Diverse clips from the '50's and about the '50's

[Telecolor 3007]

Throu all that I was borned at the end of 1982, I'm fascinated by the '50's in U.S.A.. I started to be intrested about this decade when I begun to be intrested about Rock'n'Roll music (1997).
So, I want a topic in which we can put diverse clips from the '50's and about the '50's. I know it's hard, but we should keep the comments out of the politicall stuff.
Trams (streetcars) (trolleycars) in L.A (color film). You can also notice a trolleybus (trolleycoach) - dindn't know they had trolleybus too in L.A.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JnP8I2R4_g&feature=related
Dynamic U.S.A (part one of 3) (color film): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As4TBYNaeIk&feature=related
Levittown (1 of 2): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRHvkdqfXVE&feature=related
Engineering U.S.A. (part 1 of 12) (in technicolor): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCiigzCHr2k
Simbols of the '50's: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMR6yzGqMnM&feature=related
Chaning "deviant" behaviour: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABCDPGzjalQ&feature=related
Girls beawere (educational film): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABCDPGzjalQ&feature=related

A moral decay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwZKJtL6OsM&feature=related
Appreciating Your Parents (colour): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBtaqePiQ98&feature=related
The (in)famous Betty Page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGpnxB2bs5Y&feature=related

Two "Ford" freedom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDk_TEM257k
1st James Dean appearence - a "Pepsi" comercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQfikxbS4zE&feature=related

I'm curios, what kind of people where still using the streetcar (tram) in the '50's in U.S.A. and Canada?

 

[Jack Lord]

I'm curios, what kind of people where still using the streetcar (tram) in the '50's in U.S.A. and Canada?

I cannot speak about Canada, but streetcars were quite popular in many US cities including Los Angeles. They disapeared for a number of reasons, mostly due to the emergence of the automobile as a common possession rather than a luxury item.

Los Angeles' streetcars merit a special mention. They had perhaps the best system- ironic as the car is king there. And it disapeared due to collusion between the tire companies, who wanted it gone so people would buy cars.

Streetcars are poised for a comeback though. Stay tuned.

 

[similost]

Yeah.. they are talking about putting in streetcars here in DC again.. like we don't have enough problems with buses snarling traffic as it is..

BTW.. how can you not like this film.. "Hot To Be Cool" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw3Gi1W9yGI&feature=related (parody)

 

[Gr8fulFox]

On the subject of streetcars, a lot of the streetcar companies were bought up by the car companies themselves and dismantled so people would buy cars (think Who Framed Roger Rabbit, except in that movie, it was so people would use his freeway, instead of buy cars).

 

[Telecolor 3007]

Sometimes, yes, it was a conspiracy, but somtimes the simply run out of busniess without the "help" of auto companies.
I'm curios if the teens between 16 an 19 used the streetcar or 80-90% poseses cars (I chosee this age, because at 16 you can get a driver licence in U.S.A.; in Romania the age is 18, between 16 and 18 you can drive vehicles that have an engine capacity less then 50 c.c.).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liTIKscNJGc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMHwo9iuMCA&feature=related (last day of streetcars (11th of June 1960).

More clips:
"Giette" Razor comercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-gmoyG2PT8&feature=related
Shampoo comercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHKHJ5h7xqY&feature=related
"Esso" (gasoline) comercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44eDGV9y3yg&feature=related
Dinah Shore - "See the USA in Your Chevrolet" 1952 (I saw the clip in a tv documentary, but I dind't known who sung it): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGZvQoPxhNs
1959 "Chevrolet" Impala (Pat Boone and Dinah Shore singing): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-qjmT4ALtI&feature=related
B.t.w., I heard that Pat Boone refused to kiss Marlyn Monroe in a film because he was a familist.
Dinah Shore - 1959 Chevy spot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrFxaJxMyGA&feature=related

 

[Telecolor 3007]

In Romania, people prefered buses during the '50's and the '60's because the majority of the Romanian streetcars where piece of crap. Why they didn't disseapiered? I think for 2 reasons:
1) We had a small streetcar industry;
2) The have higher capacity. In the '50's in a bus you could crowd about 60-70 people, whyle in a high capacity streetcar car about 130 people. If at the motor car you had a trailer car attached you could crowd, depending's on the trailer's size from 40 up to 130 people. In the '60's they got higher capacity buses, but I think not even in an articulated bus you coul crowd more then 130-150 people.