American Look (1958)

The definitive Populuxe film on 1950s automotive, industrial, interior and architectural design. This Chevrolet-sponsored film is dedicated to the “stylists of America“ -- the “men and women of taste and imagination“ who have the “courage to dream“. It has two principal goals: 1) convince the viewer that style is more important than substance (a concept that was one of the linchpins of America’s booming fifties economy); and 2) showcase the delta-wing rear-finned 1959 Impala. This hidden agenda in no way detracts from the beauty of the film, certainly one of the most striking industrials ever made. We are shown a parade of fifties products -- lovingly lit and inventively photographed -- and then we’re shown the interior of the G.M. Technical Design Center (Warren, Michigan), where we see some of the most bizarre cars in automotive history being designed by men in dull Brooks Brothers suits. Arguably, this art director’s wet dream is too in love with a design period that might better off be forgotten. But if you’re into fifties atomic age minimalism, this is the film you’ve waited your entire life to see. Watch for the cameo by Harley Earl’s ’54 Firebird jet car near the end. Producer: Handy (Jam) Organization Sponsor: Chevrolet Division, General Motors Corporation