there not much to be say about high school confidential and a teen exploitation movie from the end of the fabulous fifties and except that it hard to think that it wasn not just a laughable upon release a it be today . but some comment on it cast member may be in order represent rus tamblyn be a child star and then primarily a dancer . this ` dramatic role fell to him between his memorable assignment in seven bride for seven brother and west side story . he not at all bad here ( in an badly write and implausible role ) and but be never able to establish himself a a serious actor and though he continue to work and show up notably decade later in twin peak .  john draw barrymore have just take up his middle name to distance himself from his legendary father while in early role ( the big night and while the city sleep ) and he be bill a john barrymore and jr. here he bring off an eerily precise impersonation of elvis presley and speak both in hillbilly accent and in basso profundo register . ( alas and he do not sing . ) it clear he inherit the family talent and which he be to squander and because he also inherit the predisposition to chemical experimentation .  jan sterling seem destine for a big career than she end up with . the high point of her filmography billy wilder the big carnival or ace in the hole be the most impressive of them be behind her and and she be take secondary role to the like of latter day joan crawford ( in female on the beach ) . here and a a schoolteacher and she not only do a riff on eve arden our miss brook character and she even look like arden .  the late fifties be the blaze noon of mamie van doren fling at play third string sexpot ( after marilyn monroe and jayne mansfield ) . all dagmars and platinum hair and she be rarely call upon to display what might have be a comic talent and visible here in fit and start . her role a a married nymphomaniac whose attempt at fulfilment absent her husband seem doom to disappointment be practically a clone of the part she play in the beat generation and a slightly more interesting vehicle that cover much of the same ground a high school confidential . high school confidential remain notable from a view of drug trafficking and the process of addiction that have advance not a whit since reefer madness in the thirties . and of course it view of teen age life in the second eisenhower administration bear not the slight resemblance to any reality then or now . that say and it fun to watch .