tavm Having first seen this on VHS during the '90s, I decided to again watch Blackboard Jungle on DVD knowing-since this is Black History Month-this was one of Sidney Poitier's breakout performances. He plays Gregory Miller, who we find out is in the choir at the high school and also has a job as a mechanic. Glenn Ford-as his teacher Richard Dadier-tries to steer him to the straight and narrow even as his other students, especially Vic Morrow as Artie West, prove more troublesome. I'll stop there and just say this was quite compellingly shocking for its time, so much so that a disclaimer at the beginning had to assure mainstream viewers that the depiction of the school was pure fiction! Oh, and this proved to be such a popular movie that the song that started it, "Rock Around the Clock", which hadn't done much beforehand, suddenly became the No. 1 hit for Bill Haley and His Comets and basically started the Rock 'n' Roll era! So on that note, I highly recommend Blackboard Jungle. P.S. I also highly recommend the accompanying commentary on the disc provided by players Paul Mazursky, and Jamie Farr (credited in the movie as Jameel Farah), assistant director Joel Freeman, as well as Peter Ford, Glenn's son, who mentions how director Richard Brooks came to pick the theme song after listening to Peter's copy of the record.

AaronCapenBanner Richard Brooks directed this drama that stars Glenn Ford as Richard Dadier, a new English teacher at North Manual High for unruly boys that is determined to succeed at his new job, which he takes quite seriously, despite the cynical principal(played by Louis Calhern) who has little hope of his success. Richard Kiley plays another new teacher whose efforts to educate the boys with his jazz records ends disastrously. The boys(played by Sidney Poitier, Vic Morrow, Jamie Farr, and Paul Mazursky, among others) give Dadier a hard time, though gradually are won over, except for Morrow, who proves uninterested and determined to become a criminal... Landmark film spawned a whole sub-genre of juvenile delinquency films, but remains a prescient and truthful film about generational disconnect and the need to educate youth, even as times change, yet still remain the same.

vincentlynch-moonoi As has been mentioned, this was a breakthrough film, both in terms of the cinema, but also in terms of making Americans realize what was happening in at least some schools. It's a gritty film. But, in some ways, it's hogwash.I say that as a 33-year veteran of teaching (13 years) and administering (20 years). Let's begin with the opening -- Glenn Ford goes into the principal's office, has an interview that lasts less than 5 minutes, and it's a ridiculous interview. No interview I ever participated in, either as the interviewee or interviewer was ever that dumb! Trust me, as a school principal I would never have hired a teacher that presented himself an inadequately as Glenn Ford's character did here.The next couple of scenes, where Ford meets a few of the other teachers...well, okay. Stereotypical teachers (both good and bad), and not totally unrealistic...but so clichéd. But, I've never seen even first year teachers that extremely naive. And then, Ford and another teacher decide to take a short-cut...through an alley...at night...in the inner-city...and of course get beaten-up. And then, just says after he is beaten, he is offered a teaching position at a highly respected high school...and turns it down to go back and teach the same gang members who beat him up.Glenn Ford should have earned an award for the worst looking suit and worst haircut for a leading man in the history of film. I guess it's was supposed to make him look like a poor, young teacher.Despite all my criticisms, the acting here is actually pretty decent. It's rare that Glenn Ford ever turned in a poor performance, and he very good here. I never saw the appeal of Anne Francis, but she does well enough here as the wife of Ford. Louis Calhern has the rather thankless job as the grumbler among the teachers...not his best role. Richard Kiley is good as a math teacher who quites. Sidney Poitier is very good as the cool Black student...who a decade later who play a role similar to Ford's in "To Sir With Love". The one performance here that I think was very poor was Vic Morrow as the main troublemaker; apparently Morrow wanted people to see him as the next Marlon Brando...but no, it doesn't work; very poor performance.I know that lots of people liked this movie. I think it's inane, and will give it my really poor score of 5...and only that because some of the acting is pretty good.

haillee-donaby "Blackboard Jungle" is the movie that describes all teachers aggravations. The kids, making assignments, dealing with family,even a pregnant wife,and the stress of other bias teachers. But being a veteran then becoming an English teacher Richard Dadier has a new type of war coming. It's the inner-city school kids that he has to worry about. This movie showed the affect on kids in a poor living environment and not so caring school system. They all put peer-pressure on each other and thinking who wants to be a nerd anyways? Well teacher Mr. Dadier has to figure a way to get these kids to care about getting education. Not so easy but Mr. Dadier wasn't a soldier for nothing. He can handle being roughed up by a few kids. Trying to make his points and show his ways of teaching don't seem to work after all. This movie is the perfect way to show that caring for people can go only a long way. They have to believe it for themselves and this teacher tries with all his heart to show these kids how it feels to be educated. But already with the thoughts of school being not important these kids could care less.