How to Be Popular – 1940’s High School Dating Guide


Lovely short movie from 1947 on how to be popular. How to talk to girls and date.
A nostalgic look at a very different kind of America, where respect for the other person took precedence over caring about one’s self. Being considerate was a first step to being popular and making friends, and a sure fire way of getting a date! The #etiquette principles followed here by Carolyn and Wally seem less and less relevant today.
If you’re a shy person, these same tips can be helpful too. You’ll learn to worry less about yourself, and how you look and show more interest in other people. If you want to know how to ask a girl out properly, this film’s charming example is one of the best you’ll find anywhere.
Filmed in Kodachrome in 1947 by Coronet Instructional Films.
Director: Ted Peshak. Cinematography: Bill Rockar. Written by Robert Chapin and Patricia Kealy. Editor: George Wilbern. Educational adviser: Dr. Alice Sowers, Director, Family Life Institute of the University of Oklahoma. With Marilyn Fisher (Caroline Ames); Bill Fein (Larry); Bunny Catcher (Ellie); Lester Podewell (Mr. Ames); Marilyn Fisher’s mother (Mrs. Ames); and Shaya Nash (Ginny).

Courtesy of Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division.

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