Michael_Elliott Mom and Dad (1945) ** (out of 4) Joan Blake (June Carlson) is a sweet and innocent teenager who sadly has a mom (Lois Austin) who refuses to talk to her about grown up things. This includes sex and before long Joan is dating a man who talks her into having it. Soon after Joan learns that she is pregnant.MOM AND DAD is the notorious film that broke all sorts of grounds when it was originally released. Director William Beaudine was known for countless "B" and "C" movies and he actually does a very good job in his role here. Exploitation movies were all around throughout the 30s and 40s but this one here tried to go a bit further. For starters, this one was aimed at the mainstream and it managed to make a lot of money even with its controversial subject. The biggest "shock" for people at the time comes towards the end of the film when we get what would basically become the educational short showing an actual child birth.But outside the controversy, how is the film? I actually thought it was much better made than countless other films that came before it. Stuff like REEFER MADNESS, SEX MADNESS and CHILD BRIDE were trashy films and they were also very poorly made. This film here tries to be educational in the same way but this here is much better made and at least tries to tell a serious story. It film certainly isn't a masterpiece but you can at least say it was better made than most films like it.The performances are pretty much what you'd expect, although none of them are too awful. The film does have some campy moments including the mother played by Lois Austin. Her mindset is so silly and campy that you can't help but laugh at her and her thoughts on what should or shouldn't be taught to children. At 97 minutes the film runs on a bit long but for the most part it's mildly entertaining.

Robert J. Maxwell I saw this as a kid in a movie theater on Springfield Avenue in Irvington, New Jersey, too young at the time to realize that genitalia had more than decorative value.I can't recall a line or a single scene from the movie except I recall the overall impression it left was one of boredom.The film was boring, not the audience. The audience, mostly young men, were riotous, laughing and shouting, making rude comments about the goings on. I was surprised to see several helium-filled condoms float to the ceiling. I thought they were balloons.If you have a chance, by all means see this. It will cure you of your perversions, help you stop smoking, and take away the pain from that upper-right-quadrant that's been bothering you.

AnnieLola I haven't seen this film yet myself, but I'm going to look for it! I've been poring over old newspaper ads and found "Mom and Dad" very intriguing, as listed for a 1960 screening at the State Theatre in Petaluma, California. "See the Birth of Triplets", "SEE LIFE BEGIN!" and "You SEE the BIRTH of a BABY" certainly raise expectations of an obstetric spectacle. And the segregated audiences: "Women and High School Age Girls 7:00 p.m., Men and High School Aged Boys 9:00 p.m."Sounds educational, even clinical. Reminds me of when all the 10-year-old girls at our school got hustled off to the auditorium to watch an already-hilariously-antiquated but quite informative 16mm about Growing Up. Until I read other comments on this production, I found it odd that the ad also featured a photo of a bosomy blonde with a smoldering gaze, and the question (or title) "How Bad Can a Good Girl Get?". It appears that the audience is assured of not only sex education but some real titillation as well-- possibly, anyway.As if that wasn't enough for the price of admission, there's "Extra, Elliot Forbes in person", at which things really start to get unreal. Are we talking about the prominent conductor and musicologist Elliot Forbes? HUH? Well, maybe he was strongly in favor of sex ed and got roped into appearing with this program. At this point anything is possible. Have to check other screenings of this curious relic...

vitaleralphlouis Using carnival-like methods of promotion, combined with word-of-mouth advertising, this movie exploited sex hygiene et cetera with incredible success. When I was 16 (a long time ago) this movie was in re-issue and a group of us drive 50 miles each way to the drive-in theater playing it exclusively. On a work night, suburban Washington DC's biggest drive-in was sold out. It was a "roadshow" one-theater attraction and they came with a carnival-like crew because at some point the film was stopped and they hawked sexual hygiene books to the audience. There was a rumor I'd heard many times over many years that the film contained an actual scene of sexual intercourse (untrue, but worth talking up.) The movie itself was pretty good, and the entire experience, including the carnival-hustle, made an unforgettable experience.