The Sixth Chair (1949)

★★★★ · I see dumb people... · Wilford B. Wolf · 2005-02-27

Interesting film from Jam Handy about school reform that is simultaneously horribly dated and remarkably relavent to the situation in today's schools. The film opens with the typical zealous narrator defining the problems facing schools, primarily dark and overcrowded schools. The main part of the film is taken up by a representative meeting, which each role having taking on an icon role. We have the foreign born American, represented here a man with a vaguely Italian or Greek accent, a housewife, a businessman, a farmer and a doctor, with the eponymous sixth chair empty, representing the…

★★★ · And these are the nerds! · Spuzz · 2005-02-28

Another film in the strange saga of films that were recently updated about overpopulated school. A group of 4 concerned citizens argue about why Schools Are The Way They Are, then in a device commonly used in Coronet films, but not so common in Jam Handy, A discombobulated voice chimes in, noone has a clue where the hell the voice is coming from, which is funny. you think they're ALL LOSING THEIR MINDS!!! Then, some very good images of overcrowded schools are shown. These all look like they're coming from actual schools, so that's a nice change. We see some solutions as well, which is also…

★★★ · Old fashioned but lots of true facts · ERD. · 2007-01-07

The film's presentation is obviously outdated, but the financial neglect of public education still holds true today.