The Fantastic 50s
February 22, 2022•398 words
There was a guest entry for writing something about 50s tech. Well, I really don't know much about 50s tech. What I have heard from elders is that there were transistor radios and their batteries would run after just a day of use. On the other hand, I absolutely adore the 80s tech (Well, who doesn't?) Poor quality VHS Cassettes, computer games with wired graphics and huge-ass tape recorders are the things that make every 80s guy die with nostalgia.
Let's keep the 80s for another time and come back to the 50s. Yes, from a bright and colorful world to a dull and black and white one. Pakistan was still in the early years of its birth. There was political instability and many other problems. Almost all of these still exist today.
Coming back to technology, at the time of independence All India Radio was divided among both countries like everything else and the Pakistani part was renamed as Radio Pakistan. However, Television was introduced in 1964 in Pakistan but I think in USA Television had reached the market in the 1940s and in the late1950s most American households owned a TV set. Damn Americans.
A surprise in technology came from the Soviets when they launched a satellite named Sputnik 1 in 1957. Uncle Sam launched a smaller satellite and hence the space race started.
If we talk about the movies and songs of the 50s, they were absolutely amazing. Urdu songs of Pakistan and India are my favorite. The same goes for Urdu movies.
My class-fellows hate it when I listen to old songs and watch old movies in front of them. They think I am from another planet. So whenever, I want to make them go away, I play a 50s melody.
In the post-World War II decade, war was one of the favorite topics of filmmakers in the 50s. Movies like Bridge on River Kwai and All Quiet on Western Front are the best movies on WWII. Moreover, nobody can rule out thrillers such as Vertigo, North By Northwest, Sunset Blvd and Rear Window. While Some Like It Hot is arguably the best comedy ever produced. Whenever my class-fellows or friends need a recommendation for a classic movie, I am the guy they ask (and most of the time, they don't like that recommendation.)
All in all, the 50s was really a Fantastic decade.