Customer Reviews

Mental Hygiene: Better Living Through Classroom Films 1945-1970

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As a dyed-in-the-wool fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000, a TV show that once featured many of the films discussed in 'Mental Hygiene,' I approached this book as a catalog of MST could-have-beens. Turns out it is that (especially in the thumbnail reviews of the films themselves), but it's also much more.

Today, in our enlightened 'post-modern' era, it's easy to laugh at the staid and conformist world these films both illustrate and reinforce. Yet, as Ken Smith argues, the filmmakers didn't set out either to produce comedy or to crush their children's souls. 'The people responsible for these films were driven by a sincere desire to guide young people toward behavior that they felt would make them happy. It's no fun to be lonely or physically unattractive. Nor is it enjoyable to be a heroin addict or have your face torn off in a car wreck' (p. 13).

Moreover, 'they [the films] were made by some of the most liberal and progressive-minded people of their time. Their goal was noble: to help children become well adjusted, happy, and independent (within limits). The films look corny and manipulative to us today, but not because the people who made them were evil and stupid' (p. 30).

All this to say, this book's not only entertaining, but is also an insightful sociological study of the attitudes and ideals of these films' era. The section on the genres of films is fascinating, though I also found myself nauseated by some filmmakers' practice of showing actual, bloody, mangled accident victims in some highway safety movies. That one is a particularly sobering chapter.

Once that's out of the way, though, it's on to the rollicking fun as Smith deconstructs 250 or so of these films, including several recognizable to any MSTie. Here, for example, is part of his description of 'Developing Your Character,' a 1950 offering from mental-hygiene powerhouse Coronet Films: 'Joe, a squinty-eyed, perpetually smiling future politician, "likes people," Bob explains. He "wants to be friends with everybody" and is "sincere and real." Joe quickly becomes the leader of a gang of happy teens who are all slavishly devoted to his welfare. With their help, he places first in the statewide Junior Citizenship essay contest -- and wins a trip to the state capital for a week. "Actually, we all won," says Bob, exhibiting the team spirit that will make him a fine, faceless corporate drone in the years to come' (p. 137).

I'm glad to have read the book, and even more thankful I never had to sit through these films in school.

As a die-hard devotee of MST3K "shorts", I was delighted when I came across this book. While the entire book makes for good reading, my favorite part was the section listing all the classroom films, with a description of each. Here, you will read about such films as "The Cautious Twins," featuring a pair of Nordic tykes who seem to live in a town peopled only by themselves and perverts, "Boys Beware", with its warnings that "public restrooms can be a common hangout for the homosexual," and "More Dates for Kay", in which desperate, hungry-eyed Kay roams the halls of her high school using frantic ploys to get a boyfriend.

In addition to warnings against sex, reckless driving, and drugs/alcohol, there are films about manners, conformity (always a good thing), growing up (i.e. menstruation!), dating, grooming, and what to do in the event of a nuclear attack. Women will especially enjoy being condescended to in the films about home economics, proper behavior in the workplace (in which the goof-offs seem to be the only ones enjoying their jobs), how to be a good secretary, and the joy of appliances ("A Holiday for Mother").

There are a few pictures which may have been better left out of the book, mainly in the syphilis section ("I've got a sore--down there!"), as well as a couple shots of actual dead accident victims that the most graphic director, Sid Davis, used to shock youngsters into driving carefully.

You will laugh uproariously, but what is most interesting is the commentary about WHY these films were created. The period after 1945 apparently was not the rosy "Leave It to Beaver" world we have always been led to believe, and these films were just one method to try to restore order out of the chaos of atomic bombs, coffins on wheels (cars before safety features were included), drug addiction, and failed attempts at making jelly.

I read this book because I had to watch some of these films in school when I was a kid. I always wondered about how they had come to be made. This book answers that question, and provides lots more information about the history of hygiene films. The second half of the book, with the synopses of the films themselves is outrageously funny, especially if you don't think too hard about the kids who had to watch this stuff as serious classroom activities. The first half of the book is extremely detailed and non-judgemental, sort of a "this is what they did and why" exposition of the history of these films.

I mostly bought the book to be amused, but I learned a lot about the social history of the immediate post-war period, and about the extent to which these movies were created and shown in classrooms.

what a terrific book! I laughed, I cried, I spent the whole weekend reading aloud Ken Smith's synopses to my roommate.

I expected the book to make fun of the films and condemn the filmmakers' obvious authoritarian attempt to control teenagers. But in giving a social history of the films, Ken Smith actually paints a sympathetic picture, explaining that these films were made in an attempt to deal with postwar social turmoil and anxiety. He clearly thinks the films are funny as hell, but he also has a lot of respect for the filmmakers, and that comes through.

In the second half, he gives hilarious synopses of his favorites. This is clearly a man who devoted a lot of time and attention to his project. Not only does he spot returning actors, he even points out props that were re-used. This is truly an indispensible guide for any fan of these campy classics.

One correction (or update) to the book... Ken Smith writes that you can't see these films anywhere unless you go hunting for the original 16mm versions. I actually found a website that sells video compilations, including many of the films Smith mentions. if you do a Yahoo search on "mental hygiene films" you should turn it up fairly easily.

also, if you *do* want to track down the 16mm originals, they're available on online auction sites.

"Mental Hygiene" presents the history of Classroom films in a way that doesn't make fun of the films, but still makes enjoyable reading.
I didn't have to view these films, but my Mother does remember them and had quite a laugh when glancing through this book, as she was in school when films like 'Duck and Cover', and 'Good Grooming For Girls' were typical Classroom fare.
It's facinating to read about all of these film makers, who were, in all seriousness, trying to mold the youth of the day.
It's interesting to see that one reviewer here was a bit shocked by some of the photos from the more graphic films, such as the films that showed the symptoms of syphillis. I found them a little surprising, too. However, such pictures were being shown in Junior High and High School classrooms during the 1950's and 60's with little or no outcry from parents. I'm sure seeing those images on the screen really spooked some students and the images may have stuck into adulthood!
It is now possible to view many of the films described in this book, thanks to a collection called 'Educational Archives'. I found out about this book from a note in that line of DVDs. Just do a search here on Amazon for 'Educational Archives' and you'll find 6 DVD volumes (as of September, 2003) of films like those described in this book along with several industrial training films and religious films. More DVDs are forthcoming.
This book makes a fine companion to those DVDs and is a great history of a genre of films that has not been well documented elsewhere.

I loved this book! Ken brought back all the humor and horror of high school health class. I found it interesting that, if you believed these films, running with scissors could kill you, but you could survive a nuclear attack by putting a newspaper over your head. It gave me insight into why our generation turned out the way it did. I also enjoyed the stories behind the stories. A FUN READ.

The best thing about this book is the author's treatment of the subject. Yes, he pokes fun at it. But he never takes a smug, superior, "aren't-we-so-much-smarter-than-these-idiots" tone. Even in his most hilarious descriptions of inane dialogue or overdone melodrama, you can feel the affection he has for these films and their history. An wonderfully fun glimpse of a part of our popular culture that is (was) slowly being forgotten.

As a connoisseur of vintage mental hygiene films, and driver's ed. scare films in particular, I found the back story about how these films got made both fascinating and engrossing. I especially enjoyed reading the story behind "Signal 30" (now widely considered to be the "Citizen Kane" of the driver's ed scare film genre). The only shortcoming of the book is that I wish there were reviews of more films. The author is upfront about not purporting to catalogue and review all such films (there are literally thousands of them) but I would have liked to see a more comprehensive treatment of the subject in order to help me track down the obscure gems still locked away in some high school janitor's broom closet. Could it be that I smell a sequel: "Mental Hygiene - Volume II???"

Can anyone tell me how to get the video with examples of these films?

I have to confess: I did not read this book because I'm interested in the social mores of the late 40's-50's. I read it because of these shorts being shown on Mystery Science Theater 3000. (Oh yeah, I also suffered through some of these as a tail-end baby boomer.) The author matches the history of "Mental Hygiene" films and studios with the ongoing social concerns of the time. As you might guess this would be the 50's; the golden age of educational shorts. The underlying emphases on conformity and consumption are well illustrated, but the counterculture influence in the shorts of the late 60's/70's is criticized as well. The book also has "plot" summaries for many of the films mentioned as examples in the narrative. The downside for me was none of the educational films done by Dr Frank Baxter are in the book. His monotonal "Roll Five Bill" and anthropomorphic manifestations of FUSION and "Hemo" still haunt any kid from Utah in the early 70's...