Dick York, who later played Darrin on television’s Bewitched, stars in Shy Guy, a classic Coronet instructional film about how to fit in with the in-crowd. Phil and his father have just moved to a new town and Phil is finding it difficult to make friends and instead sits in his basement fiddling with electronics. Dad notices something is wrong and comes down into the basement for a little heart to heart with his son. Phil is shy, and finds that the kids here talk, act, and even dress differently than they did in his hometown. Dad’s advice is to observe the popular kids to see what makes them tick, and then to emulate them in order to become popular. Phil starts stalking and eavesdropping on the popular kids, and finds out that the secret to their success is that they act interested in others, offer to help others, and tell others about their own experiences. Phil tries this out, offering his state-of-the-art radio system for the school dance, and he is soon a member of the in-crowd. It’s hard to find a better example of the forced conformity expected in postwar America.
