Back in the Dim Time, I recall seeing and hearing a jazz piece accompaniment for a short black & white film that starts with a string bass and snare drum & high-hat, that I seem to remember had the title “Why Can’t Johnny Read?”. This memory was reinforced by an MST3K reference in the short Junior Rodeo Daredevils (which was originally seen in Episode 407, “The Killer Shrews”). A kid falls off a rodeo animal he’s riding and someone on the SOL remarks: “Why can’t Johnny ride?”, which is followed by mimicking that same opening riff of bass and drum kit.
The memory is also mixed in with a short film that either ***was ***the above film or was a different black & white film with the same or very similar music which concerned homophobia and AIDS and featured a young man in a 1950’s suit running and trying to hide from, I dunno, “the haterz” I guess.
That was also the title of a book by Rudolf Flesch (who taught me a lot in his book The Art of Clear Thinking back in the day), which came out in the mid 50’s lamenting America’s lousy educational system (which of course, came to nothing).
Anyway, does anyone know what I’m talking about? And maybe knows where I can find it again?
Tnx!
ETA: No, it’s not the Zappa tune…