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    Rock and Roll Goes To The Movies: Essential Question

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    Chad Horsley
    The document discusses how movies helped introduce rock and roll culture to mainstream audiences in the 1950s. It describes how the 1955 film Blackboard Jungle, which featured the song "Rock Around the Clock," caused controversy but also helped popularize rock and roll. Following its success, many other films emerged that showcased popular music performers or captured the rebellious spirit of rock and roll. Movies starring Elvis Presley combined musical performances with dramatic storylines. The document also notes how the film Rebel Without a Cause depicted the struggles of adolescence and helped define the look of early rock and roll through James Dean's rebellious persona.

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    Rock and Roll Goes To The Movies: Essential Question

    Uploaded by

    Chad Horsley
    78 views5 pages
    The document discusses how movies helped introduce rock and roll culture to mainstream audiences in the 1950s. It describes how the 1955 film Blackboard Jungle, which featured the song "Rock Around the Clock," caused controversy but also helped popularize rock and roll. Following its success, many other films emerged that showcased popular music performers or captured the rebellious spirit of rock and roll. Movies starring Elvis Presley combined musical performances with dramatic storylines. The document also notes how the film Rebel Without a Cause depicted the struggles of adolescence and helped define the look of early rock and roll through James Dean's rebellious persona.

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    20.RockRollGoesToMovies.pdf

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    The document discusses how movies helped introduce rock and roll culture to mainstream audiences in the 1950s. It describes how the 1955 film Blackboard Jungle, which featured the song "Rock Around the Clock," caused controversy but also helped popularize rock and roll. Following its success, many other films emerged that showcased popular music performers or captured the rebellious spirit of rock and roll. Movies starring Elvis Presley combined musical performances with dramatic storylines. The document also notes how the film Rebel Without a Cause depicted the struggles of adolescence and helped define the look of early rock and roll through James Dean's rebellious persona.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    78 views5 pages

    Rock and Roll Goes To The Movies: Essential Question

    Uploaded by

    Chad Horsley
    The document discusses how movies helped introduce rock and roll culture to mainstream audiences in the 1950s. It describes how the 1955 film Blackboard Jungle, which featured the song "Rock Around the Clock," caused controversy but also helped popularize rock and roll. Following its success, many other films emerged that showcased popular music performers or captured the rebellious spirit of rock and roll. Movies starring Elvis Presley combined musical performances with dramatic storylines. The document also notes how the film Rebel Without a Cause depicted the struggles of adolescence and helped define the look of early rock and roll through James Dean's rebellious persona.

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    ROCK AND ROLL GOES TO THE MOVIES

    OVERVIEW

    ESSENTIAL QUESTION

    How did movies help to introduce Rock and Roll culture to


    mainstream audiences in the 1950s?

    OVERVIEW

    As the influence of teenagers expanded in the 1950s, it did not


    take long for movie studios to tap into their fascination with Rock
    and Roll. Some historians argue that the first so-called “Rock
    and Roll movie” to cause a sensation was Blackboard Jungle
    (1955), a film depicting the struggles of a high school teacher
    with a class full of “juvenile delinquents.” The film famously
    opened to the sound of “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley &
    His Comets. The song reportedly played at such a high volume
    that teenage audiences rose from their seats to either dance in
    the aisles or to vandalize the auditorium, depending on the media
    coverage. Blackboard Jungle sent “Rock Around the Clock”
    directly to the top of the Billboard charts, while the movie’s
    notoriety led to widespread censorship. The controversy only
    further increased public interest in Rock and Roll, and Hollywood was ready to meet the demand.

    In the aftermath of Blackboard Jungle, many other films emerged that featured Rock and Roll
    culture and its world. Among these were musical films such as Rock Around the Clock—light on
    storyline and constructed mainly as a showcase for the top performers of the day. There were
    also films in which the singing star became the movie star, typified by the films of Elvis Presley.
    Movies including Jailhouse Rock drew large audiences who came to see Elvis sing his hits while
    playing dramatic—but always musical—leading men. And then there were films that did not
    feature popular music at all, but nonetheless managed to capture the Rock and Roll attitude —
    particularly when they told stories of teenage life from the perspective of the teens themselves.
    In Rebel Without a Cause, James Dean did not sing a note, but captured the internal struggles of
    adolescent angst on film as no one had before. Dean’s rebellious screen persona would become as
    emblematic as Elvis’ swiveling hips in defining the look of early Rock and Roll.

    In this lesson, students assume the role of entertainment industry professionals responsible for
    marketing a selection of movies from the early Rock and Roll era. Following an examination of
    trailers, posters, newspaper articles, and the Motion Picture Production Code of 1930, students
    will present to the class on the various stakeholders that helped shape the way Rock and Roll
    culture was introduced to mainstream movie audiences in the 1950s.

    BOOK 1: BIRTH OF ROCK


    ROCK AND ROLL GOES TO THE MOVIES

    OBJECTIVES

    Upon completion of this lesson, students will:

    1. KNOW (KNOWLEDGE): 2. BE ABLE TO (SKILLS):


    •T
     he various subgenres of Rock and Roll movies •A
     nalyze historical documents, periodicals, and
    that appeared in the mid-to-late 1950s film trailers

    •A
     nxieties surrounding the release and popularity of •M
     ake connections between a selection of films
    the film Blackboard Jungle due to its depictions of concerning Rock and Roll culture and concerns
    race and juvenile delinquency over the perceived threat of juvenile delinquency
    in the mid-1950s
    •H
     ow the Production Code was used to monitor film
    content prior to the 1968 adoption of a ratings •C
     ommon Core: Students will work in groups
    system to discuss the American film industry from a
    variety of professional perspectives, including
    •T
     he specialized roles of various professional those of the film studio marketing executives,
    organizations in producing, marketing, and record labels, the MPAA, and independent
    exhibiting American movies theater owners (CCSS Reading 1; CCSS
    Speaking and Listening 2)

    ACTIVITIES

    MOTIVATIONAL ACTIVITY:

    1. Play the trailer for Blackboard Jungle (1955). Students should take notes on any words and
    phrases the narrator uses to describe the onscreen action and music. Discuss as a class:

    • What is this movie about? How does the film depict teenagers?

    •B
     y playing “Rock Around the Clock” over the image of “teenage savages,” what does the film seem to
    suggest about Rock and Roll music?

    Explain that Blackboard Jungle was the first movie to feature a Rock and Roll song on its
    soundtrack. After the film’s release, “Rock Around the Clock” went to number one on Billboard’s
    Pop charts, where it remained for eight weeks. However, due to some people’s concerns over the
    content of the film, Blackboard Jungle was banned in several American cities.

    2. Display June 4, 1955 New York Times article reporting the ban on Blackboard Jungle in
    Atlanta. Invite a student to read the article aloud. Discuss as a class:

    •W
     hat are some of the reasons the Atlanta board of censors cite for banning the film? Based on your
    observations from watching the trailer, do you think the ban was warranted?

    •D
     o you think the controversy over the film helped or hurt the popularity of the song “Rock Around the
    Clock?” Explain your answer.

    BOOK 1: BIRTH OF ROCK


    ROCK AND ROLL GOES TO THE MOVIES

    PROCEDURE: Team 1: The Film Studio (Handout 1:


    Movie Posters)
    1. Explain that the class will view three Team 2: The Record Label (Handout 2:
    trailers for movies released soon after Soundtrack Credits)
    Blackboard Jungle: Rebel Without a
    Team 3: The Motion Picture Association of
    Cause (1955), Rock Around the Clock America (Handout 3: The Production Code)
    (1956), and Jailhouse Rock (1957). Each
    of these films addressed concerns about Team 4: The Theater Owners of America
    teenagers in the mid-1950s, particularly (Handout 4: Harrison’s Reports)
    the perceived threat of juvenile
    delinquency and the rising influence of 3. Play trailer for Rebel Without a Cause
    Rock and Roll culture. (1955). Allow teams a few minutes to
    review their handouts and discuss the
    2. Divide class into four teams and trailer as a group. Repeat the same process
    distribute Handouts 1-4 (links below) to for Rock Around the Clock (1956) and
    the respective teams. Explain that each Jailhouse Rock (1957).
    team will represent a group of 1950s
    entertainment industry professionals. 4. Once you have screened each trailer, allow
    Before playing the first trailer, each teams a few minutes to discuss and reach
    team should review their handout which their final conclusions about the films.
    explains the role of their organization and
    5. Have each team present their findings to
    a set of criteria which the team will use
    the class. For presentations, teams should
    to review the movies. Each team will have
    elect several representatives to introduce
    a different final report to share with the
    their professional organization, explain
    class. Check for understanding before
    their assigned task, and describe their
    playing the first trailer.
    methodology to determine which movie to
    promote or restrict.

    SUMMARY ACTIVITY:

    To check for understanding, students will submit to the teacher an “exit ticket” on a
    blank piece of paper. On the paper, students will write 3-4 sentences in which they
    pick one of the four trailers viewed during the lesson (including Blackboard Jungle) and
    discuss why they would most want to see that movie in its entirety. Students may base
    their decision on the film’s subject matter, music featured, star actors, the reviews it
    received upon first release, or any combination of these factors.

    BOOK 1: BIRTH OF ROCK


    ROCK AND ROLL GOES TO THE MOVIES

    EXTENSION:

    Ask students to read Handout 5: “Intelligent Handling of a Touchy Problem” — an article


    from the April 9, 1955 issue of Harrison’s Reviews. (Explain that Harrison’s Reviews was a
    motion picture trade journal for independent theater owners that published film reviews and
    professional advice for theater owners.)

    Write a short op-ed to Harrison’s Reviews responding to the RKO Theatre in New Brunswick,
    New Jersey’s decision to run a special trailer at the conclusion of each screening of
    Blackboard Jungle. Do you agree with the management’s decision? If yes, explain why you
    think the strategy helped the community, and if no, explain what you might have done
    differently to address people’s concerns about the film.

    S TA N D A R D S

    COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS

    College and Career Readiness Reading Anchor Standards for Grades 6-12 for Literature and
    Informational Text

    Reading 1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical
    inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support
    conclusions drawn from the text.

    College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening for Grades 6-12

    Speaking and Listening 1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of


    conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and
    expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

    Speaking and Listening 2: Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media
    and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

    Speaking and Listening 5: Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images,


    music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information

    SOCIAL STUDIES – NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES (NCSS)

    Theme 1: Culture

    Theme 2: Time, Continuity, and Change

    Theme 5: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions

    Theme 6: Power, Authority, and Governance

    BOOK 1: BIRTH OF ROCK


    ROCK AND ROLL GOES TO THE MOVIES

    Theme 7: Production, Distribution, and Consumption

    NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR MUSIC EDUCATION

    Core Music Standard: Responding

    Analyze: Analyze how the structure and context of varied musical works inform the
    response.

    Interpret: Support interpretations of musical works that reflect creators’ and/or


    performers’ expressive intent.

    Evaluate: Support evaluations of musical works and performances based on analysis,


    interpretation, and established criteria.

    Core Music Standard: Connecting

    Connecting 11: Relate musical ideas and works to varied contexts and daily life to
    deepen understanding.

    RESOURCES

    VIDEO RESOURCES HANDOUTS


    • Blackboard Jungle Trailer (1955) • Handout 1: Movie Posters
    • Rebel Without A Cause Trailer (1955) • Handout 2: Soundtrack Credits
    • Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock Trailer (1957) • Handout 3: The Production Code
    • Rock Around the Clock Trailer (1956) • Handout 4: Harrison’s Reports
    • Handout 5: Intelligent Handling of a Touchy Problem
    FEATURED PEOPLE
    • Bill Haley and His Comets
    • Elvis Presley

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