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Learn your Lesson from Herk Harvey: 1950s Mental Hygiene MasterPost an Event »
Oddball Films presents Learn your Lesson from Herk Harvey - 1950s Mental Hygiene Master, the 29th in a monthly series of programs highlighting the most ridiculous, insane and camptastic educational films, mental hygiene primers and TV specials of the collection. This month, we salute Harold "Herk" Harvey (1924-1996), a director of over 400 mental hygiene and educational films and one feature; the cult horror film Carnival of Souls. This program will delve into his early work of 1950s social guidance films on sex, drinking and driving, snobbery, griping, prejudice, good manners and more! These films, mostly produced as part of the Young America series - and all by Centron Films in Kansas - represent some of the favorites of the collection as well as a few brand new finds we've never screened. Watch mice get drunk and drunks flip cars in the teen drunk-driving scare film None for the Road (1957). In Oddball sex ed favorite The Innocent Party (1959), watch out for loose girls; they probably all have syphilis that they're anxious to spread to you and your unsuspecting girlfriend. In What About Prejudice? (1959) everybody in class has it out for the faceless minority student for a variety of terrible reasons, until he steps up and saves a classmate's life and ends up in the hospital. Several of the mental hygiene films feature misunderstood outcasts that dare to be different, and end up alone or giving in to the pressure to be friendly, cheerful, and in line with gender norms. George Foster's got a chip on his shoulder, a negative opinion about everything, and a superimposed "conscience" that is tired of trying to keep in-line The Griper (1954). In The Snob (1958), Sarah thinks she's better than all the popular kids and would rather study than party; but that doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings. Barbara is pushy, rude, and loud - and she wonders why she doesn't have any friends - hopefully the library has a book to teach her all about Manners in Public (1958). Plus, a trip to the farm and the slaughterhouse with a later nutritional primer Pork: A Meal with a Squeal (1963), pre-show surprises and we'll be raffling off a DVD of Harvey's feature film Carnival of Souls.
8:00pm. $10.00. Limited Seating. RSVP to RSVP@oddballfilm.com or (415) 558-8117.