HISTORY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

Look at these DVD covers and what do you see? Most will see a collection of movies that they’ve never heard of. Some will recognize a few but not most. 32 movies from different genres. Some will say hey that one’s cool or that one scared me or even that one looks stupid. But you might be missing the biggest thing you’re looking at here. You’re looking at a cultural history of our country.

What, history? That’s right. These and many more movies provide a look at the history of this country as portrayed on film. And now more than ever every single person has the opportunity to learn a bit about our history without even having to crack open a book.

Don’t get me wrong, if you want factual history then a book is the right way to go. But in watching some of these movies it might lead you towards something you never knew about that you would be interested in. Movies have a tendency to touch on just the surface of a story or to make it interesting change up a few details. Take BONNIE AND CLYDE. The real couple were ruthless killers who were unattractive and didn’t lead glamorous lives. The movie version turns them into Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty. If you don’t know who they are that’s more history you’re learning at the same time.

And movies like BLAZING SADDLES or ENTER THE DRAGON aren’t based on history but show cultural aspects of our country as it was when they were released. BLAZING SADDLES broke all sorts of racial barriers when it was released. ENTER THE DRAGON fostered an interest in Chinese made martial arts films as well as increasing people to actually look into martial arts for the first time.

Some of these movies offered bits and pieces of history. SERGEANT YORK tells the true story of Alvin York who was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack on a German machine gun nest, taking 35 machine guns, killing at least 25 enemy soldiers, and capturing 132. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY is the true story of George M. Cohan who wrote some of the most recognizable tunes we still sing to this day, especially around the 4^th of July. Songs like “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and “Yankee Doodle Boy”.

Some of these movies will allow you to see how film transformed from the early days to where we are now. Had those movies not done so the technical effects you see in movies like STAR WARS would never have been achieved. KING KONG looks primitive in the effects department when looked at through today’s eyes but when looked at through the eyes of audiences in 1933 when it was released, it was terrifying. CITIZEN KANE as directed by Orson Welles created the use of simple things like shooting images upward to make a character seem more important and big. It was one of the first films to actually shoot a ceiling in a movie so that this could be done.

Prior to the release of SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS in 1937 there had never been an entire animated movie in theaters. Without that first step and many that followed from the Disney studios there would be no TOY STORY or FINDING NEMO. And without the amazing effects seen in 2001 much of what is taken for granted in today’s special effects would have never come about or been refined.

Here is the thing. History is at your fingertips with the push of a button, either streaming or available to rent or to purchase. It’s all out there on disc and streaming services. But there are several things you have to do to learn from it.

The first is step out of your comfort zone. Don’t limit yourself to just the latest thing out there. Don’t just think that movies were never around until the day you were born. Don’t ignore a movie because it isn’t in color. Give the movies that came first a chance to find out what they were all about.

The second is to look at these movies through the eyes of the time period in which they were released. A movie like DR. STRANGELOVE might be funny but consider that it came out and the height of the Cold War. What’s the Cold War? There you go, an example of something to look into deeper that affected the country. Watch CASABLANCA and think about what was taking place, WWII, and how it affected people at the time. What were they looking for when they went to the movies? Before JAWS the summer releases were the same as the rest of the year. With its release the search for the summer blockbuster took reign.

The fact is that history, cultural history in particular, can be learned when watching the movies that were made during a particular time. Things that were acceptable in one decade might not be the next. Things that weren’t discussed among people let alone in public were altered when movies brought those topics to the forefront.

So the next time you think there’s nothing to watch, nothing to rent, nothing to stream, take a look at movies made before you were born and see what they might be about. Give them a chance. Give them a watch. And watch them considering that time period rather than thinking about how they look through the eyes of today. Who knows, you might find out that there are thousands of great movies out there that you’ve ignored for far too long.

DRIVE IN TIME!

 I just saw an ad on Facebook that the Tibbs Drive In was opening this weekend. They list what they have at their concession stand on their website and it made me a bit nostalgic. I’ve written before about the entire drive-in experience, that it is like a community unto itself. It remains that way where drive-ins still exist. But while reading that concession stand list it made me think back to the treats they had there as well as some amazing looking concession stands.

When I was small (and yes there was a time) I can remember being fascinated by the concession stand. To begin with before you even got there you could smell the aroma of popcorn wafting across that sea of cars. It only got stronger the closer you got and anyone who was strong enough to resist the temptation of that popped delight more power to you. You even had choices to make when it came to popcorn too. There was the box, the one that most children ended up with. For adults you had to choose which size cup you wanted. If you were on a date odds are you opted for the larger one and shared it. All of this ran through your mind on the way to the stand.

Way back when drive-ins took huge pride in their concession stands, at least those I went to. They weren’t small buildings but fairly large, some with lines to go through on either end. The fronts had a stainless steel front to them and a chrome looking rail on which to place your tray. Yes there were trays to load goodies on as well as boxes to stuff along the way.

The warm food was always first with a warner with sliding glass doors that held in the heat and the products wrapped in foil wrappers. There were hot dogs, corn dogs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, pizza burgers and more all warm and inviting. One sandwich that seemed to pop up at every concession stand was Castleberry’s Pit Cooked BBQ. I can still remember watching this ad.

And the popcorn you’d been smelling was always there right before those warmers, lights glowing to keep the freshly popped corn warm. Either at the end of that or behind the counter you could hear that popcorn popping fresh and the smell kept you going.

Next was always the soft drinks. Different drive-ins handled these differently. The one I recall had a tray with holes in it filled with pre-filled cups ready to be picked up and labeled as to what they were. As people took these the worker behind the counter would fill more. As a child I was amazed to watch as he poured different drinks from the same hose with a sprayer on it like in our kitchen. Of course grown up I see these in bars now, each on having a different button to make a different flavor come out. But back then I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Next up was the random items that didn’t quite fit into any specific category. There were pickles wrapped in plastic. There were drizzle guards to put over your windshield if it rained. And the ever popular Pic mosquito coils could be bought to fend off those pesky rascals.

Not quite done we next came to yet another container that looked like the warmers but this time containing all kinds of frozen treats. There were Eskimo bars and popsicles and frozen candy bars. I remember small paper containers of ice cream that came with those terrible wooden spoons that gave you the chills when placed on your tongue. 

Last but not least was the rack of candy. Here again there was a vast multitude of choices to make. Would you go with a bar type candy or a box of something? Boston baked beans, Lemonheads, Sweet Tarts, Snickers, Three Musketeers, red licorice or some other sweet concoction sure to disappear quickly once back at the car.

And at the end was always an uninterested employee ringing up your purchase ready to get you gone and move on to the next person. After paying you’d walk to the condiments bar. Unlike today with packets to pick up and pocket these places had squeeze bottles of ketchup and mustard, maybe a container of relish, and salt and pepper shakers. And people didn’t steal these items back then, instead leaving them for the next person. Then it was back to the car to eat while watching the clowns jump and the clock countdown the minutes until the next movie began.

And yes we also took food with us to the drive-in but we always bought something there as well. We knew that this was good for the business of the place and besides, popcorn brought from home could never ever match that freshly popped at the drive-in. I can also remember how great the pizza burgers were at my local drive-in. They’re not that easy to find these days (thank you Bummies for having them!).

These are all fond memories for me. They’re ones that a large number of children will never experience. Most drive-ins are now closed, the land sold to developers to create yet another strip mall. But a few locations remain open. Near me I have the option of driving 30-40 minutes to two different ones, the Van-Del or the Huntington Drive-In. I know some have done a great deal for movie fans by having one night where they book nothing but classic movies. Sure you could watch them at home streaming or on disc but that doesn’t include the drive-in experience. Some have done a great deal by having dusk till dawn special nights with a lineup of horror films. They all provide a less expensive night out for families than a regular theater does.

I hope drive-ins never disappear. I hope they continue to exist somewhere. And most importantly I hope that somewhere, some young child is waiting to get into the drive-in, cars lined up at the ticket booth, inhaling and smelling the aroma of that freshly popped corn just waiting at the concession stand. Me? I think I’ll look into creating some form of pizza burger at home and popping in a classic drive-in movie for now.

Support a drive-in near you and remember to always replace your speakers before leaving.