- Directed by
- Grasshoff, Alex, American, 1928 - 2008
- Subject of
- Davidson, Bruce, American, founded 1946
- Lethin, Lori, American, born 1955
- Punch, John, American, born 1961
- Owned by
- D.C. Public Library, American, founded 1896
- Date
- 1981
- Medium
- polyester film
- Dimensions
- Duration: 42 Minutes
- Length (Film): 1500 Feet
- Caption
- This film was a part of the Washington D.C. Public Library's circulating 16mm film collection housed at the Martin Luther King Jr. Central Library. The collection is particularly noted for the wide variety of African American and African diaspora content.
- Description
- A feature film with the title The Wave, from the ABC Afterschool Special television series. It consists of a single reel of 16mm color polyester film with optical sound.
- The film follows a high school class whose social studies teacher, Ben Ross (Bruce Davison), attempts to teach them a life lesson through a weeks-long experiment called The Wave. It begins with the class watching a film about the Nazis. At the end of the film, some of the students admit that they find the fact that the German citizens were unaware of the Nazi's crimes incredulous and they didn't understand why people followed Hitler. In response, Mr. Ross devises an experiment where he incrementally indoctrinates the students. Lauree (Lori Lethin), one of the students in Mr. Ross' class, informs her parents about how impressed she is with the impact the game is having on the rest of the students. However, later in the film her position changes and she gets into a physical altercation with David (John Putch), her boyfriend who is also a student in Mr. Ross’ class. At the end of the film, Mr. Ross chastises the students in the class for following him blindly, some of them begin weeping after his revelation.
- Place used
- Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Place filmed
- United States, North and Central America
- Collection title
- DC Public Library Film Collection
- Portfolio/Series
- ABC Afterschool Special
- Classification
- Time-based Media - Moving Images
- Topic
- Education
- Film
- Television
- World War II
- Youth
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2017.55.96.1a
- Restrictions & Rights
- Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




