Pelican Motel and Restaurant - Eunice, Louisiana

In the years following World War II the returning servicemen enjoyed a new prosperity with excellent job opportunities coupled with a higher standard of living in the newly constructed city and town subdivisions called suburbs.  Industries quickly converted to the production of civilian goods and services.  Automobiles became plentiful and more affordable to the populace who as a result became more mobile traveling further distances for leisure and vacations. 

To meet the needs of these travelers, tourist courts, restaurants, service stations and motels sprung up along many major highways that had been greatly improved during the late 1930’s with government paving projects as part of the Better Roads program and the work of the WPA. 

Along Highway 190 on what would have been at that time the outskirts of Eunice, Louisiana one such place was the Pelican Motel and Restaurant.  It offered 46 air conditioned rooms with a tub/shower, television and phone to the weary traveler and a spacious adjoining restaurant.  And, like other such establishments offered picture postcards of the business and covered matchbooks for the smoking customers.  This postcard is just one of those issued and the matchbooks are a sampling of those provided. 

Today, all that remains is the Restaurant.  In the intervening years it has changed hands, operating as a Mexican restaurant and recently reverting to it's old name with a menu of Cajun food items. 

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.

Brought to you by....

In the early 1950's before television boomed and brought us commercials by the score advertising was something we viewed in magazines and other periodicals that came to our homes view mail or bought off the shelf at supermarkets, drug stores or a local general store.

These were often full page ads that spotlighted everything from automobiles to yo-yos, including the now infamous cigarette ads where doctors actually endorsed them as being beneficial to one's health. Some even become iconic and marked the changing times. They were art in their own way and even more so when pictures gave way to graphics especially designed for the product.

Here are a few examples taken from the pages of Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, TV Guide, Life, Look, Time and a host of other magazines from the early 1950's to the mid 1960's.

And now a word

For every thing there is a purpose and for every person there is a task to perform. Some tasks are easy while others remain difficult. This blog is one of those easy tasks but at the same time it can tend to become a bit difficult to find appropriate information to present here.

A large portion of my life has been spent in the pursuit of history. Not just any history but the things that many consider as trivial. Such things fall under the heading of Popular Culture and enjoyed a brief vogue in the nation's conscious with the popularity of Trivial Pursuit. Radio disc jockeys held daily contests using such information and early computer database programs were tested using such data.

In the weeks and months to come that information will be presented here. But not just any information. Those things from the 1950's to mid 1960's are the main focus of this blog. The years the Class of 1966 experienced through grammar school and up to graduation will be highlighted. The early radio programs on the early 50's followed by the nascent television programs that are now considered classics. The songs we listened to, the toys we played with, the comic books we read, the history we were eyewitness to and much more - all will be presented here.

So, to begin let's turn the clock back a little ways to Saturday mornings in the 1950's when live-actions program were the norm. I'm sure each of you have your own personal favorites among those below.




Of note - they were all in black and white.