Junior Prom

The first in Monogram’s “Teen-agers” series, this low-budget musical predates the youth culture films of Roger Corman and American International Pictures by nearly a decade. During the Whitney High School student government election, a rich man’s son tries to pay his way into office with promises of new athletic uniforms. His desperate competitors (reallife swing dancers Dean Collins and Jewel McGowen) decide to stage a series of song and dance spectacles to try to garner votes. The film faithfully documents many popular dances of mid-40s hipster culture including the jitterbug and lindy hop. (University of Chicago Doc Films)