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What We Thought the Future Would Be Like at Christmas 1953

Updated on Dec 16, 2019. Originally added on Dec 20, 2017 by Kathy Pinna

In 1953, the year 2000 seemed so far away - almost half a century in the future - and unimaginable.

We thought that technology at the turn of the century would bring cars that drove themselves, computers that you could hold, men would live on the moon, and we would be watching color televisions.

We dreamed of these great technologies while fearing that nuclear war would break out, that aliens would invade, or that machines would take over the world. After all, it was only 8 years after the end of World War 2, and while we dreamed about big accomplishments we were also fearing our demise.

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The Paul Winchell Show in 1953

At the infancy of television, the Paul Winchell Show was one of the more popular tv shows. Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff were household names that made us laugh during a time of uncertainty. Here they are, in 1953, envisioning what Christmas would be like in 2000 as tourists on the moon. Does this video clip look blurry? That's 1953 television as it really looked!

A little about The Paul Winchell Show: Paul Winchell was a ventriloquist who began his prime time show in 1950 on NBC. It ran until 1954. The name of the show changed - The Paul Winchell Show, or The Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney Show, or The Spiedel Show, or What's My Name? - but the premise remained the same, it was a comedy show. After 1954, it became a children's show and aired on Saturday or Sunday mornings until 1968.

After Paul Winchell left entertainment, he focused on the medical sector, patenting both a blood storage system and an artificial human heart. What a talented man! He died in 2005, having witnessed Christmas 2000 himself.

Have photos that you'd like to see included? Share your photos or see a video of Bing Crosby singing White Christmas on the next page.

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