Fifties (123 page)

Tennessee Williams attending the 1956 world premiere of
Baby Doll.
The film, which was made from his screenplay, was attacked by Francis Cardinal Spellman and the Legion of Decency.
UPI/BETTMANN

Neal Cassady, the inspiration for
On the Road,
and author Jack Kerouac in San Jose, California, during their 1949 trip together.
CAROLINE CASSADY/ALLEN GINSBERG ARCHIVES

Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh in a scene from the movie
A Streetcar Named Desire.
Much to Kazan’s anger, the movie was heavily censored, but Brando’s sensuality still came through.
THE BETTMANN ARCHIVE

Elia Kazan and Marlon Brando, here filming
On the Waterfront,
were among the key artistic figures of the era. Kazan’s direction in both theater and film brought a new dimension of realism to both, while Brando’s tangible power and obvious sexuality stood in marked contrast to the more conservative attitudes of the era.
CULVER PICTURES

James Dean was Marlon Brando’s heir-apparent. Dean’s great skill was his ability to project a sense of being wounded by life and, despite his short career, he became a lasting American folk hero to the young.
DENNIS STOCK, MAGNUM PHOTOS, INC.

Milton Berle, the early superstar of television, in full regalia performing on an early Texaco Show program. It was Berle’s background in vaudeville that allowed him to make such an easy entry into television.
UPI/BETTMANN

Lucille Ball, here with Desi Arnaz, had to work hard to convince CBS executives that a sitcom in which her real-life husband co-starred would be a success.
UPI/BETTMANN

The Nelsons seemed to embody every virtue of the all-American family, but Ozzie’s dictatorial rules increasingly left Ricky alienated.
KEN GALENTE, THE SILVER SCREEN

The Kefauver hearings gave the nation its first experience with the political power of television. Until he began his investigation into organized crime, Kefauver was a little-known senator from Tennessee. However, his hearings proved hypnotic viewing and much of the nation was transfixed. Here a movie theater advertises them on its marquee.
MICHAEL ROUGIER/
LIFE
/TIME WARNER, INC.

Kefauver himself (second from right), became a national celebrity overnight. Although he denied at first that he had any larger ambitions, Kefauver made a strong run for the Democratic nomination in 1952, and again in 1956 when he received the Vice-Presidential nomination.
ALFRED EISENSTAEDT/
LIFE
/TIME WARNER, INC.

Rosser Reeves was one of the early successes in television advertising, a man who believed that the more primitive the message, the more successful it was likely to be.
THE NEW YORK TIMES