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Hell's Highway: The True Story of Highway Safety Films

2003

91 minutes

Documentary

Overview

This film covers the early history of post World War II educational films, especially those involving traffic safety by the Highway Safety Foundation under direction of Richard Wayman. In the name of promoting safe driving in teenagers, these films became notorious for their gory depiction of accidents to shock their audiences to make their point. The film also covers the role of safety films of this era, their effect on North American teenage culture, the struggle between idealism and lurid exploitation and how they reflected the larger society concerns of the time that adults projected onto their youth.

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Top Cast

John P. Butler headshot

John P. Butler

Self

Earle Deems headshot

Earle Deems

Self

John R. Domer headshot

John R. Domer

Self

David Krug headshot

David Krug

Self

Eric Krug headshot

Eric Krug

Self

Rick Prelinger headshot

Rick Prelinger

Self

Mike Vraney headshot

Mike Vraney

Self

James Waller headshot

James Waller

Self

Bret Wood headshot

Bret Wood

Self

Martin Yant headshot

Martin Yant

Self

Helena Reckitt headshot

Helena Reckitt

Narrator

Richard Anderson headshot

Richard Anderson

Husband (archive footage)

Sonny Bono headshot

Sonny Bono

Self (archive footage)

Hans Conried headshot

Hans Conried

Self (archive footage)

Ronald Reagan headshot

Ronald Reagan

Self (archive footage)

Robert F. Simon headshot

Robert F. Simon

Rellik (archive footage)

James Stewart headshot

James Stewart

Narrator (archive footage)

Dick York headshot

Dick York

Nick (archive footage)