1950s comparison chart

Television in Canada Television made its debut in 1952 with television division of the Canadian Broadcast Company (CBC) with CBLT-Toronto & CBFT-Montréal Only about 10% of population had a tv because it was so expensive Broadcast was 3 hours a day, in 2 languages Mostly cultural elements – Shakespeare and opera And, of course, sports – Hockey Night in Canada began in 1952

Hockey Night in Canada 1 st televised game for French Canada was in October 11, 1952 Montreal Canadiens vs. Detroit Red Wings 1 st televised game for English Canada 3 weeks later Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins By the end of the decade, it would be the only show making money – 475% profit!

The Golden Age of Television In America, black & white television sets exploded at the beginning of the '50s. By mid-1950s, there came electronic colour TVs, which was followed by launching of remote control towards 1959.

Variety Shows The Ed Sullivan Show aired Sundays from June 20, 1948 to June 6, 1971 Featured a variety of musical performances, notably three appearances in the 1950s by Elvis Presley, the debut of the The Beatles in the 1960s, and so on 7vo&feature=player_embedded#at=26 7vo&feature=player_embedded#at=26

Sitcoms – Situation Comedies I Love LucyThe Honeymooners Glossy view of mostly middle-class suburban life. But...

Game Shows Twenty-One was a huge hit in the 1950s but was hit with scandal in when it was revealed that a contestant, Charles van Doren, had been given answers by the show’s producer So dramatic was this revelation that there were Senate hearings to help decide the fate of game shows on television

Westerns Davy Crockett King of the Wild Frontier The Lone Ranger (and his faithful sidekick, Tonto): Who is that masked man? Sheriff Matt Dillon, Gunsmoke

Suburbia 1950s was the first decade of “urban sprawl” Many “planned communities” cropped up around major urban areas In the 1950s, 1.1 million housing units were built In the US, the first was Levittown, NY In Canada, it was Don Mills – Both were prototypes for future developments

Planned Communities $7,990 or $60/month with no down payment. Levittown, NY: “The American Dream” In 1949, William Levitt produced 150 houses per week.

Don Mills, Ontario In 1950, the area was farmland E.P. Taylor, a prominent businessman, bought 2000 acres , area was transformed. It introduced many design features that would define generations of suburbs. Each quadrant had a school, church, and a local store Wide variety of housing types (e.g. small apartment buildings, semi-detached homes, and ranch-style single- family houses). At the centre of the community were plans for a shopping centre, community centre, curling rink, and hockey arena The outdoor plaza opened in 1955

Automobile Cars made the suburbs possible In the 1950s, Hwy 401 and 400-series developed, along with more urban roads getting paved Because of cars cities and suburbs become more homogeneous (where things are the same) First McDonald’s (1955) Drive-In Movies

Car registrations: 1945  25,000,  60,000,000 In 1956, the largest public works project in history begins in the US: The Interstate Highway Act Cost $32 billion 41,000 miles of new highways built 1959 Chevy Corvette 1958 Pink Cadillac

Teenagers In the 1950s, the word “teenager” enters North American lexicon By 1956 in the US, there are 13 million teens (remember the Baby Boom!) with $7 billion to spend a year Marketers took advantage of this new category in order to make $ and geared advertising and movies to teens

“Juvenile Delinquency” Marlon Brando The Wild One (1953) James Dean Rebel Without a Cause (1955) 1951  J. D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye

Elvis Presley “The King” Music for teens – “Race” music Chuck BerryBill Haley & The Comets

Literature for teens J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye The “Beat” Generation: Jack Kerouac  On The Road Allen Ginsberg  “Howl” William S. Burroughs  Junkie “Beatnik” “Clean” Teen

Educational Reform Strict rules of conduct for dress code & behaviour – Specific boy and girl doors to enter/exit school Attendance through high school was the norm Science and history were added to the curriculum vs. the previous focus on 3 ‘R’s – Reading – Writing – Arithmetic

Rules for Behaviour in 1950s Obey Authority. Control Your Emotions. Don’t Make Waves  Fit in with group. Don’t Even Think About Sex!!! HAVE TIMES CHANGED? WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Assign comparison poster for 1950s and 2010s