American Suburbia

Building A New Life

5 episodes · Jun 1, 2005

Building A New Life. Restless, introspective, ambitious, resilient and at times confused' is how one visualizes American life in the '40s and '50s. The great depression had impacted people's lives greatly. The economic revival and the consequent prosperity propelled the rebuilding of the nation. This series has five short films which promote concepts such as modernization and lifestyle changes.

0/5 watched

Swipe a row to mark watched · long-press to mark up to there

  • S2E1

    America Marching On

    Jun 1, 2005404m

    This film advocates a better standard of living at affordable prices for all Americans regardless of their status. It maps the country's march towards a more affluent lifestyle and illustrates how this was made possible. the story of a miller and his assistant and their journey to the higher echelons of society by way of shrewd planning and investment.

    Reviews
  • S2E2

    A Place To Live

    Jun 1, 2005404m

    An engrossing account of the pathetic living conditions that existed in the cities in the '40s, with Philadelphia the erstwhile state and national capital, as an example. It is a wonderful account of how the once beautiful city was transformed by the growth of industry. Slums sprung up binging with them dirt and misery.

    Reviews
  • S2E3

    According to Plan: The Story of Modern Sidewalls for the Homes of America

    Jun 1, 2005404m

    This movie was made at a time when the building boom was at its peak, and is an opportunistic attempt at selling asbestos -the new rage in building materials. Though a little lengthy, the film is an exhaustive attempt at extolling the outstanding qualities of asbestos (fireproof, waterproof, weatherproof, enduring, resilient and so on). Sponsor: Asbestos Cement Products Association.

    Reviews
  • S2E4

    Man of Action

    Jun 1, 2005404m

    The use of animation makes this film very creative and refreshingly original despite being based on the same old themes - "we need to keep our neighborhoods neat and clean" and "there's nothing you cannot do if you come together".

    Reviews
  • S2E5

    The Quiet Revolution

    Jun 1, 2005404m

    This is an interesting movie about how Levittown was built and the emphasis builders placed on quantity and speed rather than style, grace and originality of design.

    Reviews