"Rochester: A City of Quality"

I didn't learn much from this five minute, 1963 film-boostering of Rochester, New York, though I did get a needed reminder of my allergy/ constitutional horror of marionettes. (Thanks to the Malls Of America Blog for its YouTube contributions, by the way.) This is actually a clip discussing Rochester's new downtown mall. And no, they did not call it a "mall". But it was closed, air conditioned and the size of a football field.

"Meet me at the clock of the nations", the familiar narrator says in friend-some, neck-tied, business man spirit, "where each passing hour is gaily saluted in the carnival spirit that is universal with people everywhere. And I'll acquaint you with Rochester: A City Of Quality."

"Enjoy the "electronically controlled marionettes of our fabled time piece. Each passing hour they dance around the clock to the bright tunes of different countries from around the world."


I am always wary of the "Decoy Vintage" on YouTube (I'll call it). The citizen posters (anyone can upload a video, one-two-three) and commenter's at YouTube have this Mystery Science Theatre mentality that our forebears' ignorance of the future somehow equals dim-wittedness or even moral depravity. (Never mind that we stand on their shoulders).

But this parody, "Rochester: A City of Poverty" is not really parody but more a simple, dark reflection. It is taken from the same film. Same narrator, same upbeat advertisement, but spliced to modern day footage. Played straight, it's still interesting.

All of this brought to you by Jay Ward's Quisp and Quake cereal!