NT-5062

Prev clip Next clip
19651960s NEWS
At Issue
Title: The Leisure Boom:An Examination of the American Pursuit of Pleasure, hosted by Actor Comedian Bob Newhart
Episode #62
OBD: Dec-65
TRT: 60 min

Description:
A report on the growing amount of leisure and the problems arising from this. (Source: NET Jan-June 1966 Semi-Annual Report).
Narrated by comedian Bob Newhart, THE LEISURE BOOM: AN EXAMINATION OF THE AMERICAN PURSUIT OF PLEASURE is a satirical, yet serious look at the plethora of leisure activities available to Americans and the way they are spending their free time.

From “Leisure Central,” Newhart culls the country, determining how Americans are spending their hours away from work and whether they are enjoying their pursuits. There is a panorama of Americans at play with Newhart as the “anchor” or “pivot” man at “Leisure Central,” a tongue-in-cheek comparison to television’s “election centrals” etc.

Guests:
Dr. Richard Belman, Professor of Medicine, Math and Engineering, USC
Harvey Swados, author of “The Myth of the Happy Worker”
Author Paul Goodman; Sheldon Leonard, a television executive producer responsible for such program as “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” and “I Spy”; Actor Danny Thomas.

THE LEISURE BOOM: AN EXAMINATION OF THE AMERICAN PURSUIT OF PLEASURE is a 1965 National Educational Television production
Executive Producer: Alvin Perlmutter
Producer: John O’Toole
Writer-Associate Producer: Harry Muheim

This reel is part of one of our Specialty Collections. Online viewing or downloads of low-res versions for offline viewing will be available for only more day, though. Online viewing or downloads of low-res versions for offline viewing has now expired, though, and cannot be viewed online. "Pro" account holders can download a low-res version without audio for offline viewing.

Sign up for a "Pro" account to download this footage.

Sign In if you already have one.

This reel is currently not available for online viewing.

Sorry, this video is temporarily unavailable for online viewing or download. Please try again later.

Restricted Material
Access to this reel with audio is restricted. It will be available for only more day. Access to this reel with audio has expired.

Video Images Grid Descriptive Log
01:00:00 0.62 thumbnail
Film Leader Countdown
01:00:05 5.27 thumbnail
NET animated graphics - the National Educational Television Network
01:00:26 26.55 thumbnail
Show opens to CU of older man riding a bicycle. From the "Leisure Time" studio, several TVs on the wall, comedian Bob Newhart at his desk on the phone asking the person on the other end to command the bike rider to drive slower.
01:00:45 45.96 thumbnail
WS Newhart at his desk, picks up ringing telephone. Four clocks on the wall behind him and several TV screens on the side wall.
01:02:22 142.4 thumbnail
At Issue show graphics overlay television studio control panels.
01:02:35 155.5 thumbnail
Actor Comedian, Bob Newhart welcomes viewers and introduces himself. He talks into the camera about the amount of leisure time Americans have, and questions what we do with this time, what is leisure, does it lead to happiness or problems? He introduces the show, "Leisure Central" a satirical comparison show to similar current programs such as "election central" etc.
01:03:42 222.78 thumbnail
Newhart turns toward the TVs on the wall above him and speaks to Mr. Penny, the elderly man riding a bicycle.
01:03:51 231.7 thumbnail
Mr. Penny, still riding, responds to Newhart's question of what he would do if he had 6 months off, he states he would do the same as what he's doing now. The same question is answered by a mix of different folk: a middle aged woman, a police officer, a young attractive woman, construction worker and Playboy Bunny.
01:05:42 342.49 thumbnail
Dr. Richard Belman, a professor of medicine, math and engineering from the University of Southern California speaking into camera describes society as in a state of transition and points out that automation is forcing more leisure time on the working man. He also states leisure time has been a problem in America for the last 20 years which explains why the entertainment business is one of the biggest and most flourishing in the nation.
01:05:44 344.24 thumbnail
CU hands typing on an electric typewriter.
01:06:17 377.2 thumbnail
Harvey Swados at typewriter, critic of the industrial scene and author of "The Myth of the Happy Worker".
01:06:18 378.77 thumbnail
INSERT INTERVIEW - HARVEY SWADOS
01:07:27 447.59 thumbnail
INSERT INTERVIEW - AUTHOR PAUL GOODMAN
01:09:18 558.6 thumbnail
Back with Bob Newhart in the "Leisure Time" studio. He talks into the camera about leisure time issues 50 years back, however, he states in those days not so many people had leisure time decisions to make because all the money from America's industrialization fell into the hands of few people - the new "American Aristocracy" - before the days of the income tax. Newhart cuts to a some historic footage from back in the day...
01:09:41 581.69 thumbnail
B&W historic footage from post civil war era, late 1800's early 1900's. Scenes of well to do folk, well dressed, enjoying life - socializing, dancing. strolling holding parasols, riding in open carriages, driving new cars. Newhart narrates unseen, they had money for hotels, horses, hunting, playing tennis and golf.
01:10:29 629.35 thumbnail
Continued B&W footage circa late 1800's-early 1900's of women in long dresses playing tennis, men golfing, and women playing croquet. Pan coastal area, palm trees, boats, yachts are seen.
01:11:10 670.39 thumbnail
Newsreel footage of the launching of J.P. Morgan's steam yacht, Corsair the 4th.
01:11:37 697.06 thumbnail
Cu popping open a bottle of champagne. Pouring champagne into glasses. People socializing at cocktail party.
01:11:54 714.51 thumbnail
Playboy Bunny serving drinks and lighting men's cigarettes at the Playboy Club Los Angeles, circa 1960's.
01:12:17 737.12 thumbnail
Back with Newhart - he talks into camera about the shortened work week of the 1960's, 36 hours vs 65 hours in 1870, giving workers an extra 30 hours for leisure. Additionally, labor unions pushed up wages. Turning to the television sets he defers to a clip from Florida.
01:13:14 793.99 thumbnail
Two attractive '60's women, Judy Wedland and Liz Jerome, driving along in a convertible in Florida, passing numerous hotels and motels and pulling into motel parking lot.
01:13:38 818.35 thumbnail
American Flag on a flag pole blowing in the wind.
01:13:42 822.81 thumbnail
Young people at the beach, '60's women in two piece bathing suits hanging out at the shore, guys and gals, sunbathers. Shot from behind, Wedland and Jerome walking up stairs, the camera focusing on their butts. Newhart narrating unseen.
01:14:28 868.87 thumbnail
Pan poolside scene at the Castaways Motel in Miami. Young men and women in bathing suits lounging and sunbathing. Young man in bathing suit standing under outdoor shower.
01:15:05 905.7 thumbnail
Judy Wedland speaking on hand piece of rotary dial phone in hotel room, making arrangements to attend a jam session. Female friend, Liz Jerome brushing her cute '60's style hairdo.
01:16:08 968.5 thumbnail
Shots of Judy and Liz at ski school on the beach. Being taught by cute male ski school instructor. Adjusting feet into water skis. Out on the water boat drags Liz up and out of the water, ski school guy assisting her up onto the skis. Side by side shot of both Liz and instructor skiing.
01:17:29 1049.05 thumbnail
Girls at beauty salon. Hair being styled by male beautician. Liz in curlers under hair dryer.
01:18:11 1090.99 thumbnail
Nighttime downtown Miami, montage of neon signs - Dunes, Superior Motel, Liquor Bar, Zoritas Show Bar, Golden Nugget. Flashing lights.
01:18:23 1103.09 thumbnail
CU from waist down - fringy go-go skirt swinging back and forth, fishnet stockings. Live band at nightclub, young people dancing '60's style. Go-go dancer on stage.
01:19:13 1153.49 thumbnail
Beautiful vintage '60's car pulling up to a Boat Supermarket in Newport Beach, California.
01:19:48 1188 thumbnail
Pleasure boat on the water in Newport Beach. Two guys driving boat headed toward shoreline. Boats docked in harbor.
01:20:43 1243.92 thumbnail
Blurry sign on building in Disneyland. Recorded voice welcomes folks into the park. Family at the park getting on horse drawn trolley. Sights and sounds of Disneyland in the 1960's .
01:22:30 1350.34 thumbnail
Back in the "Leisure Room" studio with Newhart. WS of Newhart sitting in front of large clocks on the wall and several TV monitors, he talks at camera.
01:23:09 1388.99 thumbnail
Woman opens a box containing the game of "Life". Friends seated in living room on the floor playing the game.
01:24:20 1460.63 thumbnail
Sign on wall reads: Don't Buy an Avalon Hill Game Unless you are Above Average!
01:24:24 1464.68 thumbnail
Male designer of adult and teen board games, explaining how he wants the "Blitzkrieg" chess type battle game to look before manufacturing. Male board game designers consulting, looking at prototypes. Printing press printing the new games.
01:26:38 1598.14 thumbnail
Family, including young children and adults in living room watching black and white television cartoons on old fashioned console.
01:26:54 1614.37 thumbnail
Talking head mom, Mrs. Holtsman, talking with unseen Bob Newhart, tells him her favorite television shows, and states the kids go for cartoons.
01:27:13 1633.02 thumbnail
Close up young boy licking his lips, dad close by leaning over him. Sounds from the television show they're watching can be heard.
01:27:24 1644.9 thumbnail
Close ups adorable kids, male and female, and dad, completely absorbed watching television
01:27:54 1674.66 thumbnail
Producers, Sheldon Leonard and Danny Thomas smoking a cigar in their Hollywood office discussing their new television series, "My Fifteen Blocks".
01:28:08 1687.95 thumbnail
Close up Acto, Danny Thomas discussing new television program. Writers seated in the room listening to what he has to say.
01:28:40 1720.25 thumbnail
Hand holding a cigar over a vintage metal ashtray.
01:28:44 1724.14 thumbnail
Sheldon Leonard, Executive Producer for television programs, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Andy Griffith Show and I Spy speaking to unseen Newhart. He talks about the television audiences of the day and their leisure habits - circa 1960's.
01:30:13 1813.77 thumbnail
Bob Newhart at his desk in the Leisure Time studio, answers the ringing phone on his desk.
01:33:12 1992.59 thumbnail
Talking heads talking (to Newhart unseen) about what they will do upon retirement.
01:33:57 2037.37 thumbnail
Back to Mr. Penny, the shirtless bicycle rider from earlier in the reel. Bicycling down the road he talks about his plans for retirement - eventually settling in at Art Linkletter's Sierra Dawn Retirement Estates in Hemet, California.
01:34:15 2055.54 thumbnail
'Bayberry Land' estate on Long Island Sound in Southampton belonging to the Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Men playing catch on large font lawn of estate. Indoors, men playing ping pong.
01:35:02 2102.12 thumbnail
Male (electrical workers) having a casual meeting and talking candidly about how they would use their leisure time to benefit themselves and what they would do with their time.
01:37:15 2235.82 thumbnail
Pan out from the smoke emanating from the smokestacks of a coal factory in West Virginia.
01:37:25 2245.44 thumbnail
Row houses along the road in the Alleghany Mountain region of West Virginia.
01:37:32 2252.11 thumbnail
In mining town of West Virginia, talking head, Wayne Harden, retired Secretary of Local 1643 Coal Miners, talks to unseen interviewer about the difficulty of adjusting to retirement and figuring out what to do with the extra time.
01:38:33 2313.37 thumbnail
WS landscape view of residential neighborhood in the Alleghany mountains of West Virginia, homes dot the landscape of low lying mountains.
01:38:37 2317.24 thumbnail
African American talking head retired coal miner, Ross Merriwether, from West Virginia is seen digging with a shovel. Close up on Merriwether he talks with unseen interviewer from his porch about what he does in his spare time - he runs his gardens, raises chickens and ducks, goes to church regularly, reads and "things like that".
01:39:11 2351.76 thumbnail
Approaching a giant hollowed steel globe, POV from moving vehicle. Narrator, Bob Newhart, unseen, states this is entrance to "Leisure World" in Maryland, one of the several in the United States, considered an "adult community" and specifically, not a "retirement community".
01:39:24 2364.31 thumbnail
Older couple with their pooch, Mr. Boo, enter the lobby of an "Adult Community, and greeted enthusiastically by a salesman in the reception room. Salesman leads group of older women to a wishing well, fountain, in the reception room, they throw coins into it.
01:40:18 2418.14 thumbnail
Salesman leading a tour of elderly folk around The Leisure World facility in Maryland. They tour the activity rooms with painting easels, ceramic classroom with potter's wheels, built in swimming pool. They tour the dwellings "manor houses" with patios, elevators, etc.
01:42:08 2528.11 thumbnail
Pan the "Gold Room", several elderly folk seated, drinking coffee, reading brochures. Talking head elderly man speaks about this new way of life appropriate for them now, no more lawns to mow, no more lawns to mow.
01:42:46 2566.37 thumbnail
In the studio with Bob Newhart, seated at his desk in front of four clocks overhead, he reiterates the elderly man's statement, "what would i do with my time?".
01:43:16 2596.85 thumbnail
Cutaway to storefront studio with sign "Self Defense" on window - people inside studio in a class learning karate. Some aggressive karate moves are shown, woman instructor knocking down female student, male instructor flipping his student.
01:43:53 2633.24 thumbnail
Unseen, Newhart, asks Karate student who was just flipped to the ground what he's doing there. Student responds "I'm studying Judo" ..."a good form of exercise"...
01:44:18 2658.91 thumbnail
Female instructor demonstrating self defense, flips her student to the ground. Newhart, unseen, asks why she's there. The studen, sprawled on her back, responds, "self defense", ...its exhilarating and you feel so good when you're through.
01:44:55 2695.86 thumbnail
Newhart, unseen, interrupts a middle aged female student during her lesson and asks why she's there. Student replies, "well, ...my husband and I just kinda got tired of watching tv and wanted to do something together, we were both athletic and kinda let it slip a little while..."
01:45:18 2718.83 thumbnail
Classroom of male and female Karate students practicing Karate chops.
01:45:23 2723.56 thumbnail
Newhart, unseen, introduces Dave DeWitt, "race car driver". Pan down on DeWitt's hand revealing a remote control. WS of a large indoor remote controlled race track called "the Indianapolis Speedway" in Scarsdale, New York.
01:45:37 2737.72 thumbnail
Var shots tiny cars racing around large indoor remote controlled race track. Race car announcer is heard as cars speed around the track.
01:45:57 2757.13 thumbnail
Cute young Asian child smiling, excited, jumping for joy.
01:46:05 2765.43 thumbnail
Talking head, Dave DeWitt, model race car enthusiast, speaking to camera about how much fun the sport is. His hand holding a tiny model race car upside down revealing the tires and motor.
01:46:35 2795.86 thumbnail
Tilt down on two drawers of toy race cars.
01:46:44 2804.5 thumbnail
WS of huge indoor remote control race track, crowd of people standing around tracks watching cars race.
01:46:57 2817.31 thumbnail
Pan in from fur coats hanging on a rack to a man at sewing machine, moving around to close shot of the face of same man, Ellis Chasens, a fur worker in Washington DC. CU his nimble fingers pushing thin strip of fabric through the machine.
01:47:11 2831.81 thumbnail
Cu Hands playing violin, pan out revealing Ellis Chasins playing violin as female child holding her own violin standing by watching. Chasin's giving lessons to young girl, she practices with him.
01:48:14 2894.81 thumbnail
Cut to Chasins' taking practicing with orchestra conductor, Carl Rooks(sp?)
01:49:08 2948.35 thumbnail
WS the Arlington Civic Symphony in concert and audience shots
01:50:07 3007.22 thumbnail
Pan applauding audience, 1960's.
01:50:20 3020.15 thumbnail
Back in the Leisure Time studio with Bob Newhart. Newhart cuts to next segment.
01:50:44 3044.97 thumbnail
Labor leader, Harry Van Arsdale standing on roof top in Queens. Aerial Pan over the Electchester Apartment Development in Queens, New York. Van Arsdale talks with unseen interview about shortening the hours employees work for employers.
01:51:30 3090.1 thumbnail
WS people bowling in bowling alley. Bowling ball flying down the alley.
01:51:30 3090.99 thumbnail
Talking head, Mr. Al Somer, retired electrical worker states, "Do anything that you think that would make you happy, but don't sit around the house, it's the worst thing to do. Get out, meet people, see other people that are retired...".
01:52:11 3131.07 thumbnail
Various talking heads speaking to camera about leisure time and retirement their ideas ie, life-long education, jobs, leisure.
01:55:21 3321.8 thumbnail
Bob Newhart at his desk in the studio, summing up the program is interrupted by ringing telephone. He speaks with anonymous viewer. Newhart wraps up the program by saying, "it would help to realize our old idea of a work society isn't so useful anymore, doing something after work is just as important today as work itself..." "...we have to learn to live as well as to make a living, then we won't have trouble filling time, well have trouble finding it..."
01:58:18 3498.53 thumbnail
At Issue graphics and credits overlay scenes of people golfing, playing pool, takig walks, sailing, canoeing...
01:59:07 3546.99 thumbnail
NET animated graphics.
01:59:19 3559.19 thumbnail
Reel ends.
Set as
clip start
Set as
clip end
Jump to this point
Thumbnail 0Thumbnail 1Thumbnail 2Thumbnail 3Thumbnail 4Thumbnail 5Thumbnail 6Thumbnail 7Thumbnail 8Thumbnail 9Thumbnail 10Thumbnail 11Thumbnail 12Thumbnail 13Thumbnail 14Thumbnail 15Thumbnail 16Thumbnail 17Thumbnail 18Thumbnail 19Thumbnail 20Thumbnail 21Thumbnail 22Thumbnail 23Thumbnail 24Thumbnail 25Thumbnail 26Thumbnail 27Thumbnail 28Thumbnail 29Thumbnail 30Thumbnail 31Thumbnail 32Thumbnail 33Thumbnail 34Thumbnail 35Thumbnail 36Thumbnail 37Thumbnail 38Thumbnail 39Thumbnail 40Thumbnail 41Thumbnail 42Thumbnail 43Thumbnail 44Thumbnail 45Thumbnail 46Thumbnail 47Thumbnail 48Thumbnail 49Thumbnail 50Thumbnail 51Thumbnail 52Thumbnail 53Thumbnail 54Thumbnail 55Thumbnail 56Thumbnail 57Thumbnail 58Thumbnail 59
Save Changes

OK
Download
low-res
Share Order /
Inquire

More Matches From :

More Like This:

Share this clip:

Email Copy Link
Historic Films Stock Footage Archive
Contact a Researcher
Sign In

Sign in to access your account

Forgot your password?
or Register for a new account
 
Historic Films
News About Us Our Library Fees & Policies Acquisitions & Film Scanning

211 Third St, Greenport NY, 11944
[email protected]
631-477-9700
1-800-249-1940

Historic Films at YouTube

Do you need help finding something that you need? Our team of professional librarians are on hand to assist in your search:

Join our monthly mailing list!

Be the first to finds out about new collections, buried treasures and place our footage is being used.

Subscribe
© 2025 Historic Films Archive, LLC

Share this by emailing a copy of it to someone else. (They won’t need an account on the site to view it.)

Note! If you are looking to share this with an Historic Films researcher, click here instead.

Oops! Please note the following issues:

  •  

You need to sign in or create an account before you can contact a researcher.

Click on any order to view it in full.
Invoice # Date Status
You don’t have any orders yet.