Mental Health Films
The films in this presentation, dating mainly from the 1950s, are a striking example of how mental illness—so often sensationalized in Hollywood features—could be handled with considerably more nuance and sensitivity when produced for educational and training purposes. Many of these films were intended for mental health professionals. For example, The Steps of Age (1950) deals with the stresses that some people face upon retirement. At the other end of the age spectrum, Angry Boy (1950) offers counseling guidance on how to deal with anger issues in children.
On the other hand, The Lonely Night (1954) and Fears of Children (1951) were intended for more general audiences, promoting understanding for people struggling with mental illness, while Palmour Street (1949) uses an African-American family in Georgia to illustrate the influence parenting has on a child's emotional well being.
Collection Items
Activity Group Therapy
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Angry Boy
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Bitter Welcome
Booked for Safekeeping
The Calls That Cure
Farewell to Childhood
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Fears of Children
First Lessons
For Health and Happiness
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The Lonely Night
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Man to Man
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Mental Hospital
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Palmour Street: A Study in Family Life
Roots of Happiness
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Steps of Age
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Ulcer at Work
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Working and Playing to Health
Articles and Essays
Written by film scholar and collector Rick Prelinger and published in 2006 by the National Film Preservation Foundation, The Field Guide to Sponsored Films External is an indispensable resource for more information about mental health films, many of which are featured in this presentation.