From an article in the Hemmings Daily Newsletter...
There's a lot to like in this film... the cars, the styles, the attitude, and especially the young boys and girls. I looked a LOT like the kids in this film, mainly coz I was nine years of age in 1954. None of the school districts I attended as a child had a program like this and that's too bad. OTOH, I dunno if I'd have enjoyed "driving" a pedal car around simulated city streets. These kids seemed to like it, though.
There's a lot to like in this film... the cars, the styles, the attitude, and especially the young boys and girls. I looked a LOT like the kids in this film, mainly coz I was nine years of age in 1954. None of the school districts I attended as a child had a program like this and that's too bad. OTOH, I dunno if I'd have enjoyed "driving" a pedal car around simulated city streets. These kids seemed to like it, though.
I agree - there's a lot to like in this film! I think I would have loved the pedal cars in elementary school. We did not get drivers ed until high school - and, of course, my Dad trying to teach us. My experience was that it is better to learn from someone unrelated to you - and not in the family car.
ReplyDeleteI had the same experiences, Anne. I tried to teach The Second Mrs. Pennington how to drive a stick but after about ten minutes in I decided our relationship just MIGHT be at risk if we continued the way we began. So, I took over and drove back to our place, where I gave her the keys to the car, told her to have a good time, and to come back when she'd figured it out. Relationship saved. (We weren't married at the time, so technically we weren't related... but we'd lived together for a couple o' years, so that's close enough.)
DeleteHeh. . . I had one o' them pedal-cars when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteNot for a few years later than this, tho. . . In 1954 I was still a year or so away from bein' a twinkle in my, ummm. . . birth-father's eye. . . (or, you know, whichever part of him eventually got to twinklin'. .
I THINK I had a pedal car, too, but I wouldn't bet my life on it.
DeleteThat was something else, Buck. Loved it. Brought back memories it did!
ReplyDeleteWhere did we go wrong as a society? Seems we had it together back then.
Where did we go wrong? Let me count the ways...
DeleteOld school! Nothing wrong with that!!!
ReplyDeleteRoger that.
DeleteHen, when my Father tried to teach my Mother how to drive (I was a witness in the back seat) it ended in a flood of tears. He thereafter enlisted an old friend, neighbor on our street , ex-WW II Navy Destroyer CPO and head of the Driver Training School at Eastern Illinois Univ. to mercifully intervene: "Peace in Our Time." LOL!
ReplyDeletePS: The Navy CPO was from Brockton, Mass and not only looked like Rocky Marciano, he was built like him too! Massive arms and the requisite tattoos. (Only a few pounds heavier as the years passed, lol) And the same Bulldog attitude/temper. (Although he was an even tempered , patient, instructor) A real character, he spent the war in the Med on convoy duty getting bombed by Ju-88s. His wife was named Freya (after the Norse goddess) and they named their son THOR! (LOL! they really did, swear to God)
ReplyDeleteTwo good stories, Virgil. Thanks!
Delete