What Were Some Entertainment in the 1960s?

During the 60s the color television hi-fi record players, better cars, and more sophisticate washing machines become common place in the home. CBS was the dominant show, then airing 13 of the 15 most popular shows. Movie stars in the 1960s: Ed Sullivan, Lucille Ball, Jackie Gleason, Red Skelton, Andy Griffith, Dick Van Dike, and Danny Thomas. CBS also produced The Beverly Hillbillies, Candid Camera, Family Affair, Rawhide, Bonanza, Laugh-In, and Bewitched.

By watching TV you could hardly imagine that any Americans were discontent with their way of life because foul language was strictly prohibited and sex did not play a major role on any of these shows, most were family entertainment with formal plots punctuated by commercials. On May 12, TV: Frank Sinatra, in his fourth and final ABC special for the season, presents the return to television of Elvis Presley, who has just returned from the Army. Frank and Elvis duet on “Love Me Tender” and “Witchcraft”.

Walt Disney, the creator of Mickey Mouse and Pioneer of animated films, died of cancer on December 15, 1966, but his legend lives on. March 1, 1968- The World of Apu completes, in alternations of suffering and joy, one of the most vital and abundant movies ever made. The 60’s were the birth of the computers. The Digital Equipment Corporation introduced the first minicomputer in 1963. Television in the 1960s As television technology developed throughout the 1960s, the medium continued its domination as the entertainment form of choice for most Australians.

By 1965, it was estimated that 9 out of 10 Australian families owned a TV set. Programs imported from overseas enjoyed massive popularity; in particular the American comedies I Love Lucy and Leave it to Beaver and the British soap Coronation Street. Locally-produced content, however, was also receiving an enthusiastic response. Hit music shows like Bandstand and Six O’Clock Rock proved popular with teenagers, while young children were tuning in to Play School and Mr Squiggle. Adults were also well-catered for.

In 1961, the ABC premiered the current affairs programme Four Corners, which is still running today. Homicide, the first Australian-produced drama series, debuted in 1964, as did The Mavis Bramston Show, a satirical sketch comedy. Both attracted a huge following. Programs like The Mavis Bramston Show and Homicide were crucial turning points in Australian television history. Their success proved that local audiences wanted to see Australian-made programmes, featuring local actors and Australian humour, themes and concerns.

Through television, a unique Australian identity was slowly emerging. Television and satellite technology In the late 1960s, Australian television was connected to the international satellite system. Programs could be broadcast live between capital cities and people in remote parts of the country could receive television broadcasts. Along with the rest of the world, Australians could now be involved in globally-significant televised events, like the first moon landing in 1969. Cinema and theatre in the 1960s

While television was still proving to be a major blow to cinema attendance in the early 1960s, cinemas regained some strength in the following years. In 1965 there were around 1000 cinemas in Australia, screening mostly American and British films. Cinema in the 1960s reflected the youth-driven culture of the time, catering less to the taste of families and more to the teenage ‘baby boomer’ crowd. Movies like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and Easy Rider (1969) reflected the fashion, music and changing social values of the decade.

Locally-made Australian films were in short supply throughout the 1960s and the period is widely considered to be a low point in Australian film-making. A boost in government funding at the end of the decade, however, would see an improvement throughout the 1970s. Ballet, opera and theatre became more popular in the 1960s, although they still remained a minor form of entertainment. In 1969, the musical Hair opened in Australia. Featuring nudity, drug references and ‘hippy’ themes, its success signified a perceptible shift in the nation’s conservative social values.

See Image 2 Radio in the 1960s Australian radio in the 1960s generally followed the format set by radio broadcasters overseas, particularly in the area of news broadcasting and music programming. Commercial radio was increasingly tailoring its programming to the youth market, filling the airwaves with upbeat, mostly imported music that was popular in the charts. Whilst popular, the overseas radio models were creating dissatisfaction amongst many minority groups in the late 1960s, who firmly believed that the current programming models did not reflect their needs.

Ethnic communities, students, activists, classical music lovers may have had little in common, but in the late 1960s they were all pushing for more access to the airwaves. Music in the 1960s The rock ‘n’ roll craze of the 1950s and 60s was changing the way young people entertained themselves. Teenagers clad in the latest fashions would gather in dance halls, or discos, and perform dance fads like the stomp and the boogaloo. The twist, named after the popular Chubby Checker song, was especially popular.

It was the first major dance style that did not require a partner, so anyone could try it. Some of the world’s biggest bands toured Australia in the 1960s, including the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones and in 1964, the Beatles. Australia was gripped by Beatle-mania as thousands of hysterical, screaming fans mobbed John, George, Paul and Ringo wherever they went. See Image 3 Australian music charts in the 1960s were dominated by American and British music, and local acts were strongly influenced by overseas trends. Some Australian musicians enjoyed international success.

Folk outfit the Seekers were extremely popular in America and Britain, becoming the first Australian group to sell over a million records. In 1964, Jimmy Little became the first Indigenous Australian to achieve chart success, with his song Royal Telephone. By the late 1960s, the American psychedelic and acid rock movements had filtered into Australia. This music was prompted by, among other factors, Vietnam War protests and the new drug and counter-culture scene. Lyrics from this music style spoke of peace, love, freedom, social protest and civil rights – the social revolution had arrived.

Australian History/1960s
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Australian_History/1960s

Swing back to the 1960s
http://mosman-daily.whereilive.com.au/lifestyle/story/swing-back-to-the-1960s/

Web generation
http://www.wgeneration.com/1960.html