else could kids get the cheap thrill of seeing the kind of gratuitous drug use, sexual situations, death, destruction, and mayhem typically reserved for mature audiences in restricted motion pictures and late-night TV? 

The films: Soapy the Germ Fighter (1951), Dating Do’s and Don'ts (1949), Lunchroom Manners (1959), One Got Fat (1963), Live and Learn (1956), Shake Hands with Danger (1970s), The Last Date (1949), Go Ask Alice (1973), Duck and Cover (1951).