Rebels and Chicks: A History of the Hollywood Teen Movie

• Entertaining yet insightful analysis of more than 100 films for and about teenagers—illustrated with photos of iconic moments

• Filmography of teen movies



From Mickey and Judy putting on a show, to James Dean rebelling without a cause, to Molly Ringwald crying on her sixteenth birthday, teen movies have reflected the social, political, and cultural climate of their times for more than fifty years. The book begins with a look at the image of teenagers in pre-1950s Hollywood cinema. Among the topics discussed are exploitation films of the 1930s, such as Reefer Madness and Cocaine Fiends, the roles assigned to teen performers such as Elizabeth Taylor and Natalie Wood, and the “criminals-in-training” films of the 1940s, such as the serials featuring the East Side Kids and The Bowery Boys.