Keep Our Honor Bright (1953)

Keep Our Honor Bright Poster

A college student faces embarrassment and expulsion for having cheated on an exam. Her fiance is a member of the university's undergraduate honor board and could quietly make the matter "disappear." The young woman reconsiders, deciding that covering up for her bad behavior would be wrong and build a bad foundation for their marriage.

Film Introduction

"Keep Our Honor Bright" is a 1953 movie directed by John English and is fixated styles of integrity, honor, fraternity and moral values. This academic short film discreetly educates the audience on virtues of sincerity and adherence to values specifically in a scholastic setting.

Main Plot
The plot of "Keep Our Honor Bright" kicks off with an initial scene of a college fraternity meeting in session. The fraternity's president, John, expresses his issues about a newspaper article which highlights a series of cheating incidents taking place on campus, tainting the reputation of the fraternity and the college. John highlights the value of honesty in their fraternity's code of honor and chooses to perform a strategy to remove this issue from their fraternity.

Conflict and Resolution
The center of the conflict is an underprepared fraternity pledge called George who chooses to cheat on an upcoming test due to procrastination and worry of failure. John realizes George's intent and rather of implicating him confrontationally, he informs him on the long-lasting impacts, repercussions, and ethical costs of unfaithful. He discusses that success achieved through unethical methods is short-lived and eventually leads to failure. This deep conversation makes George reconsider his choice.

In a climactic scene, George discovers himself with a chance to cheat during the test. After battling with his conscience, he chooses against it, reflecting his internalization of the important lesson he's found out. By choosing to either fail honorably or succeed on his own benefit, George embodies the fraternity's code of honor, showing the audiences the importance of scholastic sincerity.

Moral Message and Closing

"Keep Our Honor Bright" is not just about college or fraternity life, it is a movie with a universal message about living with integrity. John's act of patience, understanding, and gentle assistance towards George promotes not just the virtue of honesty, but also the power of great leadership and mentorship.

The movie ends with an impactful scene where George is seen studying carefully for his next examination, having actually discovered his lesson, signifying his change. John reminds the fraternity bros that it is their collective obligation to support the honor code, and George's change is really a success. The last scene concludes with a sense of unity, camarity and reaffirmation of their strong belief in their fraternity's values-- underscoring the movie's main theme of honor and stability.

Significance and Impact
"Keep Our Honor Bright" might have been released in 1953, however its message still proves out in the present day. This movie is not just pertinent to fraternities, sororities, and other scholastic institutions but likewise for any setting where values of honesty and integrity should be upheld. The 30-minute duration of the movie succinctly shares lessons on values that could substantially impact a young adult's journey to adulthood.

Overall Impression
In conclusion, "Keep Our Honor Bright" conducts a subtle yet efficient foray into the mind of a young adult having a hard time between the easy way out and doing what's right. The basic yet efficient narrative showcases how peer impact, mentorship, and a dedication to higher worths can stimulate change. A timeless film, it functions as a suggestion for audiences of any ages about the significance of promoting sincerity in every aspect of life.

Top Cast

  • Michael Higgins (small)
    Michael Higgins
    Matt Mathewson
  • Joan Potter
    Sally
  • Harry Fletcher
    Mr. Mathewson
  • James Dean (small)
    James Dean
    Jim Cooper
  • Richard Bishop
    Mr. Baldwin
  • Graham Denton
    Mr. Todd
  • Bradford Dillman (small)
    Bradford Dillman
    Student