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![[Public Domain]](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/norights.gif "[Public Domain]")
Advocacy film produced to garner public support for the creation of the Interstate Highway System.
This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives
Producer: Handy (Jam) Organization
Sponsor: General Motors Corporation, Department of Public Relations
Audio/Visual: Sd, C
Keywords: Infrastructure: Roads and highways; Car culture: General; Manifest destiny
Creative Commons license: Public Domain
| Movie Files | MPEG2 | Ogg Video | 512Kb MPEG4 | HiRes MPEG4 |
| GiveYour1954.mpeg |
474.8 MB
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90.2 MB
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| GiveYour1954_edit.mp4 |
264.8 MB
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| Image Files | Animated GIF | Thumbnail |
| GiveYour1954.mpeg |
369.0 KB
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8.5 KB
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| Information | Format | Size |
| GiveYour1954_files.xml | Metadata | [file] |
| GiveYour1954_meta.xml | Metadata | 6.2 KB |
| GiveYour1954_reviews.xml | Metadata | 7.9 KB |
Reviewer:
Gopher_Baroque -
Subject:
Ironic Seattle Viaduct snippet
There is a quick shot along the length of the Seattle Viaduct (and the narrator mentions it by name). The irony is that Washington is now having to deal with replacing that worn-out structure. But I will say I enjoy the view out Elliot Bay driving north on the top deck.
Reviewer:
SkyCaptain -
Subject:
A stunning work of Doublethink. Patronizing and insidious. A must see!
This may be the most amazing piece of doublethink propaganda that I've ever seen. The first 12 minutes of the film are devoted to an agonizingly dumbed-down (though largely accurate) depiction of the rampant industrialization and expanding reliance on personal automobile transportation that characterized America's post-War boom. It is a situation which, as the film suggests, "Soaks everybody from the farmer right down to the family budget."
We are treated to views of highways littered with cars, a scene one driver calls "an ulcer route" and another, "agony alley." We watch as once-fertile downtown areas are razed to make room for monstrous parking structures where people "load and unload like a bunch of sheep." If it weren't for the Disneyland tone and accompanying Pollyanna background music, you might take this for an anti-capitalist environmental drama about to decry the root cause of this ailment rather than celebrate it.
At the halfway point it is revealed that, in order to solve these problems, General Motors has created a contest -- a brilliant public relations scheme really, on which the company will spend many times the $194,000 in prizes offered. GM runs ads in newspapers across the country and places editorial pieces asking the American public to help solve the "crisis" created by cars and roads. Over 40,000 respond with their earnest suggestions.
Turns out the $25,000 grand prize has already been won by one Robert Moses of New York, at the time one of the most powerful men in city. Robert Moses served as both the city's Construction Coordinator and its Commissioner of Parks and his dual commissions would later come together in a failure of historical proportions: the New York World's Fair of 1964-1965. His role in shaping (some say, "destroying") urban planning across America was also the subject of the book The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York.
Give Yourself The Green Light is the best kind of propaganda film. It's just ridiculous enough to be held harmless and sufficiently facile to discourage thorough analysis. But underneath the simple exterior is a conniving, deceitful engine which drives the film to its inevitable conclusion, to the benefit of GM and the oil monopoly shareholders and nearly no one else. Namely, that more cars and more roads will fix the appalling problems with cars and roads!
Unforgettable and highly recommended.
-- D
Reviewer:
adios -
Subject:
Gee, Beav....
Have to love the irony of all those homely shots of Main Street America - soon to be decimated by the onslaught of the superhighway, pulling trade to the urban fringe and sending cross-country traffic zipping around countless downtowns, bypassing their essential businesses.
On the other hand, all those overpasses did provide endless camping possibilities for those made homeless by the decay of the inner city....
Lord Have Mercy - it's Bob Moses, pilloried in Caro's superb 'The Power Broker' for his role as #1 promoter of urban demolition. Winning an award, yet, from GM (deserved).
Reviewer:
Christine Hennig -
Subject:
Why They Paved Paradise and Put Up a Parking Lot
This is another 50s film about the problem of bad roads. Since it was sponsored by General Motors, the solution, of course, is to build lots and lots more roads. Huge superhighways! Huge parking lots! Everywhere! This was supposed to solve the problem of traffic jams. Well, all the roads got built and the amount of cars seemed to expand to fit them. This is a great film for learning how we got where we are today in terms of huge freeways and parking lots everywhere. It would take building all the roads encouraged in this film before people would start to notice any downside to paving paradise and putting up a parking lot.
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
Reviewer:
Yamamoto -
Subject:
50 Years Down the road....
The ultimate in irony here. Now we have all the ginchy freeways in the film, and things are not one bit better.
I love the "Parking Hell" segment where Mom and little Suzy can't find a parking space so they can go and do their daily consumption!
Reviewer:
trafalgar -
Subject:
Chicago
That highway going through the post office is in Chicago, and yes, it's still here. And it is excellent.
Reviewer:
Spuzz -
Subject:
Give yourself some more concrete!
Another one of these great films that say that more urban sprawl is the answer to our trafic congestion problems. Build more highways! More parking lots! Awesome shots of people building highway after highway. Love the highway cutting through the Detroit Post Office, wonder if that's still there. A crazy relic.
Reviewer:
Steve Nordby -
Subject:
A paved America is a beautiful America
Another Jam Handy celebration of the wonderful automobile and its totally positive effects on life and the environment, this time in gorgeous color. This film argues that America's roads are neglected and urges public construction of city streets, country roads, super highways, and parking lots to fulfill the American Dream. Even "fabulous futuristic" highways can be "erected" by an "aroused public." American's must fight for their right to drive unhampered by lights, traffic, or school crossing guards. I'm sure this has nothing to do with the film being sponsored by General Motors. No, this is all in the name of freedom, democracy, a healthy economy, and family fun. As a construction sign at the site of San Francisco's Bay Shore freeway project tells it: "Another Freeway for Your Safety."
![[item image]](http://ia600508.us.archive.org/10/items/GiveYour1954/GiveYour1954.gif?cnt=0 "[item image]")
