Category:
1950s

Quiet Village

You've probably heard Martin Denny's version of this song. It sold over one million copies.



The song has the unusual distinction of having been played onboard the S.S. Nautilus as it became the first American submarine to cross the North Pole.

There's also an interesting back story about how Denny came to include all the animal and jungle noises in the song. According to Denny (via SoundMuseum.com):

[The animal noises] came about rather by chance. In 1956 we played in the Shell Bar, a part of the Hawaiian Village (a segment of an amusement park in Honolulu). The room where we played had a very exotic ambience, next to the stage was a small pond, cliff, palms - very tropical, very relaxed. One evening we were playing a certain tune and the frogs began to croak (with a deep sound) rivet! rivet! When we stopped playing the frogs stopped too. When we played the song again later the frogs started again and some of the band members spontaneously started to imitate bird calls. This arrangement was requested time and again...

We played at ‘Don the Beachcomber's’ on the beach of Waikiki and many of the soldiers stationed on Hawaii heard us and bought our records. When they were transfered, they took those records with them and played them for others. The name became famous through word of mouth: The Exotic Sounds of Martin Denny. The S.S. Nautilus was the first American submarine to cross the North Pole. They had Quiet Village in their jukebox and after their expedition, they wrote me that this was their favorite tune.

More info: wikipedia

Posted By: Alex - Sun Aug 25, 2019 - Comments (1)
Category: Music, Space-age Bachelor Pad & Exotic, 1950s

Caveman Mask

After you have your genome analyzed and discover your percentage of Neanderthal genes, consider this purchase.



Source.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Aug 20, 2019 - Comments (1)
Category: Antiques, Anachronisms and Throwbacks, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Stereotypes and Cliches, 1950s

Mad Mouse/Wild Mouse Roller Coaster

This old-school ride looks scarier than the new ones, because tinier and more vulnerable.

The history of the ride.

Order yours here!











Posted By: Paul - Fri Aug 16, 2019 - Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Daredevils, Stuntpeople and Thrillseekers, Fairs, Amusement Parks, and Resorts, 1940s, 1950s

Follies of the Madmen #438



Extra credit for the chutzpah of the "full chest" pun. But seriously, if women buy the linens for the home, who is this ad directed at?

Source.

Posted By: Paul - Mon Aug 05, 2019 - Comments (2)
Category: Business, Advertising, Domestic, Innuendo, Double Entendres, Symbolism, Nudge-Nudge-Wink-Wink and Subliminal Messages, 1950s

Clairvoyant Fishing (1956)


Posted By: Paul - Sat Aug 03, 2019 - Comments (0)
Category: Superstition, Fish, 1950s

The Atomic Golf Ball

A demonstration that what is possible may not be what is practical.

Developed by nuclear physicist William Davidson in 1950, a small amount of radioactive material at the core of the atomic golf ball allowed it to be found using a Geiger counter, should it be hit into the rough. But there were a few problems with the concept:

1: The Geiger counter needed to be pretty close to the ball (within 5 feet) to actually detect it.
2: Not many people own Geiger counters.
3: Even though a single ball didn't pose much of a radiation risk, a bunch of the balls stored together would be a problem. So, it wasn't possible for stores to stock and sell these.

Mechanix Illustrated - Mar 1951



Akron Beacon Journal - Aug 20, 2000
click to enlarge

Posted By: Alex - Wed Jul 24, 2019 - Comments (4)
Category: Sports, Golf, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1950s

Lonesome and Disgusted

A song written to be deliberately awful.

Amazingly, not to be found on YouTube. Listen using the embedded audio below, starting roughly at the 53:20 mark. Actually, the whole show is worth hearing.



Leo De Lyon's Wikipedia page.

Source of quote.


Posted By: Paul - Wed Jul 24, 2019 - Comments (1)
Category: Humor, Music, 1950s, Nausea, Revulsion and Disgust

Thirteen Daughters, Then a Boy

I wonder if this 1953 record has ever been broken?

Story here.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Jul 23, 2019 - Comments (2)
Category: Family, Children, World Records, 1950s

Mystery Illustration 83

Which famous sex symbol actress of the Fifties and Sixties is seen here, imitating Elvis Presley?

The answer is here.

Or after the jump.



More in extended >>

Posted By: Paul - Thu Jul 18, 2019 - Comments (2)
Category: Imitations, Forgeries, Rip-offs and Faux, Movies, Music, Sex Symbols, 1950s, Parody

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Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes.

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