Boys Beware (1961)

Genre:

Drama | Short

Plot:

Young Jimmy accepts a ride home from a friendly stranger, Ralph. Jimmy likes Ralph. Ralph likes Jimmy...

Plot Keywords:

Motel | Homophobia | Ephemeral Film | Gay | Softcore

Cast

Sid Davis

...

Man at the public restroom

Runtime:

10 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Inglewood, California, USA

Company:

Sid Davis Productions

Quotes:

Narrator: What Jimmy didn't know was that Ralph was sick; a sickness that was not visible like smallpox, but no less dangerous and contagious; a sickness of the mind. You see, Ralph was a homosexual: a person who demands an intimate relationship with members of their own sex.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Ralph och Jimmy (2009)

Both Terrible and Terribly Important to Watch

Boys Beware is a 1961 "educational" film that warns young boys of the dangers of getting into cars with strangers, or spending too much time alone with them. The film's major impediment is its focus on "mentally ill" homosexual men, featuring at least a dozen references to how "sick" and "dangerous" they are... oh, and about how gay men like to lurk restrooms, looking for underage boys to terrorize. The reason I strongly recommend watching this film is because it's a huge asset to helping us see how much society has changed in its beliefs; and not only that, but how we used to educate children about society's dangers versus how we do so now. I've been watching a ton of educational films from the past 50 years, and this is by far the most ridiculous one I've seen. If you're interested in education, history, or both, it's really important to watch this. It's available to view free on many websites, and is only ten minutes long. I didn't give this a star rating because I honestly believe it's up to some serious interpretation. Just watch it.