LIFESTYLES USA Volume 5

My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of automobiles, supermarket bosses, and high hairdos. In other words, it’s time for our fifth volume of Lifestyles U.S.A. LEST WE FORGET (1941, b&w) sounds like a patriotic short which is entirely appropriate since it’s all about America’s love affair with cars. Flashing back to the turn of the century, we see various horseless carriages, hand-cranked buggies, Model-T’s, Hupmobiles, and ads for leather tires. It all leads up to that most modem of automotive accomplishments, the 1941 Buick! Halleluiah! YOU AUTO KNOW (1958,color) appears to be about the 1913 Mercer Raceabout, but it’s actually a quick commercial for Dr. Pepper: "Good for Life!" Following that are b&w newsreel outtakes in which EDGAR BERGEN, sans Charlie McCarthy, interviews owners of antique autos at a Vintage car show (1947,b&w) who proudly drives by the camera in such ancient buckets as the 1908 Buick, 1910 Ford and Maxwell, and the 1921 Stanley Steamer! Hey, where’s the Mortimer Snerdmobile? PICK YOUR TOMORROW (1954,color) opens in a malt shop as a group of teens tensely gather to hear what George is going to do with his life after high school. George has been looking for a job and has carefully compiled a checklist of such prerequisites as "Variety," "Outside Work," "Income," and "Security." He adds it all up, and the startling result is... he goes to work at a gas station! Really! In fact, he’s hired by Mr. Carl Kolchak himself, DARREN MCGAVIN, who tells George all about The Wonderful World of the Service Station Business. Produced, as expected, "for the Oil Industry, by the Ethyl corporation." SPEECH: STAGE FRIGHT (1950, b&w) is about Fred Strong, "a normal happy man who usually enjoys life" until he’s asked to give a speech and goes into a panic. This film suggests that Fred build up his confidence, prepare and rehearse his speech, and make sure his clothes look good when it would be so much easier to just let him commit suicide. Another Centron short from the folks who made "Carnival of Souls". A COIN WITH TWO HEADS (1964, color) is like a "Twilight Zone" episode for supermarket managers. Stockboy Ben tells his boss, Ralph (JAMES BRODERICK), that he might want to change jobs. Ralph is then conked on the head by a stack of canned piccalilli and wakes up in Surreal Supermarket Land where Ben shows him how to be a better boss. After a "side trip through Ralph’s subconscious" (which is full of "dream rubble"), they examine such life or death issues as stocking shelves, building displays, and bagging groceries! A NEW DAY IN AGRICULTURE (1961, color) is about how the right nutrition can keep those cute little farm animals happy and healthy until they’re plump enough to be slaughtered, wrapped in plastic, and cooked in ovens. Finally, HAIR STYLES AND FAIR STYLES (1964, color) shows fashion models arriving by helicopter at the 1964 New York World’s Fair to display "tomorrow’s handsomest hairstyles and highest couture" at the Clairol Pavilion. After a fashion show meant to "reflect the free and futuristic spirit of the 1964 Fair," they all gather to hear the DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET perform "The World’s Fair." Wow.