1957 Classics

Lots of classics came out of the year 1957!

1957 Classics: Chevrolet Bel Air.  I like big muscles…

1957 Classics:  Chateau Lafite—Rothschild.  I’ve never had any.  Wouldn’t somebody like to buy me a bottle?  It’s only $1,682….

1957 Classics: First Boeing 707's delivered in 1957. Others are bigger, others are faster, most are more fuel efficient and all are a whole lot quieter--but this is the most beautiful airliner ever designed. A study in grace, balance, and proportion.

1957 Classics: In Philadelphia, a young local TV guy started a show for teens to review current songs and dance. "We're going hopping! We're going hopping today, where things are popping! The Philadelphia way, we're gonna drop in on all the music they play at the Bandstand (Bandstand!)....(now, those of you "of a certain age" will have that song stuck all day...you're welcome! Don't worry, though, the next 57 Classic will have you whistling a different tune--then the next or so.

1957 Classics: My very favorite Cadillac of the 50's, the '57. This is the Fleetwood 60 Special in "Mountain Laurel".

1957 Classics: "Bridge On the River Kwai"--1957 film, in 1958 winner of Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Writing, Best Cinematography, Best Scoring, Best Music. Nominated: Best Supporting Actor.

One of the great opening scenes of all time….

1957 Classics: The Music Man opened on Broadway, with Robert Preston in the title role. All together now, "Seventy-six trombones led the big parade!..."

1957 Classics: The Monsanto House of the Future opened at Disneyland. In the immortal line from a movie 10 years later, "Plastics!"

1957 Classics: Speaking of Disneyland---Disneyland Lunchbox, complete with thermos. (No, it's not mine. I had a "Munsters" one.).

1957 Classics: Wagon Train set out from Missouri, headed for California. It was a good show and a classic Western. Lots of big-name guest stars.

Cool theme music too; thanks Larry Scott for finding this.

1957 Classics: Can't leave out the amazing Imperial LeBaron Crown Coupe. Outrageously longer, lower, and wider, it sported a 392 Hemi and would corner flat at speed--astonishing for an almost 6,000 lb car on bias-belted tires. The height of Virgil Exner's "Forward Look" styling (Harley Earl's Cadillac crest was '59).

I’m in love (uh) I’m all shook up!

1957 Classics: #1 on the Billboard Top 100 for 1957 (it's a good song, good beat, you can dance to it, I'll give 95).

1957 Classics: Henry Fonda gave one of the most riveting performances of his career in this movie, which was a classic, directed in suffocating fashion by Sidney Lumet. It was nominated for a slew of Academy Awards, but had the misfortune to be up against the epic Bridge on the River Kwai.

 

1957 Classics: 25 Top books from 1957 (What's surprising to me is the number of these I've read; most of them)

1957 Classics: People

1957: Next to last. This picture is dated "Feb 57", so it was literally the day they brought me home (it took a week to get the film back...). Everybody got a turn in the rocker holding the baby, but you know, gotta have Mom....

'57 model, 57 years. If it ends tonight, it's been a good ride. Hopefully a few more years left to go. Thank you to all my wonderful friends who have wished me a happy birthday today. It was a fairly mundane day at work (conference calls, screaming--the usual), and it was cold and rainy--but your kind thoughts, good wishes, and friendship made the day great. I hope you enjoyed my little trip back to 1957 today as much as I enjoyed doing it.

>>o<<

I posted this stuff all day on facebook and had a blast doing it.  I hope everyone else enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed putting it together.  Tomorrow:  the stuff that I didn’t post on facebook and some commentary.