1953–1960: Happy Daze

From the ABC News/History Channel 15-part series The Century (1999)

Type of film 

Historical Documentary

Context of the film

1. Who are the producers/writers? Not historians! TV news journalists. They’re great at arranging visual images to tell a story; not so great (usually) at critical analysis of historical change.
2. What does the film reveal about the period in which it was made? 
3. How was it received?

Content

Main Point or Central Historical Message

After the Korean War (which followed WWII, which followed the Depression), Americans wanted to focus on a more promising future. But not everyone was ready to return to the old way of doing things. [i.e., the Fifties were an era of stability (we know this), and change (news to many)]

Evidence for the Main Point

The 1950s Status Quo             Threats to the Status Quo