Summer Of '63

Year Published: 1974

Creator: Sid Davis Productions

Format: 16mm

Color: Color

Sound: sound

Description: This film is a depiction of youth culture in Los Angeles during the early 1960s. It showcases various scenes and characters to address the issue of controlling the spread of syphilis and gonorrhea. The film emphasizes that these diseases are curable but continue to spread due to the personal nature of venereal diseases. The film starts with stock shots of 1960s Los Angeles, featuring landmarks like Midway Hospital and a bustling Southern California street. It then transitions to scenes inside a laboratory, showing scientists conducting experiments and working with pharmaceuticals. The main focus of the film revolves around a group of teenagers. They are shown enjoying themselves at a picnic table, driving a convertible, and engaging in leisure activities like swimming in a lake. There are romantic moments between couples, slow dancing, and intimate conversations. However, the film takes a serious turn when it addresses the importance of controlling the spread of sexually transmitted infections. It highlights the need for individuals to inform their sexual partners and seek treatment promptly. The film also mentions that minors no longer require parental consent for seeking treatment, emphasizing the confidentiality between doctor and patient. Throughout the film, it is emphasized that individuals can be infected without showing symptoms. The narrative follows the emotional journey of one of the characters who faces the consequences of not taking proper precautions. The film concludes with a message from a middle-aged man in a lab coat, emphasizing the importance of awareness, informing partners, and seeking treatment promptly. Overall, this film provides a glimpse into 1960s youth culture in Los Angeles while addressing the serious issue of sexually transmitted infections and the need for responsible behavior and treatment.

Complete Record: Venereal disease among the young. A short version of Davis's feature film V.D.; Excellent stock shots of early-1960s youth culture in Los Angeles.; 02:00:16:03; VS of the building of MIDWAY HOSPITAL (modern round and orange building); Another building (hospital and clinic), Southern California street on foreground with palm trees and cars, policeman in front of a building; 02:00:31:04; MCU of man in white lab coat, shelves of a laboratory with beakers and jars in foreground, the man is holding a pipette; CU man looking through a microscope; MCU man with glasses in front of shelves filled with pharmaceuticals, he takes a box off shelf; 02:01:38:28; MCU three boys and girls sitting on a wooden picnic table with umbrella through it; Dressed in summer clothes, one of them has a straw hat, smiling and talking; The one with hat throws a crumpled piece of paper into a garbage can from his seat; Camera moves back; 02:01:58:03; LS white convertible, the group runs towards it and a boy and girl jump into white car; 02:02:13:24; LS streets, palm trees, two cars - white convertible and big coupe; CU policeman in car, starts it; LS large street, police car behind two cars; 02:02:51:00; LS convertible stopped in countryside, young couple jumps out; LS blond girl wearing pink dress, carries a picnic basket under her arm, boy in jeans; LS boy in shorts, girl in blue bikini, running towards lake on a diving board, she stops, he pushes her and jumps in, then they splash water to each other; 02:03:22:13; MCU couple sitting in the grass, wet hair; CU boy's face looking at her then girl's face; CU girl is smiling and boy and girl hug each other and kiss; 02:04:32:01; MCU two couples dancing a slow dance; Blond girl and dark haired boy (main couple); CU two couples sit on a table, jukebox in background; CU of the main couple talking and smiling at each other; CU girl from the other couple at table (very dark hair, light blue eyes, black dress); MCU table with girl and couple; Black haired girl tapes the filter of the cigarette on her cigarette case and lights it with zippo cigarette lighter; 02:05:33:07; MCU in front car, two boys with rags are cleaning convertible and talking; MCU one of them, leaning on the car, takes a bill from pocket and unfolds it in front of other; 02:06:00:04; Camera pans road on seaside with palm trees, follows convertible car with sea in background; LS of traffic with cars annd buses from sixties; 02:06:40:25; MCU four boys in front of pinball machines and other games, one boy is turning the steering wheel of a game; MCU boy stops in front of coin-operated stereoscope machine with pin-ups drawn on it; MCU the boy looks through the lences and then waves his friend to come, They are laughing; 02:07:18:27; LS group of boys going into bar/diner (neon reads: FOOD, COCKTAILS); CU glasses of Coca-Cola color drink and hands putting cherries in it; Montage of superimposed images; CU cash register with price number adding up, while a hand enters sums of money; CU jukebox; CU bottle of alcohol in a circle, turning around; Same montage again; CU four glasses being taken away from the counter; 02:07:44:14; MCU inside the bar, two boys sitting in front of table with two girls (later to be identified as prostitutes); One boy is smoking, his arm around a girl with black hair; The other boy is looking down, ashamed(?), uneasy(?), next to platinum blond girl, who stares him; CU boy and platinum blond girl's heads, she smiles and turns his head towards her with her hand; CU platinum blond girl, moves her pink lips and looks at him in a seductive manner; She has a very glamorous haircut (in bun) and heavy makeup; CU boy, looks down, sad; CU boy and girl look at one another, she puts her hands around his neck and on his shoulder...; 02:08:37:11; LS lake with four boys walking out of water; LS four boys kneeling around fire, shaking their hands, water in background; 02:09:25:21; LS trees in background, group of boys and girls sitting under trees, fire in the foreground, dark setting; LS blond girl seated with a stick, with meat stuck at its end, cooking it in the fire, dark haired boy lying next to her watching the meat; In the background, other couple sitting next to each other, both drinking from cans (beer?), the black-haired girl wears a black bikini; CU blond girl with white straw hat smiles at boy; CU black-haired girl's head, hair down and thick, with devilish smile; CU boy's head, threatened; CU blond girl in despair; 02:10:36:22; LS trees in the dark; Blond girl runs away from boy through trees; She is wearing pajama-like checked shirt (blue and white); He is in shorts, very tanned; MCU he catches her, she turns her back from him and starts crying, hand over her mouth; He looks at her and says "It wasn't what you think" but she shakes her head and refuses to listen to him; CU of his head, watches her go away and sighs; 02:11:14:22; LS lake in background, trees and camera pans towards boy and black-haired girl sitting under tree; The boy is in shorts and smokes, she has bare legs and comes closer to him; CU two faces in a three quarter profile; She gives him a beer and they get up; 02:12:24:11; LS lake, very blue, with tres in background and no sky, the foreground is sand; Black-haired girl wears a bikini and an unbuttonned blue shirt, she is playing with an empty can and walks hand in hand with tanned boy in shirt; Boy turns his can upside down to show its empty and throws it in the lake, he doesn't walk straight and looks drunk; LS girl pushes him in the water then runs towards dark trees, the boy follows her; 02:13:01:28; MCU two boys in a diner drinking, wearing black and white checked shirt; Orange, wood interior decoration with blue lamp; 02:13:26:14; LS in front of school or university, benches and students walking; MCU office of a professor, who is seated on desk with the tanned boy in front of him in a chair; CU professor's face, friendly - brown hair slicked back, wrinkled, checked shirt; CU boy's face, looking down; 02:14:53:00; MCU boy's face; MCU school doctor's face: white hair, fifties glasses, brown suit and with an authoritative look; MCU boy's looking down in deep thought, deeply moved; MLS desk of doctor with books on it, boy sitting in chair in front of desk, the Professor standing behind; 02:16:52:20; MCU boy, black-haired girl and her boyfriend; CU girl's face, smiling in a seductive manner and evolves to a cold and harsh (reproachful) look towards the boy; CU boy's face, annoyed; CU girl's face, smiling to her boyfriend then leaves with him, who smiles playfully; MCU the boy stands alone in anger; 02:17:19:17; CU the boyfriend and black-haired girl in evening clothes, sitting on the grass at night; She wears a necklace and a blue/white dress; They talk and kiss; 02:17:57:03; CU daytime in school, boyfriend and black-haired girl walking hand in hand, passing next to the boy; The boyfriend smiles towards the boy, the girl, wearing a red dress; ignores the boy; 02:17:57:03; MLS doctor's office; Doctor wearing white lab coat covering a shirt and a tie, and boy in the background fixing the fly (zipper) of his trousers; MCU doctor walks across the room, the boy follow him; 02:18:50:02; CU in the foreground, boy sitting on a bench in school, he is eating; in the background, school buildings with trees, blond girl is coming with checked dress; She carries books under her arm and a box of orange juice with a straw She sits next to him and smiles shyly, listens to him, laughs and gets up to leave; He catches her with his arm; MCU of the boy, head down and ashamed, talking; MCU of the girl, standing, smiling broadly, shrugging her shoulders; 02:19:46:24; MLS house interior, kitchen in the living room; In the background, the kitchen is furnished with wood boards and cupboards, and a mother, in white dress, is mixing food in a bowl behind the kitchen board; In the foreground, the blond girl is sitting in an armchair with a book; She is wearing a checked shirt (red, blue and white), black horn-rimmed glasses; MCU she picks up the black phone, bursts into laughter, says yes with a big smile; MLS she hangs up, she is sitting with her legs up on the arm of the armchair; Camera pans the girl going out of the room, while the mother looks at her with a smile, still holding mixing bowl and talking to her daughter; 02:20:04:10; CU girl's head, talking with a big smile, the background is grass; CU boy's head, smiling; Camera pans and the convertible car is in frame, where the girl and the boy hug and kiss one another; 02:20:31:05; MCU man in white labcoat covering tie, he is in his mid-forties; He is sitting in front of his desk, talking to the camera; 02:20:41:09; The end; In this story of a group of teenagers and their exploits the problem of controlling the spread of syphilis and gonorrhea is addressed. Film points out that these diseases are absolutely curable but continue to spread due to the highly personal aspect of venereal disease. The importance of informing all sexual partners and seeking treatment as soon as possible is stressed. Film offers advice that minors no longer need parental consent prior to seeking treatment-- this is a confidential matter between doctor and patient. Illustrates how an individual can be sick without showing it.