The last, of two programs, in the DECADE series where Norman DePoe reviews events, trends and personalities of the 1950's. An unidentified man marvels disapprovingly at the hysteria of rock and roll fans (crowd noise in background). A clip of Elvis Presley's recording, I'm All Shook Up. Science: The Bomb: An item on the bomb, with the sound of hydrogen bomb explosions. Sir Edwin Plowden directs Queen Elizabeth to the lever she will pull to open Calder Hall, Britain's first nuclear power station. The Queen is heard briefly on the subject of nuclear power use. Polio: Dr. Jonas Salk's announcement on the statistical evidence supporting the effectiveness of his vaccine against poliomyelitis. Prof. Fred Hurquhart, of the Royal Ontario Museum, is heard testing a monarch butterfly, in the interest of finding out why birds avoid them; he describes the taste as toast-like. Television: Brief clips of themes from T.V. shows: DAVY CROCKETT, PETER GUNN) and a satirical clip, You Have to Have Glorious Technicolour, Cinemascope...and Stereophonic Sound. Theatre: Tom Patterson, founder of the Stratford Festival, explains when and how the idea came to him. Walter Kerr, New York Herald Tribune theatre critic, reviews Stratford Festival's first night of first season, praising the project and the actors. The recording boom: Clips of The Tennessee Waltz and One, Two And Then Rock. Bill Beatty reports on crowd reaction to Elvis Presley's concert at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto (crowd screams, cheers in background). A cha cha. Tragic events and disasters: An actuality report on the sinking of the luxury ocean liner, The Andrea Doris in 1956. A brief clip from a report on the Winnipeg flood of the Red River, May, 1950. A survivor of Hurricane Hazel in 1954 gives a description of what the flash floods that hit Southern Ontario were like. Springhill, Nova Scotia mine disaster: a rescue worker describes his discovery of 12 survivors. Death of Pope Pius XII: a report on the funeral procession, with bells of St. Peter heard in background; announcement of the name of the new pope (John XXIII); the crowd receives his blessings. Great men: Gen. Charles De Gaulle is heard on his return to power talking of the difficulty of the task ahead ("La route est. dure mais qu'elle est belle"). Sir Winston Churchill, on his 80th birthday, is greeted with laughter and applause, as he protests that it was the nation and people all around the globe who had the lion heart, "...I had the luck to be called upon to give the roar." Field Marshall Lord Montgomery of Alamein is heard criticizing Eisenhower's wartime policy. Eisenhower replies to the criticism. The Beatnik generation: A segment of Let's Go, a poem read to music in style typical of period (author unidentified). U.S. Senate hearings: The Red Scare: Senator Jospeh McCarthy is heard calling "Point of order, Mr. Chairman, point of order..." An unidentified man pleads the Fifth Amendment before a hearing (another well-known phrase from 50's hearings, DePoe explains. A Canadian pilot who was shot down over Korea and captured describes the effect of brainwashing and solitary confinement. Lift-off and explosion of a rocket satellite (voice-over at end). Concluding comments. <17mn>
