1960s British Youth : An Alternative Representation

Let's go back in time to 1961, just 3 years before the media in Britain represented its youth as being violence driven hooligans who were a threat to the very fabric of society.

1961 saw the release of the film 'The Young Ones' starring, amongst others, Cliff Richard.

The story is about the youth club member and aspiring singer Nicky (Cliff Richard)  and his friends, who try to save their club in western London from the unscrupulous millionaire property developer Hamilton Black, who plans to tear it down to make room for a large office block. 

The members decide to put on a show to raise the money needed to buy a lease renewal. The twist in the story is that Nicky in reality is Hamilton Black's son, something he keeps keeps secret from his friends until some of them try to kidnap Black senior to prevent him from stopping the show. 

Although he is fighting his father over the future of the youth club, Nicky can't allow them to harm him, so he attacks the attackers and frees his father. In the meantime, Black senior has realised that his son is the mystery singer that all of London is talking about, after the youth club members have done some pirate broadcasts to promote their show. 

So, although he's just bought the theatre where the show is to take place, in order to be able to stop it, the proud father decides that the show must go one. At the end, he joins the youth club members on stage, dancing and singing, after having promised to build them a new youth club.

TASK

Here is the trailer for the film.

How is the representation of British Youth different here to what you have previously seen? 

During this film the representation of the British youth is positive. This is because all of the youth are coming together to help save their youth club. This has a positive effect on the community as they are all in friendship and they want to look after the community as they care about their town unlike the other representation of youth as they had a negative effect on the community as they was fighting and taking part in criminal activities within towns.This was shown by the youths trying to save their youth club and the mods and rocks fighting on the beaches which gives a war like impression. Also there is no divide within the group of youths unlike with the mods and rockers. This group of youths also ant to help the community and their town and they want to keep their place to socialise and meet their friends. However the mods and rockers just wanted to cause trouble and start fights between each other. 

Also in this representation they are shown as more of a middle or upper class. This is shown by Nicky's dad being a millionaire. This is shown by the way they talk and act. In this film they are put-on on a film for the community. This shows that they are more of an assist to the community as they are putting on a shower for 'the whole family' . During this time period the youths are shown as just having fun and enjoying themselves. This is shown by them putting on a show that they are all a part in. They are not looking for trouble like the mods and rockers who travelled to different towns to fight.