American Suburbia (2005)
Witness a fascinating account of a nation's efforts to become progressive and prosperous.
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Episode 1 - America Marching On
Release Date: 2005-06-01This film advocates a better standard of living at affordable prices for all Americans regardless of their status. It maps the country's march towards a more affluent lifestyle and illustrates how this was made possible. the story of a miller and his assistant and their journey to the higher echelons of society by way of shrewd planning and investment.
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Episode 2 - A Place To Live
Release Date: 2005-06-01An engrossing account of the pathetic living conditions that existed in the cities in the '40s, with Philadelphia the erstwhile state and national capital, as an example. It is a wonderful account of how the once beautiful city was transformed by the growth of industry. Slums sprung up binging with them dirt and misery.
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Episode 3 - According to Plan: The Story of Modern Sidewalls for the Homes of America
Release Date: 2005-06-01This movie was made at a time when the building boom was at its peak, and is an opportunistic attempt at selling asbestos -the new rage in building materials. Though a little lengthy, the film is an exhaustive attempt at extolling the outstanding qualities of asbestos (fireproof, waterproof, weatherproof, enduring, resilient and so on). Sponsor: Asbestos Cement Products Association.
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Episode 4 - Man of Action
Release Date: 2005-06-01The use of animation makes this film very creative and refreshingly original despite being based on the same old themes - "we need to keep our neighborhoods neat and clean" and "there's nothing you cannot do if you come together".
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Episode 5 - The Quiet Revolution
Release Date: 2005-06-01This is an interesting movie about how Levittown was built and the emphasis builders placed on quantity and speed rather than style, grace and originality of design.