Chris Nichols: The Googieman

[5inthehole]

 Many amusement parks across america had been influemced by the googie movement. Not only were the rides space aged (Satilite Jets, Moon Orbiters Calypso's, and rocket ship rides) but also the parks buildings. I was saddende a few years back when Canobie Lake Park in Salem New Hamshire removed much of it's googie influences and replaced it with a mordern look.A beautiful place was destroyed.

[radiotubes]

Wish there were more vids like this. Great saves thanks for what you do.Great car also.

[silverfox42]

Very well done -- his enthusiasm for the era really shines through, and I love his style.  Mad props for the MST3K logo at 3:01.

[WorldAccordingtoRich]

@silverfox42 Fantastic eye!  We created this years ago - and I never noticed the MST3K logo until now!

[1952kid]

Check out a 1957 cartoon on you tube , Colonel Bleep , a space cartoon made in 1957 ,all in wonderfull Googie style, tons of boomerang and arrow shapes and space age buildings. The intro to the cartoon has a rocket blasting off with a googie building in the background. This cartoon is 100% Googie .

[monarkman1957]

Dude...I love you man!!! I love the video, and I am also a mid century fanatic, wear vintage clothing, drive vintage car, ( my wife is a very understanding lady) I wish you were in CT, we could hang out.

This is a great video, and you have made my day indeed, I was beginning to think that I was alone in my passion for mid Century Americana. I have visited LA for a short visit, wish more time to sighsee, but I di have breakfast at Pann's....VERY KOOL and essential Googie. Armet & Davis were #1

[toiseywoisey]

The problem with preservation groups for Googie is that they attract a primarily younger, less sophisticated person who often does not own property themselves (a fundamental American liberty) and their convictions and attitudes give them a sense of unearned entitlement ("Urban Archeology"? What University was that shingle earned at?)that demonstrates little or no respect for landowners and their rights.

[toiseywoisey]

Mr. Nichols:

I believe here were many "growth spurts" perhaps larger in the early years of the 19th Century.

[aduecey]

Preservation of these landmarks is so very important. It would be fun to see a return to the style but I doubt that we could do it justice. Anyways it's impossible to find any good linoleum nowadays.

[hscmnbk]

i like that very last thing you said. its so true. i hate whenever things go mainstream-there no fun anymore to go after. i hope that people don't catch on.

[mewrth]

Let's hope Googie will come back to today's architecture, for the technology of construction today would do it easier to design and build...

[kenrg]

Googie Lives!

[jamileh43]

Thank you Chris Nicholes for Helping those fascinating structures survive! I only hope that the trend will be revived one day. Googie of the past, Googie of the now , Googie of the future!!!

[ZZalgern0n]

wowowowowowowow!~

[shaggyolddog]

My husband, children and I used to go to all the places he mentioned, such as Bob's Big Boy restaurants, the Covina Bowl, the drive in dairy, which I think was in Azusa... The only place I LOVED that he did not mention was the In and Out... their hamburgers are the best I have eaten . I lived in Pasadena and taught in Covina in the 60's. We moved to Covina in the 70's and lived there to the late 80's

[neohillbilly]

I think my family used to go to that drive through dairy. Is it near Glendora or Pasadena?

[b2c3d4]

It's in El Monte on Lower Azusa Rd.

[rborja76]

Covina Bowl!