The 1950's - From Big Bands to Rock'N"Roll

What was it about the 1950's that was so special? Why does it resonate so in the minds of those who experienced the decade that followed World War II? Why did the rowdiness of early Rock'N'Roll cause such a stir in the minds of many?

The 1950's was a turbulent time. With the memory of one war still fresh in the minds of many another conflict arose in the Far East in the country of Korea and American servicemen were once more thrust into harms way; but this time under the aegis of the recently formed United Nations which had been created to prevent such things. It was only a prelude of what was to come.

There was a concerted effort by Joe McCarthy to root out and destroy the specter of Communism but in his zeal he crossed the lines of propriety and common sense which resulted in his own downfall before the decade ended.

Dwight Eisenhower, a popular war hero was elected as President but his politics were a bit vague and he sailed through his two terms as an open minded moderate who favored the business community and presided over a robust expansion of the economy, with a few glitches, that saw the returned servicemen establish homes and families, securing well paying jobs and enjoying a high standards of living their own parents had only dreamed of.

Yet the cloud of Nuclear Destruction hung over the heads of many and there were those who rushed to build bomb shelters in their back yards. Many eventually became nothing more than storage sheds where tools and garden equipment were stored.

Television became an opiate of the masses when people found they could see variety shows, dramas and comedies right in their own living room. Hollywood fought valiantly against the medium by creating bigger screens and glorious movie spectacles; but in the end Hollywood capitulated and joined forces with the new medium by providing older movies for its use.

This signaled the end of what many term the Golden Age of Television, that period when new fresh young writers produced original drama programming, many of which were eventually made into movies that received high acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Many garnered the prestigious Academy Award for Motion Pictures and their authors scored national popularity.

Television also provided other entertainment, most notably the quiz program that became quite popular and was viewed by many who found themselves rooting on the contestants. Then, the bubble burst and it was learned the programs had been rigged with the contestants being given the answers to the questions beforehand.

Yet, like everything else it only stayed on the nations radar for what turned out to be a very brief time. There were too many other things to see and do, and hear.

When the decade began the music was sedate and mellow, highlighted by crooners such as Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Patti page, Jo Stafford, Peggy lee, Doris Day, Nat King Cole, Rosemary Clooney and Frank Sinatra among others. Many singing groups gained in popularity as well such as the Four Aces, The Diamonds, The Ames Brothers, The McGuire Sisters, the Chordettes and many others.

These were soon replaced by Elvis Presley, Little Richard, The Everly Brothers and teen idols like Fabian, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Darrin, Ricky Nelson and a host of others. The genre began with a raucous cacophony that the older generation decried as immoral but in a very short time mellowed out and gave way to the folk music that became the paean of the 1960's.

There is much that can be written about the fifties. It saw the rise of suburbia and the beginning of the tradition of backyard barbecues, the cocktail party summer vacations and, of course, a car in just about every garage.

It was a decade of new fashion and fads, of ducktails and poodles, of hula hoops, yo yo's, coon skin caps and 3-D movies. It was an era of transition where people moved from closed communities to more open ones that was fueled in large measure by the returning servicemen who gained new experiences and discovered the variety of cultures manifested in those they fought besides during the war.

There is so much more that could be written about the marvelous 50's but those things will have to wait for another time. This essay is merely to give an overall impression of the era that so many of us personally experienced what sometimes seems like a long time ago and at other times seems like it was only yesterday.

Where Are They Now?

Indeed, where are they now? Where are the actors, the singers, the celebrities of our youth? Where are the artists who entertained us at the movies, on radio, and that small television screen in our living rooms? Where have they gone?

It's unfortunate that no one lives forever but in the case of those entertainers we knew back in the 1950's their art, if not the people themselves, still lives but it's not always easy to see them where we once did. No, that place has been taken by others who quite seem to measure up to the artistry of those we grew up with. Yet, thanks to DVD's, old video tapes and retro TV cable channels we can view them once more.

The Lone Ranger and the Cisco Kid still ride the range and fight injustice. Sky King still flies the Songbird in the western skies, and even Sgt. Bilko still tries to get rich with his many schemes. And, of course, Lucy Ricardo still tries to get into show business despite the best efforts of her husband, Ricky, to prevent her.

We can also view some of the singers, Dean Martin, Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, Eddie Fisher and Perry Como. And let's not forget the comedians Bob Hope, Red Skelton, George Burns & Gracie Allen, George Gobel and Wally Cox. Then there were the stars of situation comedies; among them Robert Young, Eve Arden, Lucille Ball, Stu Irwin and so many others over the years.

These were the pioneers of television entertainment who spent their lives honing their craft in vaudeville, the legitimate theater, radio, movies and some in night clubs. The used the new medium of television in the 1950's to bring to a new generation the tried and true routines that had proven successful on radio and in the movies. Some soared and some fizzled but the experiments were indeed fascinating to view.

We watched variety shows that featured everything from circus acts and singers to stand up comedians. We were also exposed to bits of culture with abbreviated ballet dances to opera singers singing one of their more famous arias. There were medical shows that delved into the trials and dilemmas of those who chose to heal the sick. Detective shows that highlighted the fight against crime by police forces and private detectives were also quite popular during that time. And, of course, the venerable western that galloped across the screen. And then was my favorite science fiction and fantasy which were represented by many juvenile and adult presentations.

All of these shows featured actors and actresses that flashed across the small screen in what turned out to be a very quick progression. We had our favorites and those who proved not to be too popular. But, we watched and were entertained by them all.

Now, as we look back we stop and wonder how and where the time went we also pause and ponder where these performers are now. Reality then rears it head and we fully realize that a majority of them are no longer with us. They exist only on bits of celluloid, magnetic tape, vinyl records, publicity stills, kinescopes and video tape - all of which is slowly being transferred to CD's and DVD's so that we again may see what we saw when it was new and exciting.

I can't begin to relay how many times I've heard young people who sit in fascination watching those old shows and then openly voice their wonder at why entertainment today is not as fresh, not as versatile, not as meaningful as contemporary attempts have been. It gives me hope that perhaps imagination is not extinct and the future of entertainment may find the soul that has lain dormant for so long and revive it once more for newer generations.

Three Names From the Past

Fads come and go in many areas, including school supplies. Loose leaf notebooks and composition books have come with many different things on their covers, from super heroes and cartoon characters to psychedelic patterns. Each generation has had it's own favorites depending on what was then in vogue or popularity. Even gender was a factor in what the student chose for their own personal use with girls choosing Barbie covers and other female characters. It was not always so. I remember in first grade there was but one option, a three ring binder usually had a blue canvas cover and composition books invariably had the picture of a horse on the cover and the name, of course, was Blue Horse.



The Blue Horse brand of products included loose leaf binders, writing tablets, composition books and loose leaf paper. The Blue Horse also served as a coupon which could be saved to obtain a host of things, similar to the then in vogue S & H Green Stamps and Community Coffee coupons. One of the contests held was for a bicycle pictured in the loose leaf filler above. The ones who sent in the most coupons were eligible for a limited number of bicycles to given away. However, there was one popular item that only took a few coupons to receive and that was the Blue Horse Beanie.

Let's now jump ahead a few years to the early 1960's and another product that was in vogue for a while. How many remember the name Nifty? That was the name of an innovative loose leaf binder that used a magnetic closure device instead of the more common spring closure device. in fact the full name was the Nifty Magnetic Space Saver binder. There were two models; one featured top loading paper and the other the more common side loading. It took some doing to locate them but here are two pictures showing a version of each.



Now that two names are accounted for what is the third one you may ask. Well, we had to get those Nifty binders from some place and one of the more popular places was the local T G & Y. Every city back then had at least one local outlet and it was the place we often went for a host of things, from model airplanes to school supplies. Many a teenagers allowance was probably spent at the Local T G & Y for a host of things that teenagers are wont to buy.


Ah, the memories. They're all gone now except for those few bits of ephemera that still survive. They were part of our past and now are part of our memories.