Coronet Instructional FilmsWhat to Do on a Date (1950)

A high school senior learns how and where to ask a girl for a date, where to take her for a good time, and how to avoid spending too much money or being bored by commercialized amusements. Director: Ted Peshak. Cameraman: Dale Sharkey. Writers: George Tychsen, Bradford. Editor: Dick Kirschner. Narrator: George Stone.

This item is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Coronet Instructional Films
Audio/Visual: Sd, B&W
Keywords: Social guidance; Dating; Teenagers

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: Retro Geek - - May 10, 2008
Subject: Weenie Roasts Are Swell!

Nick the half-wit has NO idea about dating. Fortunately, his good friend Jeff is quite the dating sophisticate and suggests great ideas like taking Kaye to the scavenger hunt. Nick stumbles around asking inane questions from his dating mentor. What if she says no? What do you suppose I'll have to do? And on and on. Fortunately for Nick, Kaye just loves doing things like weenie roasts, bike trips, and taffy pulls because after all she's a swell girl.
Now most of us can find this little film about wholesome group activities hilarious. We can laugh at Nick's inept attempts at getting a girl he likes to go out with him. We can poke fun at the dating activities they embark on. We can marvel at how times have truly changed. We can believe that Nick and Kaye and all his friends are real dorks. However, we might do well to consider that at least Nick and Kaye are actively involved in doing something with each other and their friends instead of nerds who lamely sit home, watching this on their pc and laughing. Come on gang! Let's get out there and roast those weenies!

Reviewer: ladybarker - - April 14, 2008
Subject: MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATRE 3000

THE OLD SHOW MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATRE 3000 DID THIS VERY SAME VIDEO. IT'S ON YOUTUBE.COM!!!!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrmFGSM1h44

Reviewer: gasaxe - - April 20, 2007
Subject: What???

No talk about condoms and safe sex?

Reviewer: ERD - - January 17, 2006
Subject: A little old-even for 1951

While the film was made in 1951, and teens did behave that way then, most high school seniors would have had some dating experience already.
It certainly was a different world then!

Reviewer: Spuzz - - May 2, 2005
Subject: "Taffy Pulls? Swell!"

Somewhat dissapointing, coming from the Coronet factory and with a title like that, I was expecting a lot more. A dim wit boy asks a dim wit girl what she really wants to do on a date, (decorating for the Scavenger sale!) so they go, and the dimwit boy discovers more of what he should do to ask her again for her second date. The proposal for the 2nd date is what propels the film into high geekdom, with taffy pulls, weenie roasts and band concerts proposals thrown your way, Garsh, what is a girl to do? Despite the lead looking a lot like Chris Klein, there's not much more I can reccomend for this film.

Reviewer: iljc116 - - October 18, 2004
Subject: Dates - then and now

In the past, couples spent their dates doing the things in the film. Now, people like my boyfriend and I spend our dates laughing at the film. (p.s. - after watching this he asked his father if he ever went to weenie roasts if he was a teenager, and he said yes...we tried not to laugh, while he stood there confused)

Reviewer: Marysz - - March 2, 2004
Subject: If only it were this simple . . .

This film is from the same folks who brought us ÂAre You Popular? That film examined how girls should behave. This film concentrates on boys. Nick asks Kay to help set up the local Âscavenger sale. I couldnÂt help noticing that the discards of 1950 are todayÂs high-priced collectibles. Kay puts out a leaded glass lamp. ÂBoy, that is an old-timer! says Nick by way of conversation as she puts a Âwhite elephant tag on it. In another scene, one of the teens casually puts aside what appears to be a Roseville or McCoy vase to set out the food. Well, if whoever bought at that sale is still around, theyÂre in for good news at ÂAntiques Roadshow. As in ÂAre You Popular? Nick and Kay live in a town with a lot of wholesome, inexpensive activities for teenagersÂweenie roasts, square dances, bowling partiesÂsomething we parents of today have cause to envy. Nick doesnÂt have to worry about his grooming and reputation the way the girls do; all Nick has to do is give Kay a choice between say, a bike trip or a weenie roast. Kay, who is stuck waiting to be asked, seems to have suitably low expectations. Her main concern is not to get a reputation as being a girl who Âparks in cars with boys like poor Ginnie in ÂAre You Popular? ÂWhat To Do on a Date is a much less complicated film. Boys have to Âdo very little. The burden is on the girls.

Reviewer: DrKnapp - - January 6, 2004
Subject: A date in Stepford

These are some of the many unfortunate kids who were were raised in the Coronet living room (and it shows). Come along with Kay and Mick as they embark on their many dating adventures: setting up for a sale, riding bikes. Nobody will be seated during the compelling sipping pop scene! What have we learned? Guys: Be cheap. Girls: Expect nothing. And for heaven's sake, don't touch each other! Part 2 to this film would logically have to be "A Date With Your Family", cause there ain't no second date here! A laff & a half.

Reviewer: Mikal Houston - - May 23, 2003
Subject: Let the robots tell you what to think!

These old "educational" films always crack me up, and if this film by itself didn't split your sides open then your are in luck. "What to Do on a Date" was hilariously reviewed on Mystery Science Theater 3000. You may be able to find it in some of the better movie stores. It is on the video "Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Shorts Vol. 2". I'm sure a number of other videos found in the archives made it onto the MST3K videos as well.

Reviewer: Christine Hennig - - December 27, 2002
Subject: What to Do on a Date

Now, honestly, how many teenagers do you know who don't know what to do on a date? Amazingly, they found one clueless enough for this film. Of course, what they're really hoping to do is convince teenagers that what you do on a date is lots of wholesome group activities at the local teen center. Our really dorky hero has to be cattle-prodded into asking the girl next door to go to a rummage sale with him, where much to his surprise he finds out that she likes weenie roasts and taffy pulls! And what a coincidenceÂÂthose things are on the teen center schedule of upcoming wholesome events! It's hard to imagine that adolescence was ever this dorky. Great fun.
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****. Also available on Mystery Science Theater 3000, Episode #503: Swamp Diamonds.

Reviewer: Cambot - - November 20, 2002
Subject: Or what NOT to do!

Quite possibly the perfect glance into a long gone era, filled with strict moral codes and conduct. It's the story of Nick-oaf in the ways of the world, and Kay-the object of his desire. What these two see in each other who can say. What we do know is that all teens need are fun activities to do and everything will be just fine! So get youself over to the scavenger sale and help fix it up. Conform...CONFORM!!!

Reviewer: Mr. Snout - - November 9, 2002
Subject: Life was sure easy back then!

Man, it sure wasn't that easy to ask a girl out on a date when I was young! But now I know why - our high school didn't have weekly weenie roasts!

Shotlist

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL BOY LEARNS HOW & WHERE TO ASK GIRL FOR DATE, & WHERE TO TAKE HER FOR GOOD TIME WITHOUT SPENDING TOO MUCH MONEY OR BEING BORED BY COMMERCIALIZED AMUSEMENTS.

07:28:24:00 - 07:29:01:00
MLS 2 teenage boys walking along, tossing ball back and forth (trees in BG); pan across to CU girl waving o.s.; boy drops ball as he waves back; girl walks toward house; VS boy watching her as she walks; boy throws ball o.s.

07:29:02:00 - 07:31:39:00
MS 2 teenage boys enter house; one lays notebook beside phone on table then goes up stairs; other boy, waiting, opens notebook on table; CU paper with telephone number for Kay; high angle MS guy calls up stairs; other boy walks down stairs with tennis racket in hand; VS they converse; boy walks over to table, closing his notebook; boy hands tennis racket to friend and picks up telephone; VS boy talking and girl talking on other end of line; boy hangs up phone, looking content, and he and his friend leave house

07:31:40:00 - 07:33:57:00
MS sign in the shape of an elephant reading "Scavenger Sale"; MS girl walking around, passing out signs to volunteers at sale, talking and playing around as she goes; VS girl and boy talking as they clean and organize their area; MCU girl tries to hangs sign reading "knick-knacks" but is too short to reach; boy takes sign and hangs it for her; low angle MCU another boy, hanging light, looks over his shoulder, mischievously; girl walks off with another girl; low angle boy talks to friend on ladder and walks over to tool box sitting on chair; boy stops to read activity posting on wall; CU boy pointing to "Bike Trip To Rock Point"

07:33:58:00 - 07:34:07:00
2 boys and 2 girls on bridge riding bicycles toward the camera

07:34:08:00 - 07:34:15:00
MCU boy standing by activity posting; boy looks at list pointing to "Weenie Roast"

07:34:16:00 - 07:34:30:00
MS 2 boys and 2 girls sitting around campfire, roasting hotdogs (woods setting in BG)

07:34:30:00 - 07:34:43:00
MS 2 boys and 2 girls walk up bleachers; they sit down, surrounded by other spectators; high angle MS baseball players on diamond, playing ball

07:34:43:00 - 07:34:48:00
MLS swimmers doing laps; spectators around pool cheering them on

07:34:48:00 - 07:34:53:00
MCU men and women square dancing (sign reading "Baggage Checked" in BG)

07:34:53:00 - 07:34:58:00
MS 2 boys and 2 girls at picnic table, preparing to eat

07:34:58:00 - 07:35:19:00
MCU boy standing beside activity posting, daydreaming

07:34:10:00 - 07:35:21:00
MS 2 teenage boys, nicely dressed, buying tickets at theater entrance; they walk over to 2 girls and all walk inside

07:35:21:00 - 07:35:59:00
MCU boy reading activity posting on wall; VS boy talking to friend

07:36:00:00 - 07:38:41:00
MCU 2 girls talking as they prepare snacks; boy enters frame and steals a potato chip; girl fusses at him and sends him o.s. with a tray of Cokes; they all walk over to another table and call everyone over to eat; boy and girl walk away together and he arranges place for them to sit; VS they sit together eating and happily conversing; they talk about what they like to do on dates, mentioning such things as weenie roasts, taffy pull, skating parties, miniature golf and bike trips; they both look o.s.; boy gets up and gets them ice cream; MS room of teenage kids sitting around eating and talking.




Ken Smith notes: One of the most entertaining films in the social guidance genre, principally because of the bad acting of goony "Nick Baxter." Nick wants to go out on a date with Kay, but he's afraid she'll say no. He finally works up the courage to ask her to the movies (to see Wagon Train), but since she's already seen it, they decide to go to the high school scavenger sale instead. And, boy, do they ever have fun! Nick discovers that Kay likes the same things he does (miniature golf, taffy pulls and weenie roasts) and these two social oddballs are well on their way to a meaningful relationship. This Kay is not the same Kay who later starred in More Dates For Kay, for which Nick should be thankful.

DATING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TEENAGERS