Ode to the 50’s

When I was a teenager I loved everything about the 50’s. Yes, a small part of this comes from watching Marty McFly taking a trip to Hill Valley in 1955, but largely it was because of my parent’s records. We had a big wooden stereo in our living room and my father would come home with LP’s that he either bought out of a bargain bin or from his brother who owned RadioLand at the time. A good number of them had titles like “Hits of the 50’s and 60’s” or “Best of the Oldies.” To me, the sound of that time was so carefree, fun, and relaxed. Here are just some of the things I loved so much about that era:

Soda shops. If I had a chance to travel back to the 50’s the first thing I’d do is visit one of these. I’d get me a milkshake, put a dime in the jukebox and listen to some Bill Haley and the Comets.

Driving up and down Main Street.These days this is called loser laps, and for good reason. But back then it was a way to show off your car and see what everyone’s up to on a Saturday night. Am I right in thinking that this was called “cruising”?

Radio entertainment. I love the idea of sitting around a radio and listening to a story. My brother and I actually did that a few times when we

were kids. He found a station that played a radio theater show on Saturday nights.

DancesThe Twist, the Mashed Potato… dance moves were so cool back then.

Drive-Ins. Both movies and fast food had this feature in the 50’s. There’s something really awesome about being able to sit in your car while watching a movie, eating good food, or both. I love all of our nominees this week, but if I went back in time I think I’d choose to go see when it was released.

Now I must admit that despite all the good things, no one can deny that the very idea of “good ol’ days” is often just a dream. We love to talk about the past like it was a perfect world that we have strayed away from. The 50’s had plenty of things we’d never want to go back to. Seeing how women were treated, the injustice administered to anyone not white, and the deafening silence that accompanied domestic violence and sexual abuse would all leave me wanting to hop back in the Delorean and program that flux capacitor to take me back home.

But I am a very lucky man. Living here in Sussex I can still go to a drive-in theater in the summertime. I can also go to JJ’s for a milkshake where the diner is decorated in 50’s memorabilia, including a jukebox. I can look up and download some old radio shows online, do the same with old 50’s tunes, and do the twist in my living room (while my kids beg me to stop). I can even drive up and down Main Street in Sussex too, because… well, because people still do that here.

Congratulations . This is your week… AGAIN!

Best Actress: Eva Marie Saint in . She turned 91 this past summer btw.

Best Actor: Henry Fonda in .

Best Quote:Juror #7: You a Yankee fan?Juror #5: No, Baltimore.Juror #7: Baltimore? That’s like being hit in the head with a crowbar once a day.

And now, my favourite movies that are set in the 50’s but were not made in the 50’s (excluding . Too obvious.):

10. The9.8. Ip7. The6. Walk5. The4. Man on the Moon3. The2. The

And I do anticipate seeing and enjoying and