Sixty years ago a Vancouver tourism film was released that catered to couples, and recommended the Vancouver area for people who were coming for honeymoons. This film has survived, and has been reposted on YouTube with its original title which (not too surprising) is called “Vancouver Honeymoon”.
There is a lot of insights in the film, some cringeworthy, others nostalgic. The film shows a residential area that looks fairly typical of new 1950’s subdivisions with small trees and shrubs~can you identify where that is?
In Stanley Park kids are attending “traffic school” where you get to drive around pretend “streets’ in a little car, with a real live police officer helping you learn how to “drive”. No surprise the training seems to be only from a driver’s perspective, with no pedestrians or cyclists.
Summers at the beach look very Santa Monica, with low tide, lots of kids and activities, and the commentator does hint that Vancouver has good temperatures all year round. You can apparently hook an eighty pound salmon without trying, and if you are the wife, it is “beginner’s luck”. There is a scene at a take out White Spot with the waiter bringing out a specially designed tray to hook to the car window.
This film was commissioned by the City of Vancouver to promote tourism, and there is a colourized version available to view on the The Point Grey Village BIA ( Business Improvement Area) facebook page.
You can view the black and white version of this fifteen minute film below.
Image:vintag.es
