Monday, May 16, 2011

The Cautious Twins

The Cautious Twins booklet was originally created and prepared in 1960 by the Sheriff's Department of Los Angeles County, CA by Peter J. Pitchess, Sheriff (and published by Harold E. Jones of the Beverly Hills Crime Prevention Bureau) and is "dedicated to the guidance and safety of our most precious heritage-- our children!" It's basically an aid to parents in teaching our innocent sons and daughters about the dangers of harmful adults. It's a serious issue, though some of you will no doubt find the overall presentation unintentionally funny as poor Dorene and Dan encounter one creepy, clean-cut predator after another. My how times have changed-- or have they?!







8 comments:

Mr. Karswell said...

And be sure to check out the 6 minute animated film short version of The Cautious Twins too, right here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnEjuHKNClM

Runs.with.Ferals said...

You keep luring us to your blogs with candy like this !

Prof. Grewbeard said...

i still remember the terror i experienced watching the films they'd show us in elementary school concerning child molesting. for some reason though, they'd also show us the goriest driver's ed films too. we were 5-7 years away from being able to get a license! why were they showing us decapitations and burnt-to-a-crisp accident victims?!? maybe it's a Texas thing...

Unknown said...

A timeless lesson, unfortunately. There will always be creeps.
I got a chuckle out of Prof. Grewbeard's tale about the elementary school screening of Bloody Mess Behind the Wheel. Must be a Texas thang!

Mr. Cavin said...

Nope, things haven't changed. People are still suspicious and paranoid, and parents are still overprotecting their kids from the insignificant statistical chance that a stranger might wish to do them harm. Only now the art in the pamphlets isn't anywhere nearly as charming.

I don't know why the book seems less ludicrous than the movie to me. Possibly because it's easier to imagine each page as a new vignette in the book, whereas in the movie it just seems like these kids are surviving some kind of molester apocalypse. Dawn of the Living Perverts.

Mr. Karswell said...

>You keep luring us to your blogs with candy like this !

Haha, good one-- I'm creepy too, no?

>maybe it's a Texas thing...

I blame TX for everything.

>A timeless lesson, unfortunately.

Unfortunately, indeed Facey...

>seems like these kids are surviving some kind of molester apocalypse. Dawn of the Living Perverts.

Funniest thing I've read here all week, thanks Mr C. And you're right, possibly the animation and music all combined to make this Apocolyptic lesson a wee bit more unnerving?

Pokey said...

Being a lifelong Southern California native at 50, I can safely say that I remember the sheriff, Sheriff Peter J.Pitchess..

I've seen the cartoon of this and didn't know of the booklet. I wonder which came first?:) The film's creepy, just like the pedos.:)

Unknown said...

+Pokey -- They both came out together. The film was shown in school, and then we got to take home the booklet.