The Explosive Generation (1961)

High school teacher gets in trouble when he tries to teach a class in sex education.

Director:

Buzz Kulik

Writer:

Joseph Landon

Stars:

William Shatner, Patty McCormack, Lee Kinsolving

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Shatner	...	Peter Gifford
Patty McCormack	...	Janet Sommers
Lee Kinsolving	...	Dan Carlyle
Virginia Field	...	Mrs. Katie Sommers
Stephen Dunne	...	Bobby Herman Sr. (as Steve Dunne)
Phillip Terry	...	Mr. Carlyle
Arch Johnson	...	Mr. George Sommers
Edward Platt	...	Mr. Morton
Suzi Carnell	...	Marge Ryker
Jan Norris	...	Terry
Beau Bridges	...	Mark
Peter Virgo	...	Fred - Dean of Boys
Stafford Repp	...	Police Captain
Bruce Kerner	...	Mark
Peter Virgo Jr.	...	George

Storyline

Peter Gifford is a likable, dedicated schoolteacher that teaches a senior life skills class. When student Janet Sommers brings up the topic of sex and dating, he asks students to write questions on the topic, and will cover them in the next class. The parents get wind of what Gifford is about to do, notify the principal, and he warns Peter not to read the questions in class. Gifford decides to go against this and is suspended. The whole student body protests, and the administration gets worried on what to do.

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Plot Keywords:

student | sex | teacher | high school | teacher student relationship | 

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Taglines:

They look like kids -- but they want love like adults!

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

October 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

Frühreife Generation

Filming Locations:

Mesa High School, Mesa, Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Vega Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to the Arizona Republic newspaper of August 22, 2014, two days of filming occurred at Mesa High School in Mesa, Arizona. About 350 students got to play extras in the film. Making his Hollywood debut as an extra was a 17-year-old David Geffen, the future music and film producer.

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Goofs

The first time William Shatner enters the classroom, a microphone is visible at the top of the frame for a full ten seconds.

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Quotes

Mr. Morton: [refering to handbill about protest rally] In our own printshop! On our own presses! How could this happen?
Printing Teacher: Well like I said, we're understaffed. Not a bad little job, but the spacing could be a little better here...
Mr. Morton: You may go!

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Connections

Referenced in Mommy's Day (1997)

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Soundtracks

Wait for Me
By Hal Borne
Sung by Kim Charney (as Kimm Charney)

User Reviews

Pivot point

I didn't expect much when I began watching this movie. By the end, I was completely stunned. Although it's billed as a film about teaching sex education in high school in 1961, it is, in fact, about the pivot point at which the silent generation gave way to the "explosive" boomers- the generation that wouldn't take no for an answer. What could have been filled with cheap platitudes about honesty in education and life, turned out to be a really deep exploration of how and why the generations changed from the 1950s to 1960s. The fact that it was made at the time it was happening and no one could know where this would all lead made it more amazing.