A vintage TV documentary looking at thrill-hungry beatniks.
Nothing ages more than a documentary about teenagers, and nothing seems tamer than yesterday’s rebellion. So the 1960 documentary Living For Kicks is, as you might expect, a study of rather polite and well-spoken youths who are out for a good time without actually upsetting anyone. 1960 was, of course, still an era before rebellious teenagers in Britain were really a thing, and when the post-rock ‘n’ roll/pre-Beatles world saw a curious dalliance with trad jazz and other novelty sounds. Nevertheless, the beatniks here are still seen as a threat to the very fabric of society by older people – some things never change.
As such, it’s a fascinating and quaint little document of years gone by, and well worth watching.
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