OT: If you grew up in the 50's, you'll remember some of these things from that era.

[Improviser]

When my kids were little in the early 80s and we lived in South Windsor, I took them to a movie in the one screen theater in Windsor center. When we left, one of sons, around 9,said “Dad that place is weird”. When I asked why, he said “only one theater”.

In Hartford as a kid we would bus to downtown theaters, there were several complete with balconies. Always a main feature, a B second movie, a newsreel (last week’s news was still breaking news), a short subject and a cartoon. The whole afternoon.

I remember going to the Whalley Theater in New Haven, and it seemed that every time I went, the B movie was either the Juggler with Kirk Douglas, or a movie starring (then not yet famous) Vince Edwards.

 

[Improviser]

That might be true, but I think some things have gotten far worse. Like appliances. We live in a disposable culture now, and many things are not built to last. I think by design, some of our "stuff" you just get rid of as soon as it doesn't work rather than repairing it these days.

True.

I was fortunate enough recently to have found an honest repair guy a few months ago, who took a look at my 15 year old Whirlpool Washing Machine that stopped filling water.

He fixed it! He did not replace a broken switch, but somehow disconnected the washer, and spliced the wires together and now it is working. He told me the newer models are throwaways, and he actually bought at auction, some older models similar to my own for like $80. He sells these used ones for $250 plus installation.

He said the older models have fewer parts to break down and fail.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Doctors made house calls.

 

[McFly]

I remember my brother in second grade being paddled on the knuckles by his teacher, Miss Fatsi

Ah yes, the "rat hand" (rattan). Felt it more than once. Imagine the lawsuits if it was used today. But we didn't need police officers in schools.
Bonfires on the Fourth of July. People would start bringing anything that would burn to a vacant lot several days in advance. A custom that fortunately has died out.

 

[bantamlaker]

In my neighborhood the choice was the Pensy Pinky or the Spalding. I preferred the Spalding, but the Pinky's had a nice bounce.

There were two staples for kids in Queens in the 50s: 1) a Spaldeen and 2} white chalk!

It was Spaldeens only in my Brooklyn neighborhood. Summer days were filled with the street games of the city: stoop ball, stoop baseball, box ball, box baseball, punchball and of course, stickball. On my street a two sewer blast was almost impossible due to overhanging trees. Yes, we had trees in Brooklyn. The losers of most any game would pay the price with “asses up.”

 

[Carnac]

We had door deliveries galore in Hartford. Sealtest milkman, Bond bread man, fruit truck, laundry man, egg man, and the insurance man came to collect premiums. Had my Winky Dink magic screen. Sob stories on Queen for a Day. 15 minute national news at around dinner time with John Cameron Swayze yes 15 minutes, Dave Garroway’s Today Show, and Kate Smith just because it was a TV show. Roller skates with key clamps that made a cool sound on the sidewalk. Cap guns. Walking to school to Junior High and high school even though both were about 15 blocks away. But most of all I Remember Mama and test patterns. Well not most of all, most of all Mickey Mantle and the Mickey Mouse Club and every boys’ crush Annette Funicello.

ETA. Almost forgot. Gas wars. Nearby gas stations undercutting each other to prices under 25 cents a gallon while pumping gas, checking oil, wiping windshield and tire pressure. Now a gas war is making sure the station matches the highest prices around, pumping your own while the staff is busy ringing up cigarettes, soda and junk food.

You’re right about Annette and the Mickey Mousd Club with Jimmy and Roy. Some of the stories told to Queen for a Day host Jack Bailey were amazing.

I would love to experience an “extended” old fashioned gas war.

We often made scooters and go-carts made of wood using those clamp skates. None of the neighborhood kids had “shoe skates.” We only saw those on TV.

Cap gun of choice = a Mattel Fanner 50.

Ditto on the walking distance to junior high school. A group of us walked together in both directions. No “curb side drop offs & pick-ups” for us like we gave our kids and grandchildren.

We hoofed it to school everyday, even if it was raining. We thought nothing of it. That's the way it was and had always been. That was my first experience of a “group chat.” High school was only about 6 blocks away.....a walk in the park.

 

[Bigboote]

That might be true, but I think some things have gotten far worse. Like appliances. We live in a disposable culture now, and many things are not built to last. I think by design, some of our "stuff" you just get rid of as soon as it doesn't work rather than repairing it these days.

Our water heater gave up the ghost a few years ago. We'd had it since we moved into the house almost 20 years earlier, and it was pretty old then. I'd say it was probably between 30 and 40 years old when we had it replaced. The plumber asked us if we wanted the 5-year model or 10-year model. As in how long they'd last. We asked, well how about 25 years, and he said nope, nothing would last much more than ten.

My wife has become adept at fixing the washer and dryer (thank you youtube). Our dryer is from probably around 1980. She's replaced a sensor and something else in 20-plus years. The washer is a high-end high-efficiency model that's probably 10 years old. She's fixed it at least twice.

 

[Aluminny69]

Seemed like almost everyone smoked. TV commercials advertised how cool smoking was.

Actors frequently smoked in movies. John Wayne smoked at least once in almost every movie. He lost a lung to cancer, after smoking 3+ packs of cigarettes per day.

John Wayne actually died of stomach cancer. In case you didn't know, John Wayne was part of a movie where almost half of the cast and crew died of cancer. It was filmed in Utah, downwind from a nuclear testing site in Nevada. Although they were assured it was safe, it wasn't. Read the sad details in this article.

'The Conqueror': The John Wayne Film That Killed Nearly Half its Cast and Crew

The John Wayne film 'The Conqueror' was a lot of things...it had horrific casting and a terrible plot but it was also filmed on radioactive soil.

www.wideopencountry.com

 

[nwhoopfan]

Although they were assured it was safe, it wasn't

How many other things have been promised were safe, that turned out not to be?

 

[Aluminny69]

Listen to Sandy Beach on WDRC and Bob Steel on WTIC.

There a couple DJs that went right to WDRC after WHUS. Can't remember their names.

I was going to write about listening to the radio. I'll admit I listened mostly to the music, the brand new Rock n' Roll.

But my friend loved the Montreal Canadiens, and on a good night could pick up the game broadcasts from Montreal. Although it was in French, he was taking French in High School, so he he could make out prt of what they were saying.

But most interesting, he would always listen to Jean Shepherd's nightly broadcast on WOR. Jean was an incredible story teller. He wrote the popular movie A Christmas Story ( You'll shoot your eye out), and that's Jean narrating the movie. You can find several of his radio shows on Youtube

Jean Shepherd

 

[Aluminny69]

As a young boy, my mother worked the night shift. So, I would fake being asleep, and when she left, I would get up and Zacherly host the old horror movies of the thirties and forties.

Later, I would get up to watch the old Steve Allen show. He had a prime time show opposite Ed Sullivan, but he also had a late night talk show. The man had a great laugh, and was multi talented. Besides being a very talented pianist, he was a prolific song writer. His most famous song was "This could be the start of something big," recorded by many artist.

 

[JordyG]

It was Spaldeens only in my Brooklyn neighborhood. Summer days were filled with the street games of the city: stoop ball, stoop baseball, box ball, box baseball, punchball and of course, stickball. On my street a two sewer blast was almost impossible due to overhanging trees. Yes, we had trees in Brooklyn. The losers of most any game would pay the price with “asses up.”

Brooklyn, aside from being the borough of churches, is still the borough of trees. Mostly oak and maple in my neighborhood.

Yes Spaldeens predominated, but we used the Pensy's on occasion. Pensy's had a better bounce for stickball, but the Spaldeens were better for a handball and a game we used to call "chinese" handball.

Anyone city boys out there remember "Leveoh" (we used to call it Coco-leveoh) and "johnny on the pony"? We also used to play a little "crack top".

What happened to New York’s storied street games?

Where have all the street games gone? The strategic sliding of bottle caps across a city street known as Skelly, the heroic dodging and weaving of Ringoleavio, the fast-moving batting of Boxball — …

nypost.com

 

[Hoops66]

Back to 1953, I think, it was Howdy Doody Time (5:30 PM) and a little kid temper tantrum when a princess of England became Queen Elizabeth II, and took my favorite show off the air! I have long since forgiven Her Majesty and salute her long and celebrated reign. I miss Howdy, Buffalo Bob, Clarabell et. al., but I've survived.

 

[Jingo]

It was Spaldeens only in my Brooklyn neighborhood. Summer days were filled with the street games of the city: stoop ball, stoop baseball, box ball, box baseball, punchball and of course, stickball. On my street a two sewer blast was almost impossible due to overhanging trees. Yes, we had trees in Brooklyn. The losers of most any game would pay the price with “asses up.”

You are 'spot on' Bantamlaker .. you might want to add 'ringaleevio', 'Kings', 'pitching pennies', Triangle', "I Declare War', 'marbles', 'Territory', 'running bases', 'Catcha Flier Up', 'Johnny Ride the Pony, et al ... and who could forget "asses up" for the losers!!! .. it was a gr8 time to be a kid, eh?

 

[Carnac]

Back to 1953, I think, it was Howdy Doody Time (5:30 PM) and a little kid temper tantrum when a princess of England became Queen Elizabeth II, and took my favorite show off the air! I have long since forgiven Her Majesty and salute her long and celebrated reign. I miss Howdy, Buffalo Bob, Clarabell et. al., but I've survived.

A bit of trivia about the Howdy Dooody Show which debuted on NBC network TV in 1947. On the January 3, 1948 episode of the Howdy Doody Show, it featured Clarabell the clown which was played by Bob Keeshan. Keeshan would go on to gain fame as Captain Kangaroo from 1955-1984. Keeshan retained the Clarabell role from 1948-1952. Keeshan was presented with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in June of 1976.

 

[Scud49]

There a couple DJs that went right to WDRC after WHUS. Can't remember their names.

I was going to write about listening to the radio. I'll admit I listened mostly to the music, the brand new Rock n' Roll.

I was a big fan of the radio - and the music it delivered. We lived in north central Mass near the Vermont-New Hampshire lines, and Boston's WBZ was my go-to source for tunes. I remember the DJ's well- Carl DeSuze and Dave Maynard in the mornings, then Jay Dunn and Jefferson Kaye in the afternoon, with Bruce Bradley doing the nights. I also listened to WPTR out of Albany and WDRC-FM. I was amazed at the fidelity the FM band delivered, WDRC was my first exposure to that frequency band.

 

[UHF]

That might be true, but I think some things have gotten far worse. Like appliances. We live in a disposable culture now, and many things are not built to last. I think by design, some of our "stuff" you just get rid of as soon as it doesn't work rather than repairing it these days.

Unquenchable thirst to be the first on the block to have the latest and greatest electronics.

Ironically, the electronics on store shelves are already outdated.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Unquenchable thirst to be the first on the block to have the latest and greatest electronics.

Ironically, the electronics on store shelves are already outdated.

Yep, I wasn't even thinking of electronics. You HAVE to replace your cell phone pretty much annually, right? Even though last year's model works perfectly fine still. Or even one from 5 years ago.

 

[Aluminny69]

A bit of trivia about the Howdy Dooody Show which debuted on NBC network TV in 1947. On the January 3, 1948 episode of the Howdy Doody Show, it featured Clarabell the clown which was played by Bob Keeshan. Keeshan would go on to gain fame as Captain Kangaroo from 1955-1984. Keeshan retained the Clarabell role from 1948-1952. Keeshan was presented with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in June of 1976.

A bit more trivia. I remember Bob Keeshan on a local show (channel 7) for preschoolers in 1953 called the Tinker's Workshop. I was six at the time. So, I looked it up on Wiki, and found this:

By September 21, 1953, Keeshan came back to local TV on WABC-TV, Channel 7 in New York City, in a new children's show, Time for Fun. He played Corny the Clown, and this time he spoke.[21] Later that same year, in addition to Time for Fun, he began Tinker's Workshop, a program aimed at preschoolers, where he played the grandfather-like Tinker.[22]

Developing ideas from Tinker's Workshop, Keeshan and his long-time friend Jack Miller submitted the concept of Captain Kangaroo to the CBS network, which was looking for innovative approaches to children's television programming. CBS approved the show, and Keeshan starred as the title character when it premiered on CBS on October 3, 1955.[21] He described his character as based on "the warm relationship between grandparents and children". The show was an immediate success, and he served as its host for nearly three decades.

 

[temery]

Please do not post your old phone numbers. Same with the high school you attended, towns you've live in, etc. Phishing and Doxxing are real.

 

[ThetaZoo]

World Series day games

3 pm start time for every game. I had to run home from school so I wouldn't miss much.

 

[ThetaZoo]

Yep, you are correct. Hey, I'm an old guy talking about old things.

Remember 20 Muhl Team Borax? (Had to throw a little UConn in here...)

Death Valley Days. That show along with every other tv western was responsible for my love of the desert Southwest.

 

[Skeets]

As a young boy, my mother worked the night shift. So, I would fake being asleep, and when she left, I would get up and Zacherly host the old horror movies of the thirties and forties.

Later, I would get up to watch the old Steve Allen show. He had a prime time show opposite Ed Sullivan, but he also had a late night talk show. The man had a great laugh, and was multi talented. Besides being a very talented pianist, he was a prolific song writer. His most famous song was "This could be the start of something big," recorded by many artist.

I remember Zacherle. What a low budget laugh. He did some radio in the 70's on WPLJ still mostly in that persona. Jim Kerr was like the star DJ back then. I can still catch Jim Kerr on 104.3 when I'm in the NY area, about 45-50 years later.

FYI, Zacherly is John Zacherle. I had to Wikipedia it...

 

[Improviser]

Affordable babysitters

Usually a teenager living nearby.

 

[Improviser]

Just recalled the names Alan Freed and Dick Clark.

New Haven actually had a bandstand hosted by a local DJ.

Lots of big cities had street corner accappella.

Even today on YouTube, there are still older guys performing it.

Even today, some Euro groups perform it with original material.

One group is the Crystalairs from Germany