Nostalgia (part 2) - Christmas Past in War and Peace

everystockphoto.com/Christmas Festival

Old movies and television shows give us a peek into Christmas Past - not long past, but perhaps our past, our parents' past, and even our grandparents' past.

And some of our best loved classics have meant much to the Greatest Generation who lived through the Great Depression, fought in World War II, then settled down with a special loved one during the post-war period of the 1950s.

My pick from the pop culture of the past are two iconic holiday scenes from the 1950s, one from the movies, the other from television:

Christmas Past in Wartime

White Christmas (1954) opens with crooner Bing Crosby as Captain Bob Wallace singing the title song.  This classic captures the nostalgia of the soldiers, who were fighting overseas, yet yearning for home during the holidays.  That feeling is timeless.

(reference:  http://youtu.be/OIVI4cE9PPo)

And Bing Crosby was also a great patriot.  America had entered World War II when he was 37 and, with a family, he was deemed too old to put on the uniform and fight.  But much like his contemporary Bob Hope, Bing Crosby worked tirelessly to entertain the troops and boost their morale.  [reference:  As Veterans Day approaches, niece remembers Bing Crosby's service to soldiers]

The composer of White Christmas, Irving Berlin (1888 - 1989), like Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, was a patriot as well.  Born Israel Baline,  he was an immigrant to America, fleeing religious persecution of the Jewish community in his native Russia and settling in New York City.  For more on his biography - Irving Berlin - Biography - Songwriter - Biography.com

From a misspelling of his name, I. Berlin, as lyricist, Israel Baline decided to keep the name and become known as Irving Berlin. And what followed were many ironies of a Jewish composer choosing the surname Berlin. Most obvious, his career spanned two World Wars, which the United States fought against Germany, whose capital was Berlin.  And Hitler's Germany was hell-bent to exterminate the Jews, like Irving Berlin.

During World War I, Irving Berlin had first written God Bless America, as a great peace song.  But with a glut of patriotic songs coming out at the time, he tabled it.  Two decades later, Kate Smith introduced his peace song in 1938 at the cusp of World War II.  Another irony.  For more on this story: The story behind Irving Berlin's "God Bless America"

Though Jewish, Irving Berlin composed one of his best loved songs, White Christmas, celebrating a Christian holiday.  Yet another irony.  And it was Bing Crosby who introduced White Christmas to the world - on Christmas: December 25, 1941 - just as America had entered into World War II a few weeks earlier.  [reference:  Bing Crosby introduces "White Christmas" to the world — History.com This Day in History — 12/25/1941]

Christmas Past in Peacetime

And in the movie, White Christmas, the war came to an end.  And the plot focused on the characters making their way during peacetime and ending their adventures with a big Christmas production, such as shown here:  White Christmas ending

But during the postwar years, the early days of television produced another classic holiday scene from  the Honeymooners (1955-1956) .  Ralph Kramden, played by Jackie Gleason, a bus driver in New York City, struggled to strike it rich. Meanwhile, his wife Alice, played by Audrey Meadows, pulled him back to earth.  The couple would fight and argue, such as in these scenes:  Bang Zoom ...You're Going to the Moon!

But Ralph and Alice, bereft of material goods, living in a spartan apartment, deeply loved each other.  And during Christmas, Ralph waxed nostalgic about his feelings during this closing scene from 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (24 Dec. 1955).

(reference:  http://youtu.be/MapC9mBqUVk)

The entire episode can be seen on youtube:  The Honeymooners S01E13 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

In spite of the everyday struggle of the middle class, those seemingly more innocent times as shown in popular entertainment reflected the post-war optimism during peace.

Christmas past ... Christmas present ...  

Let me wax nostalgic during Christmastime. During this dark time of the year of short days, long nights (at least for us living in the northern hemisphere) the goodwill spirit of the season has an effect on us.  Ralph Kramden  expressed it so beautifully in the clip above.  We may seem kinder, more generous, more compassionate toward one another than at any other time of the year.

And Christmas seems to reflect the optimism that during a dark season such as the dead of winter, we've turned the corner.  Spring will soon come and our days will get longer and nights shorter.   And my Christmas wish is for a kinder spirit to prevail throughout the New Year.

Merry Christmas!
And God bless us everyone!

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Previous post in this series:

Nostalgia (part 1) - A Father's Thanksgiving Prayer  (2014)

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Photo from:  everystockphoto.com/Christmas Festival

Culture 101 (part 9) - Father Knows Best

Father Knows Best - 1957

As Father's Day is upon us, I wax nostalgic. Though Dad had passed away over 20 years ago, I have many fond memories of him.

Hello, Daddy!

In the 1950s and 1960s, my father ran a small gas station, and we lived behind it. Those days, my mother had worked part-time and often was not home when I got back from school.  It usually worked out that Dad was the first person I met when I got home.  He was always there ...at least when I was a child.

1960s latchkey kid?

When I grew up, I was told later that I was a "latchkey kid" - though I did not know it at the time.  But as a baby boomer, I grew up in a situation in the early 1960s of two working parents that had been more the exception than the rule.

The Greatest Generation and Baby Boomers

The parents of the baby boomers - coined the Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw - had already been through the wringer - coming of age during the Great Depression and living through World War Two.  And after that, most just wanted to put that behind them and give their children a better life.  And mostly they did.

Age of Innocence

In the 1950s, two parent families seemed to be the norm - working dad, stay-at-home mom.  The children seemed to have no real serious problems that plague kids today (teen pregnancy, drugs, stalking, cyber-bullying, broken homes).  Post World War Two seemed to be more innocent days.  I can attest to that in that we had no locks on the doors of our house and never felt a need to have them.

Father Knows Best - the Pop Culture of the times

The spirit of those times was reflected in the popular culture on TV of the day, such as this gem -   Father Knows Best (1954 - 1960), as shown in the clip below:

 
This program, as so many others on television, showed an idyllic family life, and the message in the end that the kids can always turn to father for - Father Knows Best.  Yet, the pop culture back then didn't tell the real story and the pain behind those white picket fences.  Family life was never ideal.  Even in the 1950s.

Yet in the past, families seemed to be more together and have had more the support of the extended family.  Remember The Waltons?

What about the 2010s?

Fifty, sixty years later, it seems the two parent family is being replaced by the one parent household.  Marriage is not so clearly defined.  And if there are two parent households, more often than naught both work outside the home. And the ideal of the 1950s family - seems to be an anomaly, if not a fantasy.

Volumes could be written about this - but here are a few thought gleaned from history and literature.

Both parents worked to provide for their families

Back in the days of my grandparents, both spouses worked inside and outside the home, doing what was necessary to survive. And so had the previous generations.

In my family's case, my grandparents homesteaded and that meant my grandmother worked everyday on the ranch.   And everyday was take your child to work day because the children worked along side the parents.  So my father told me ... that and what they did without during the Great Depression.

One parent families have been around for ages

Before modern medicine, the mother often died in child birth.  And the surviving children grew up with a single dad - unless he remarried then - voila! - you have the precursor to The Brady Bunch.

Likewise, men were at risk not only from dangerous jobs (before work safety laws were in place and enforced), but also during times of war.  Thus, many wives were widowed, their children fatherless.  And, most unfortunate, some parents deserted their spouses and children - and that has not changed.

Many stories in literature have been written about the challenge of single parents.  One such is Les Miserables.   Fantine was a single mother, who  struggled to provide for her illegitimate child, Cosette.  After Fantine's death, the protagonist, Jean Valjean rescued the child from cruel guardians and raised her as his own as a single father.

A great example in real life is Audie Murphy.  His father had deserted his family, his mother died the next year.  And Audie as a teenager stepped in to take care of his siblings.  He later enlisted in the Army when he just turned 18 and fought in World War Two to become the most decorated combat soldier in American history.

The Single Dad in modern times

Single parents throughout the ages have had their challenges - but they persevered and did all right.  And they still do okay.  They are an inspiration.

In the spirit of Father's Day, this ad from MassMutual salutes the single dad, doing his best to raise his girls - who matter the most to him:





Salute to Dad!

This Father's Day, I remember my Dad, the parent I greeted first when I came home from school.  And a big salute all the Dads, who sacrifice and make a real difference in the lives of your children.

And in the eyes of your children ...

Father Knows Best!

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Previous post on Father's Day:

Fathers are so important! (2010)

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Previous posts in the Culture 101 series:

Culture 101 (part 1) - Reagan's Challenge (2012)

Culture 101 (part 2) - Easter Eucatastrophe (2012)

Culture 101 (part 3) - Paul Revere's Ride (2012)

Culture 101 (part 4) - Gold Diggers and the Great Depression (2012)

Culture 101 (part 5) - Blue Bloods and 9/11 (2012)

Culture 101 (part 6) - Gilligan's Island and Breast Cancer Awareness (2012)

Culture 101 (part 7) - Band of Brothers  (2013)

Culture 101 (part 8) - Snow White (2013)

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 Photo from Wikipeida - Father Knows Best 1957

Cherry Blossoms

My mother-in-law typed up this memory on a manual Royal typewriter. She was 5 years old in 1923. When she visited Japan, it was the early 1950s.

Please check out her story at: http://www.smithsk.com/shortstories_Cherry_Blossoms.htm

Photo from everystockphoto.com: http://everystockphoto.com/photo.php?imageId=676634