Attempts to provoke teens into discussion on the complex issue of going steady. Provides little support for the practice.

Ken Smith sez: A film devoted to a problem that no longer exists. "Marie Miller" and "Jeff" are faced with social trauma because they've let their relationship "drift into" what others perceive as "going steady." But is that really what THEY want? "This question is not answered for them, and it is not answered for you" warns the title card at this film's opening. The film substitutes opening and closing title cards for a narrator.

While Going Steady has no narration, the angst-ridden self-examination by Jeff and Marie more than fill up the dead air, and leaves the impression that going steady is about as much fun as an abscessed tooth. Jeff: "Am I going steady? What does that mean? How did I get into this anyway?" Jeff's mom: "You'll likely go steady with several different girls before you begin to think seriously about marriage." Marie: "What about petting? I've heard you can get too deeply involved if you're going steady." Marie's mom: "I hope Jeff doesn't feel he has the right to -- take liberties." Marie: "Oh, mother!" Apparently, parents wanted to prevent their aimless postwar teens from "drifting into" going steady so that they wouldn't be "drifting into" marriage (or sex). Thankfully, Jeff and Marie become aware of their dangerous lassitude and end the film smiling, carefree, and significantly further away from uncontrollable urges.

Going Steady ends with a title card: "This story hasn't answered all your questions, has it?" Truer words were never to appear in a Coronet social guidance film.



TEENAGERS GOING STEADY ROMANCE COUPLES PARENTS FAMILY LIFE DATING ADOLESCENTS CHILDREN BOYS GIRLS IMMATURITY AGE SOCIAL GUIDANCE ACTIVITIES PHONOGRAPHS RECORDS MUSIC DISCUSSIONS SEXUALITY PETTING

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Reviewer: JayKay49 - favorite favorite favorite - December 22, 2012

Subject: I Say Hold Out For Diane



The need for this whole film and discussion would have been moot if they just had invented the "-ish" ending for words, Diane is way better looking than Marie whose face has too much of that Rana pipiens look to it. Not to mention what a princess complex is just below the surface...she wants to depend on Jeff to attend to her social needs but longs for other boys to call her and ask her out. How typical - wants to have it BOTH ways - yet offers little.The need for this whole film and discussion would have been moot if they just had invented the "-ish" ending for words, i.e ., "going steadyish". Not uncommon 20 years later. - December 22, 2012I Say Hold Out For Diane

Reviewer: mjp54 - favorite favorite favorite - August 2, 2010

Subject: is that Hope Summers? Hey . . . that looks like Hope "he-doesn't-think-he-can-take-liberties" Summers . . . she played Clara Edwards in the town of Mayberry.



(what a resume . . . from this, to Rosemary's Baby !) - August 2, 2010is that Hope Summers?

Reviewer: AJRowe - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 5, 2009

Subject: I love these videos I went to college during the late 1990's and I remember my English teacher speaking of these films. It's so amazing to be able to watch them now. These have helped me to better understand how things were back in the 1940's and 1950's when my grandma was young and why some of her ideas seem so different from those in the younger generations. Thank you for these. - September 5, 2009I love these videos

Reviewer: DrAwkward - favorite favorite favorite - August 16, 2009

Subject: Making Fudge Well now, Barney doesn't seem nearly as conflicted as Marie and Jeff about his relationship, even if the activity he's about to get involved in sounds a lot more suggestive than "going steady." Imagine if the term "making fudge" were substituted every time one of the main characters said "going steady." That might be all you'd need to bring the film up to date. - August 16, 2009Making Fudge

Reviewer: monoceros4 - favorite favorite - May 28, 2009

Subject: Going steady? Get the cyanide The funniest, or creepiest, aspect to this film is how both kids, when confronted with the idea that they might be "going steady", talk and act as if they'd just told they might have multiple sclerosis. They both treat the news as unpleasant and unwelcome, but they decide eventually that the only thing to do is learn to live with their steadiness. I've never seen such a grey and depressing look at love and I'm not forgetting all those V.D. films where sex means inevitable syphilis. - May 28, 2009Going steady? Get the cyanide

Reviewer: doowopbob - favorite favorite - April 5, 2009

Subject: Ahhh....Sure Baby....Heh Heh.... As Long As I Could Cop A Feel & Get A B/J I Played Along....If Not It Was See You Sister! - April 5, 2009Ahhh....Sure Baby....Heh Heh....

Reviewer: EazyJake - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - February 13, 2009

Subject: Great Ha well, i thoroughly enjoy this and many of the mid 50's video i have watched. \what a simpler tine - February 13, 2009Great

Reviewer: ERD - favorite favorite favorite favorite - February 7, 2006

Subject: Teenage Pressures Teenages have a lot of social pressures; What is right to do, what isn't. In this film it seems the way these teenagers handled the problem of going steady was fine. For 1951, I think the film is excellent and got teens to think. - February 7, 2006Teenage Pressures

Reviewer: depthfunction - favorite favorite favorite - April 6, 2005

Subject: That Jeff - what a dawg! This isn't one of the more laughable Coronet films, but it does feature Barney - Marie's little brother who, in his brief appearance, does the best acting job, and has the best line of the film ("That was Alice. She wanted me to come over and make some fudge with her - girls! But I guess I'll go anyway." BWAHAHAHA!)



Jeff's checkers game with his father was goofy. His family desperately needs to buy one of them newfangled TVs.



The film ends with the question, "This story hasn't answered all of your questions, has it?" No it hasn't. Not by a long shot! - April 6, 2005That Jeff - what a dawg!

Reviewer: depthfunction - favorite favorite favorite - April 6, 2005

Subject: That Jeff - what a dawg! This isn't one of the more laughable Coronet films, but it does feature Barney - Marie's little brother who, in his brief appearance, does the best acting job, and has the best line of the film ("That was Alice. She wanted me to come over and make some fudge with her - girls! But I guess I'll go anyway." BWAHAHAHA!)



Jeff's checkers game with his father was goofy. His family desperately needs to buy one of them newfangled TVs.



The film ends with the question, "This story hasn't answered all of your questions, has it?" No it hasn't. Not by a long shot! - April 6, 2005That Jeff - what a dawg!

Reviewer: Marysz - favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 24, 2004

Subject: Waiting by the Telephone Teenagers Jeff and Marie have aimlessly drifted into a relationship where Jeff simply shows up at the door whenever he wants. Marie hangs around waiting for him. She wonders why no other boys ask her out. In the meantime, Jeff asks MarieÂs friend Diane out, but she refuses because she assumes Jeff and Marie are going steady (besides, sheÂs also going steadyÂwith Hal). ÂGoing steady? Me! How did I get into this!Â wonders Jeff. Over a game of checkers, JeffÂs dad explains to him that he should go steady with a few girls but ÂdonÂt make any commitments.Â Diane, while setting MarieÂs hair in bobby pins, recommends going steady because it means being guaranteed a date on Saturday night and you ÂdonÂt have to make an effort to be your best all the time.Â But Marie worries about petting and Âgoing too far.Â



Next we see Jeff combing his hair in the bathroom mirror. ÂDonÂt expect too much and donÂt make any commitments!Â he tells his reflection. JeffÂs happy because now he has an excuse not to commit himself to a relationship with a girl. MarieÂs relieved because sheÂs fearful about petting. This film was obviously made to discourage teenagers from drifting into premarital sex. But JeffÂs inability to make a commitment and MarieÂs fear of sex could lead to problems down the line. - July 24, 2004Waiting by the Telephone

Reviewer: DrAwkward - favorite favorite favorite - March 13, 2004

Subject: Going, going... The reason this Coronet behavior modification film seems so broad-minded might lie in its apparent denial that "going steady" might lead to premarital sex. Not at all the usual party line. It lacks the paranoia and tension of most films in its genre, which makes it worth a look. The script sounds like the writer was paid a dollar every time someone said the name of the film. Or perhaps it was written by a parrot. - March 13, 2004Going, going...