Dating Do's and Don'ts
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Dating Do's and Don'ts1 is a 1949 instructional film designed for high schools, to teach adolescents basic dating skills. Produced by Coronet Instructional Films and directed by Gilbert Altschul with the assistance of Reuben Hill, Research Professor of Family Life at the University of North Carolina, it is one of a number of campy films produced in the mid-20th Century (particularly after World War II) considered to promote conservative American middle-class family values. That same message would later be projected via early television sitcoms such as Father Knows Best and Leave It to Beaver. In this film, for instance, the boy is the sole initiator of any contact with the girl, and all arrangements are made under the warm supervision of the family, particularly a matriarchal housewife for a mother. As such, the film relays both spoken and unspoken values regarding the structure and hierarchy of the "typical" American family in the post-War era: the mother washes the floors and makes dinner for the family, while the father, who was obviously at work during most of the pre-date scene, helps his wife by drying the dishes after dinner while she washes them, adding a jibe about how he is the perfect man for her.
The film follows a young adolescent boy, Woody, who receives tickets for "one couple" to the Hi Teen Carnival. At different stages in the film, it offers options on how Woody might respond to various situations:
- What kind of girl should he date?
- How should he ask her out?
- How should he say good night after the date is over?
The film then shows three options, for each opportunity, ending with what it deems the most successful. This allows the filmmakers to create an idealized scenario for a perfect first date. Woody is cautioned not to ask a girl out based on her looks as she could be aloof, nor someone who is boring. Instead he should ask a girl who is "fun." He is similarly told to be straightforward and not to insist that his potential date give up some other activity for him. Finally, the film depicts the perceived danger of immediately kissing the girl good night, or of just leaving her at her door, and instead urges the viewers to say a friendly goodbye, ending with a promise to call next week.
As Woody prepares for his date with Anne, he receives hints from his older brother, who is already an expert at dating; for instance, Woody's brother tells Woody to act like his "natural, talkative self" while on the phone, and says that Woody does not have to bring Anne flowers on her first date. He also convinces their mother to allow Woody to go on his first date even though he is young, with her adding that it would be acceptable provided that Woody only dates on weekends and comes home at a reasonable hour. As Woody prepares for his date, his mother and father reflect on their own first dates to remind Woody how important it is for him to show up on time. His mother adds that any girl who is not ready for him on time is not worthy of going out with "my boy."
The film ends with Woody leaving the door outside Anne's home, whistling happily as he contemplates his next date.
[edit] See also
[edit] External link
- Dating Do's and Don'ts (complete film) at the Internet Archive.
[edit] Footnote
1 Some prescriptive grammarians today would call this spelling incorrect, arguing that the apostrophe denotes a possessive; if the film were made today, the title would probably be Dating Dos and Don'ts. However, "do's" is the more traditional spelling, and was the recommended spelling at the time the film was made. Today, Webster's Dictionary lists either pluralization as acceptable: [1]
