FYS The Fifties

When one thinks of the culture of the 1950s, the first thoughts that usually come to mind entail the television, music, or clothes. Movies, however, at the beginning of the decade had become a dying breed that faced a drop in appeal. What could cause such a popular form of media that had previously been viewed as so alluring for years? The answer can be found in the very invention of the television, with which the public could easily find entertainment without leaving the comforts of their home and for no money. Film companies slowly began to lose money as their product was suddenly become less and less popular, and they needed to find a way to bring movies back into the eye of the public.

Despite the stumbles it faced, movies faced a great flourishing and evolved greatly during the decade. In an effort to bring back the public, movie companies began incorporating 3-D technology as it was a new innovation and would seem interesting to so many. Such movies as Creature From the Black Lagoon were not good quality when compared to so many other movies that had been released beforehand, yet the fact that it incorporated a new format that no one had seen before. The public is not looking for some amazing, deep movie with an amazing story; as proven by such movies, they can easily be won over with a few simple camera tricks and innovations.

More than anything, in my opinion the movies that came out in the 1950s reflect the culture of the decade they were released in more so than other decade. There were so many significant events and feelings of the public, and the filmmakers managed to touch upon these whether it be subtle or very noticeable ways. During this time the great space race began as the Soviets and America competed to beat each other in their pursuits, and with all of these new advances involving it coming into the public eye space suddenly became a popular topic in culture. With this science fiction became a popular genre in many formats, particularly in movies in which topics involving space travel, aliens, and the unknown in general became popular. Such movies as It Came From Outer Space, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Forbidden Planet reflected to view of the time that our knowledge of the world is rather limited and there is so much out there to see that has not been explored and with the new exploration of space the imagination over what could be out there and below led to a culture revolving around the mysterious. The rebellious nature of the decade became a part of the movies as well, straying away from the traditional beliefs and becoming more edgy and teen based, the most notable example being Rebel Without a Cause. The ways of the past were being challenged by the new age as they went against them so vehemently, and filmmakers added fuel to the fire and showed such rebellion in a positive light and almost encouraged it in a way.

Besides science fiction and rebellion, the movies of the 1950s can best be viewed as a representation of a rather dark emotion looming at the time that is surprising to see in a media that is meant for pleasure: fear. During this time, the Cold War was occurring with Soviet Russian and there was a constant omnipresent fear that the country could be destroyed at any time by an atomic bomb. This fear was manifested in many formats in such films as The Day the Earth Stood Still and The War of the Worlds, and even though the topics discussed in them are extraterrestrial the underlying theme of all such movies revolves around that inherent fear that an attack from the Soviets could come at any time. A nation gripped by ongoing fear needed some outlet to vent these feelings through, and movies happened to be the one it was most prolific in.

When you watch a movie, your first thought is that you are going in simply for a few hours of entertainment. However, the 1950s are a prime example of how they can be so much more than that, that they are able to embody a deeper message that is reflective of the times. In my opinion, the 50s above all other decades used movies as a symbol of everything the decade stood for, all of the ideas, movements, and fears that the decade is known for.

–Shawn C.