What About Prejudice? (1959)

★★★★★ · What About Prejudice? · 23_skidoo · 2007-07-20

As the 1950s wore on, Centron educational films got better as far as acting and production values go and the films began to tackle bigger and more serious issues, such as teen drinking and driving, venereal disease, and prejudice. This film---shot in 1958, originally to be titled "What About Bias?"---is one of them. One of the last titles in Centron's Discussion Problems series, it tells the story of Bruce Jones, a victim of bigotry who is cleverly never shown above the waist in order to represent all different types of prejudice. The middle-class kids at his high school all look at him with…

★★★★★ · What About Prejudice? · Christine Hennig · 2002-12-26

Amazingly, this 1959 film seems to point to the downside of all the dogma being pushed in the other "social guidance" films of the period. It's as if the looming shadow of the 60's suddenly made the films' makers wake up and get a clue. Bruce Jones, an unseen member of a minority group, is ruthlessly cut down and snubbed by his high school classmates. They all cattily talk about him behind his back until he redeems himself by risking his life to save two teenagers caught in a burning car after an accident. This causes his classmates to question their snap judgment of him and their bigoted…

★★★★ · A beginning ... · ERD · 2006-03-04

This film deals with white middle class prejudice-Since they never actually show the individual it is directed to, you don't know if is racial, religous, or ethnic. In 1959, there was plenty of it to go around ( unfortunately, just as it still is today). Happily, coming from New York City, and a more educated and sophisticated group, my friends, family, and I did not have the attitude of the youngsters portrayed in this film. Other areas did-thus this film was a good start to deal with the problem.

★★★★ · I think I need to watch better educational movies. · Spuzz · 2005-09-04

Bruce Johnson is the social outcast at school. Why? We never find out (which is sort of fun) and is left for us to decide. (My guess: his uneven pant cuffs! Booo!). All the kids hate him and blame him for everything, because.. well heÂs strange, and is just the sort of kid that would do such a thing! But then he saves some kids from a burning car (seriously) and then the kids are forced to reevaluate their hatred towards him. Alright, this is a film that is actually quite well done, and has some THOUGHT behind it. I never thought IÂd say that about a Centron production, which normally runs…