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Sullivan CompanyDrive Your Bicycle (1955)

Slow-moving bicycle safety film shot in Glendale and Burbank, California by a family-owned film production company. Encourages boys and girls to "drive their bicycles" and prepare for becoming automobile drivers by learning to practice the "rules of the road." Good views of the mid-1950s suburban Southern California landscape.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Sullivan Company
Sponsor: N/A
Audio/Visual: Sd, B&W
Keywords: Bicycles; Bicycles: Safety; Car culture: Children

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: Christine Hennig - - September 12, 2005
Subject: Makes Even Bike Riding Tedious
This bicycle safety film from the 50s is incredibly cheaply-made and stilted. In it, some boys are discovered playing in a car. When their dad asks them about it, they tell them that they have been learning at school all about driving their bikes; that is, following all the traffic rules so that they will have less to learn when they finally get old enough to learn to drive a car. Then they go over all the standard safety rules with their dad in a very stilted fashionconsidering Dad was on his way to work, Im surprised that he sticks around for this as long as he does. Perhaps his job is even more tedious. Anyway, after hearing all of this, Dad then asks them if they really do it, instead of just talking about ita sensible question if ever there was one. The boys then proceed to provide not one, but three examples of them avoiding accidents because of driving their bikes. Dad finally leaves for work at this point, but the film goes on to show us a bit of the coachs bicycle safety class. By this time, you have a headache from having all this stuff beaten into it so repeatedly and stiltedly. This film is campy fun in brief snatches, but it hurts to watch the whole thing.
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.

Reviewer: Steve Nordby - - January 20, 2004
Subject: "That sounds like a very good idea"
A silly little traffic safety film with a dad that seems a little... odd... some might say queer... with his "fancy talk" and all... others might say bad acting. He has a lot of questions for the boys. Overall, it's dry traffic safety advice to behave as a bike rider as if you are driving a car. But I can't believe a 12-year-old would have trouble saying the word "responsibility". In the end "you might not have time to think of a rule" so just act like a driver of a car... so I guess its okay to do whatever you can get away with.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - April 25, 2003
Subject: Just when you thought it was over.
Really, this thing should be only 5 minutes long. It seems that the whole point of the film was summed up rather nicely.. Ohhh, ok, coach told the kids they should learn the rules of the road early, so it'll come in handy later on in life! Gotcha! Ohhhh there's more? Dad (who bears a rather bad combover) figure either is stupid, stupid stupid, or realizes the film is 10 minutes and has to carry the film to it's running length. A yawner.

Shotlist

ENCOURAGES BOYS & GIRLS TO DRIVE THEIR BICYCLES, PRACTICING "RULES OF THE ROAD" THAT WILL BE IMPORTANT IN DRIVING AN AUTOMOBILE IN LATER YEARS. MANY LOCAL GLENDALE/BURBANK SCENES SHOWN; YOUNG BOYS RIDING BIKES. ETC.

¥ 8:23:47- 8:23:57
Nice image of a boy walking his bike across a busy intersection. There's an interesting billboard for what looks like milk. The billboard stands by a parking lot and a brick building with the word "brakes" painted across it.



BICYCLES AUTOMOBILES CHILDREN BOYS GIRLS GLENDALE BURBANK CALIFORNIA ROADS safety Danger Lurks