This anti-drug
juvenile delinquency film may not be as widely known as Reefer Madness (1936), but it may be worse in its attempt to be hip
in its message. High School Confidential
(1958) stars Russ Tamblyn three years before West Side Story, and is apparently based on the undercover police
work done by Texas Joe Foster. Just like the main character is a cop pretending
to be the school’s coolest new kid, the film quickly begins to feel like an
imitator. Clearly a propaganda film meant to appeal to younger audience because
of the current slang utilized in the dialogue, High School Confidential now stands as an embarrassingly hilarious
reminder of the past.
Tamblyn stars as
Tony Baker, the new kid in school who isn’t afraid to do or say whatever he
wants. He flaunts his attitude at all authority figures, meanwhile seeking out
ways of getting into the drug dealing business. Finding marijuana is easy for
him to spot, because the students who haven’t had a ‘fix’ in awhile have
withdrawal symptoms. There are plenty of inaccurate facts about marijuana
within the narrative, though the undercover cop is actually seeking out the
major heroin dealers in the area. Apparently, it’s impossible not to eventually
start using heroin once you start smoking marijuana.
Bad anti-drug
propaganda aside, there is actually a lot of quality filmmaking in High School Confidential. It is far from
being Rebel Without a Cause, but
there are some exciting sequences and fun performances. The film is also filled
with theme music from Jerry Lee Lewis, in another desperate effort to obtain
the interest of a younger audience. The Blu-ray release presents the film in
surprising clarity, for all the campiness to be fully appreciated.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 5.5/10
Historical
Significance: 7.5/10
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