Our Old Car

John Nesbitt's "The Passing Parade" considers the parade of automobiles in a family on a quiet residential street, over about 45 years, with the cop on the beat replaced by his own son.

It's a sentimental short -- all of the series are, when it comes to that -- which celebrates America's love affair with the automobile. It also appeals to the post-war audience; production of automobiles for civilian use was in abeyance 'for the duration', and Americans had to make do with pre-War models and go easy on the tires (rubber was rationed and you better not own more than four tires) and mileage (Is this trip necessary? With an A sticker, you could buy four gallons of gas a week, and if you got 10 MPG, you were doing well). With cars going back into production, with wartime rationing vanishing, and no need to buy those war bonds.... well, perhaps it was time to think fondly about the old horseless carriage!