TEENAGE REBEL

US, 1956, 94 minutes, Black and white.
Ginger Rogers, Michael Rennie, Mildred Natwick, Louise Beavers, Betty Lou Keim, Warren Berlinger.
Directed by Edmund Goulding.

Teenage Rebel has very good credentials. It is directed by veteran Edmund Goulding who a quarter of a century earlier had directed Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford and others in Grand Hotel. He made a number of interesting films including The Old Maid as well as Nightmare Alley with Tyrone Power. The screenplay was written by Charles Brackett who collaborated with Billy Wilder in many of his comedies of the 1940s.

The film is a teenage story of the 50s. Ginger Rogers portrays a mother who had given up custody of her daughter during a divorce. However, her husband now wants her to take charge of the teenage daughter (Betty Lou Keim). The film shows the difficulties for the mother as well as the problems for the teenager. It is a mixture of the serious and the comic. The issues may seem rather dated and belong very much to the 1950s – but they still have their relevance in contemporary variations on the theme.

It was said that this was the first film made in black and white and Cinemascope.

1. The implications of the title for audience expectation? The original play was called 'A Room Full of Roses'. Comment on the different titles.

2. How effective was the black and white photography, the use of cinemascope, the San Fzansisco atmosphere, the realism of suburban life?

3. How obviously was this a film of the fifties? The portrayal of fashions, music, dancing, manners etc.? Does this detract from the impact of the film now?

4. How real did the film seem? In persons and themes, issues? Did the film seem unreal at all? How strong was the portrayal of teenage problems? How facile was the presentation? Was there a good reliance on sentiment or was it sentimental?

5. From whose point of view was the film presented? Parents of teenagers? Where did the main sympathies lie? What audience sympathy was evoked by the various characters?

6. Comment on the films insight into marriage, the nature of love. Nancy and her first husband and the failure of the marriage? Nancy and Jay and the mutual support in building up a fairly? Hatred inevitable in marriage? The nature of hurt and its inevitability? The need for divorce, the hurtful nature of divorce, especially when children are involved? The attitides of a previous marriage holding over into a second marriage?

7. How attractive a girl was Dody? How well was the audience prepared for her arrival? Nancy's idealism of her little girl, the first appearance of Dody and her arrogance? The fact that she was young and alone? Her memories of her father, reliance on him? Her capacity for travel and sophistication? The nature of her stories and their exaggeration? The nature of her, loneliness and defiance? The inevitability of resentment?

8. How did Dody change, how difficult wasit for her to change? Her resentment of Nancy, fear of rejection, alikeness? The details of the breaking down of the barriers? Jay and her suspicion of him? Acceptance of his quietness? The gifts? The friendliness with June and yet the rivalry? The friendship with Dick, the hurt when she discovered that he was put up to it? The interrelationship of happiness and hurt?

9. Were the details of Dody's character, especially in incidents and dialogue convincing? Insight into how a teenager can feel?

10. The importance of the choice at the end? Was it a real choice for Dody? Her seeing of her father and his relationship with his fiancee? Her understanding of Nancy and Jane? What really motivated her final choice?

11. How did Dody contrast with June, with Dick? The importance of Dick's crisis and how he handled it? Jay's help and advice? The effect on Dody?

12. How sympathetic a person was Nancy; as a mother, justified in leaving her husband, building up a new home, trying to treat her children well, the relationship with Larry and helping him to understand Dody? How sensible was she in handling situations, the reasonable nature of her sterness with Dody, advice and communication, the persuasion in returning?

13. The importance of Jay as giving advice, kepping in the background, offering support for Dody?

14. What did Grace and her family add to the atmosphere of the film? The ordinary surburban realism, contrast with Nancy and Jay and family, support for Dody?

15. Was Dody's father in anyway sympathetic? Why could he not handle marriage, his daughteer? Was he right to re-marry? Did he have any real regard for Dody? His fiancee and her willingness to support Dody?

16. What values did this film stand for? How well were they presented and communicated? In the fifties, now?