Mighty Jungle

A powerful little North Philly film gets its long-awaited due.

by Shaun Brady

temple university libraries GANG STARS: With the help of Temple social worker Harold Haskins, a group of black gang members created a film that, 43 years after its creation, is being honored alongside Michael Jackson's Thriller.

[ found films ]

When the Library of Congress announced the list of films that would be preserved as part of its 2009 National Film Registry, alongside such landmark titles as Michael Jackson's Thriller, Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West and Sidney Lumet's Dog Day Afternoon sat a little-known 1967 short titled The Jungle. Created by a group of African-American gang members in North Philly under the supervision of Temple social worker Harold Haskins, the gritty, remarkable 22-minute film circulated on the educational market for years, but re-emerged when Secret Cinema's Jay Schwartz discovered a print several years ago. This Saturday's reprise screening, with Haskins in attendance, will celebrate the Registry induction and headline Secret Cinema's "From Philadelphia With Love 2010" program. Scribe Video Center will also show the film later this month.

City Paper: Were you surprised at the film's induction into the Library of Congress?

Harold Haskins: Can you imagine? Our names will be in some archive forever with Michael Jackson. ... I never thought that we'd ever get the recognition for what we did, but I knew that we had produced something of quality in 1967. I was very happy because this creates a whole new dynamic not only for this film but for America in terms of what young people who don't have all of that so-called legitimate education can do to contribute to this country as well as to their own communities.

CP: Why do you think there's still such interest in The Jungle?

HH: The film was kept alive by the young people who produced it. They knew what they had done [and] there was national interest in the fact that a group of young black males who were basically functionally illiterate could produce something of quality.

CP: Why is it important for people to see this film today?

HH: The importance of this film is to show political leaders that they have to dig deep to have people contribute to the well-being and development of [their] communities. There's so much talent that just gets destroyed that we don't have the capability to understand what young people can contribute.

CP: What impact has the film has had over the past 40 years?

HH: To this day, we really don't know the impact of what this film has made on American society. But there are a number of these young men who are still alive because of the film that we produced.

(s_brady@citypaper.net)

The Jungle | Screens Sat., Sept. 11, 8 p.m., $7, Moore College of Art & Design, 1916 Race St., 215-965-4099, thesecretcinema.com