"ABC Afterschool Specials" Pssst! Hammerman's After You! (1974)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Jack Regas

Writers:

Betsy Byars (novel)
Bob Rodgers (writer)

TV Series:

"ABC Afterschool Specials" (1972)

Original Air Date:

16 January 1974 (Season 2, Episode 3)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family

Plot:

Sixth-grader insults the school bully who wants to meet with him after school. |

Plot Keywords:

Bully | Boy | After School Special | Based On Novel | Acronym In Title

Cast

Christian Juttner	...	Mouse
Lance Kerwin	...	Ezzie
Titos Vandis	...	Mr. Casino
Jack Manning	...	Mr. Stein
Jay W. MacIntosh	...	Mother
Penny Santon	...	Mrs. Casino
Lillian Adams	...	Mrs. Schwartz
Ann D'Andrea	...	Margy
Jim Sage	...	Marv
Kevin McCarley	...	Peaches
Robert Lussier	...	Stumpy
Lark Geib	...	Viola Angotti
Michael Link
Willie Aames
Leslie S. Sachs		(as Leslie Sachs)

Runtime:

USA:60 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Martin Tahse Productions

Let's Hear It For The Street Kids!

"Pssst! Hammerman's After You" (aka "The 18th Emergency") is one of the early ABC Afterschool Specials. It's the story of a boy nicknamed Mouse who has been targeted by the school's biggest bully. Will Mouse face up to his fears? Can you reason with a bully? Is fighting the way to solve your problems?

I forget.

What I do know is this is the prototypical 70's children's film: A shaggy haired hero named Benji (or sometimes Max) wanders the streets of the city all by himself and makes sarcastic, insightful comments while effortlessly outwitting every adult he meets. This film takes place in that universe in which children walk the city streets fearlessly, in haircuts that would blush the Beatles and enough denim and army gear to go to war. I guess you could say this has a happy ending in that Hammerman, the angry bully, stops short of actually killing Benji (Mouse)... he only beats him violently and bloodies his nose. How sweet... just like the Little Rascals!

In conclusion this is a ten-minute message stretched across a forty-minute film. If you have memories of the movie or the era you might enjoy it nostalgically but otherwise you'll be bored... quickly. Let's hear it for the street kids!