Long before rock music had such an impact on film, Hitchcock argued in favor of what he called “pure cinema.” In this method of filmmaking, the visual or the mise en scene of a shot or sequence is the most important part of the film. To Hitchcock, dialogue was unnecessary for a filmmaker who could master the art of telling a story through images alone. Having started his career in the silent film era, Hitchcock could operate in the realm of pure cinema better than most. Of course, when films could have dialogue, Hitchcock provided it. Music, however, occupies a unique realm in the world of sight and sound. As a reminder of this, it has been asserted that “silent movies began, not silent, but with music accompanying them.” Before movies even had words, they had music. As music does now, during the silent film era, it served as a way to create an emotional response to a scene or provide a sense of continuity and transition between shots. As soundtrack music progressed, film scores were typically made of original material, written and composed specifically for that movie; if a popular song was used, it was perhaps only heard playing in the background of a scene.

When filmmakers transitioned to using rock music as part of the formal soundtrack, the songs were often already heard on the radio or were at least written by a popular artist for the film. In contrast to the typical unimposing background or incidental music, these songs were showcased in the film and were designed to play a more direct, active role in the narrative. The somewhat difficult task for directors was to maintain a sense of aural continuity using several short two to four minute songs instead of one long, specifically composed soundtrack. Likewise, these new soundtracks generally would have been comprised of music from several artists as opposed to a singular composer. However difficult using rock music was, though, these directors wanted it to play an integral part of their film narratives. Essentially, the films these directors were making depended on the rock songs within them. While dialogue in the realm of pure cinema may be unimportant, without a doubt, music cannot be labeled with the same tag. The film’s soundtrack has the potential to add a degree of pathos to the narrative that only it can provide. If the visual requires sound, a soundtrack is essential. To American cinema as a whole, the rock soundtrack occupies a unique, necessary niche. Where a film may not be the same without a soundtrack, American cinema would not be the same without rock music.

When Blackboard Jungle first used “Rock Around the Clock” in 1955, rock music and film became inextricably linked. While we take Richard Brook’s approach for granted now, at the time, film directors were least concerned with using rock music, and a movie house was the last place someone could expect to hear it. By 1955, American Cinema had become an established, respected art form that the whole family could enjoy. Rock n’ Roll, on the other hand, was rebellious, teenaged-fueled “black music” that had to fight for respect among the parents of the nation. Each had its own place in society, with a great deal of distance between them. Richard Brooks and “Rock Around the Clock” forever changed that notion, however.  When these two art forms came together, it was as if a new revolution had begun as soon Bill Haley finished counting to twelve.

America, as a whole, was rapidly changing in 1955 and the country’s art was at the center of those changes. It was a mere span of months from the time Bill Haley and the Comets released their hit song “Rock Around the Clock” until Blackboard Jungle featured it, which is a testament to just how quickly the arts of music and film were moving at this time. While “Rock Around The Clock” was gaining popularity on the radio, Blackboard Jungle made the song even more popular, as the film was a major motion picture. Richard Brooks, then, was not only the first filmmaker to put rock music on the big screen, he also helped solidify its place in American culture. Roger Steffens describes his experience with the film saying, “We really didn’t care about the lurid film, since it was the opening music we had all come to experience, in a way utterly impossible in all but that darkened flick palace.” The quick tempos, danceable rhythms, and catchy lyrics of rock ‘n’ roll are what caught on with audiences, and that was heard in movie theaters across America. Steffens continues, “the screen blared, ebullient sound pushed to peak volume through those huge old theatrical speakers. The seats rattled, we sang along and looked at each other, eyes agape, as if we were witnessing an actual birth.” Surely Steffens’ reaction to the film was not unique to children his age at the time. Rock ‘n’ roll was born and the American teen understood it.

Rock ‘n’ roll existed before Blackboard Jungle, but theaters showing the film were the first places it could be heard aside from dimly-lit bars, a few radio stations, and personal record players. Richard Brooks exposed the music to an audience who could collectively hear it and react to it. Importantly, his song choice in “Rock Around The Clock” was not just a way to get people to the theater, it also fit the film as a whole. Blackboard Jungle deals with teen delinquency in the classroom, so to reflect the culture which he was depicting and perhaps grab the attention of that same group, Brooks picked the perfect song. For Peter Ford, the son of the film’s star, Glenn Ford, it was a memorable moment. Ford remarks, “Teens at that time had been islands unto themselves, unaware that thousands of others were just like them. In celebrating ‘RATC,’ they became united, powerful and their spirit of unbridled freedom changed the culture of America forever.” Steffens adds, “When we heard ‘Rock Around the Clock’ in that movie house, it was the equivalent of an atom bomb going  off in our ears; to this day it still arouses me, a full fifty years on.” Using the music of teenagers in the 50s, Brooks started a revolution in American Cinema.