“School Courtesy” follows siblings John and Mary, as they attend their first day at a new school. The film illustrates what kind of behavior children should model in the classroom and beyond. Some concepts that are covered include: “respecting the properties of others,” sharpening pencils after school, so that the class is not disturbed during school hours, and how to salute the flag at the start of the school day., This film was shot at Lytton School in Palo Alto, which no longer exists. Actual students and staff members from Lytton appear in the film. A cast list of featured actors was unexpectedly found taped to the inner can of a different print of this film. This list is reproduced in the metadata. An additional note from that list states that the children featured in this film were from the 4th and 5th grade classes at Lytton School, 1948-1949., “School Courtesy” was produced under the Palo Alto Children's Theatre production company, “Children's Productions.” The founder of the Children's Theatre, Hazel Glaister Robertson, noted that she set out to create educational and narrative films for children because the “motion picture industry cannot, because of box office, make films for child audiences without adding adult overtones” (The San Francisco News; Aug. 7, 1945). Film shipping boxes found in our archives suggest that these films were rented and shipped nationally.
Type
moving image
Format
Print Sound Black and White 16mm film
Form/Genre
Educational Films Children's films Social guidance films
Extent
1 Reel of 1
Identifier
15 cpa_000011
Language
English
Subject
School children Student etiquette Courtesy Elementary education Social norms Manners and customs School hygiene Education
Place
Lytton School (Palo Alto, Calif.) Palo Alto (Calif.)
Provenance
Palo Alto City Library California Revealed is supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.
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