Cooley High 2 (1975)
Dublin Core
Title
Cooley High 2 (1975)
Subject
Black Film Promotional Materials
Description
From this promotional material, the viewer receives a preview of the different types of relationships the film will elaborate upon, none of which include family. The viewer sees Cochise in a letterman’s jacket, with young women that he appears to be pursuing romantically. Preach, another character, is dressed in more business casual attire and is running around and joking with a classmate. The “Special Ad for Black Papers” indicates that black moviegoers may have been marketed movies in a manner that would allow them to misinterpret the intention of the film. The promotional material suggests the movie is a comedy centered on the lives of teenagers while it is really a profile of relationships among impoverished adolescents.
Within the urban landscape, strong and loyal friendships are paramount to survival. Within the opening scene, a group of four boys are shown within a classroom, trying to sneak out before the teacher begins the lesson. They run through the public parks and cityscape of Chicago’s north side, hopping on public transportation and stealing food with little consequence. These types of scenes depict black urban life as a fun adventure full of spontaneous interactions and rebellion. Paula Massood argues that black urban life in film is highly mediated. She writes, “In their often conflicted attitudes toward the city as either promised land or dystopian hell, African American texts (film, literature, music, painting) explore themes of hope, mobility, and escape” (Massood 8). “The Real Cool School,” as it is labeled within the promotional material, is a representation of an urban environment rampant with drug use, unemployment and single parent homes. Notable is the lack of family members shown in the promotional material. From this advertisement of the film it becomes apparent that in Cooley High, Black adolescence means challenging dominant culture through forging unlikely relationships.
Massood, Paula J. Black City Cinema: African American Urban Experiences in Film. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 2003. Print.
Within the urban landscape, strong and loyal friendships are paramount to survival. Within the opening scene, a group of four boys are shown within a classroom, trying to sneak out before the teacher begins the lesson. They run through the public parks and cityscape of Chicago’s north side, hopping on public transportation and stealing food with little consequence. These types of scenes depict black urban life as a fun adventure full of spontaneous interactions and rebellion. Paula Massood argues that black urban life in film is highly mediated. She writes, “In their often conflicted attitudes toward the city as either promised land or dystopian hell, African American texts (film, literature, music, painting) explore themes of hope, mobility, and escape” (Massood 8). “The Real Cool School,” as it is labeled within the promotional material, is a representation of an urban environment rampant with drug use, unemployment and single parent homes. Notable is the lack of family members shown in the promotional material. From this advertisement of the film it becomes apparent that in Cooley High, Black adolescence means challenging dominant culture through forging unlikely relationships.
Massood, Paula J. Black City Cinema: African American Urban Experiences in Film. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 2003. Print.
Source
Washington University Archives: Black Film Promotional Material Collection. Cooley High. American International Pictures, 1975. Film.
Citation
“Cooley High 2 (1975),” WUSTL Digital Gateway Image Collections & Exhibitions, accessed May 4, 2024, http://omeka.wustl.edu/omeka/items/show/11299.
Catalog Search
Search for related records in these catalogs: