The Fifties . Nashville Scene . 03-02-98

The Fifties

DIRECTED BY: David Halberstam

REVIEWED: 03-02-98

In the wake of an atomic blast, the telltale strains of "Let the Good Times Roll" fade up, and images of advertising icons and civil defense propaganda flicker across the screen. Thus begins each episode of a remarkable seven-part miniseries, now on video after its airing on The History Channel last November. Unlike Halberstam's fine book, which showed the relevance of a seemingly "tame" decade through the chronological accumulation of anecdotes and biographies, this documentary version takes a more direct approach, skipping across the years and using pointed interview reminiscences to make bold connections. There are episodes on sexuality, race relations, the cold war, youth culture, and more. But two installments stand out: "Selling the American Dream," about how new advertising techniques were used to pitch a president and his foreign policy, and "Let's Play House," which contrasts the family-centric image of the decade with three popular books that the '50s spawned--The Feminine Mystique, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, and Peyton Place.

--Noel Murray

Film Vault Suggested Links
When We Were Kings
Keepers of the Frame
Regret to Inform

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