Chrysler Promo Films : 1955-1960

The FORWARD LOOK : 1955-1960

This huge 4-disc set contains virtually every significant promotional film and TV
commercial for the wonderful “Forward Look” era cars of Chrysler. Led by brilliant stylist
Virgil Exner, Chrysler designs were the envy of all Detroit automakers in 1955. The luxurious
Imperial was spun off into its own brand, similar to Cadillac and Lincoln. A massive advertising
campaign, led by heavy TV advertising and Chrysler themed TV shows, spurred sales across
America. In 1957, Plymouth began an advertising campaign called “1960-New”, where their
marketing strategy was to sell 1957 Plymouths that were “3 years ahead of their time”.

This massive 4-disc set contains over 8 hours of TV commercials and rare
promotional films highlighting this great time period, and is a fascinating look
at how Chrysler advertised and promoted these wonderful cars!

DISC 1 (1955)

1955 Plymouth Promotional Film – “Wishes On Wheels” – 27 min (color)
An excellent promotional film! We follow the Plymouth production and
assembly line of a customers car as it’s being built.

1955 Chrysler TV Commercials – 13 min (b&w)
10 TV commercials for Chrysler cars.

1955 Chrysler TV Promo – “Shower Of Stars”  – 9 min (b&w)
Back when car companies were major sponsors of TV variety
shows, this segment features the new 1955 Chryslers.

1955 Plymouth Promo – “For The Young At Heart”  – 30 min (color)
Another excellent promotional film, this one is in vivid
color, and we visit the Chrysler Proving Grounds.

1955 Plymouth TV Promos – “Plymouth News Caravan”  – 6 min (b&w)
The Plymouth News Caravan was part of the NBC-TV lineup, an entire show
dedicated to Plymouth, sponsored by Plymouth.  John Cameron Swayze was
the “news anchor” and relayed news of the new Plymouths.

1955 Chrysler TV Show – “Shower Of Stars”  – 38 min (b&w)
A full episode of the CBS-TV show “Shower Of Stars”, sponsored by Chrysler.
This one features Betty Grable, Ed Wynn, Groucho Marx, Harry James, and
Danny Thomas promoting the various Chrysler cars.

1955 De Soto Promos – 4 min (b&w)
Two TV commercials for the 1955 De Soto.

DISC  2  (1955-1956)

1955 Chrysler Promotional Film – Salesman Training – 11 min (color)
A short promotional film showcasing the “Forward Look” for Chrysler sales personnel.

1956 Chrysler Promotional Film – “What Happened Tomorrow” – 25 min (color)
A great promotional film showing various 1956 models
under development and at the proving grounds.

1956 Plymouth News Caravan segments – 26 min (b&w)
The weekly news report from The Plymouth Show, with various skits.

1956 Chrysler TV Commercials and Promotional Films – 23 min (color – b&w)
Several commercials and films for the new 1956 Chryslers.

1956 Dodge TV Commercials and Promotional Films – 6 min (b&w)
Several commercials for the 1956 Dodge lineup.

1956 Chrysler Promotional Film – “I Saw It Happen” – 18 min (b&w)
A salesman training promotional film for the Chrysler sales force, James Gregory
is cast as a Chrysler salesman, pointing out all the advances of the new 1956
models. Contains some proving ground footage as well.

DISC  3  (1957-1958)

1957 Chrysler Promotional Film – “You’re On The Test Track” – 23 min (b&w)
A great promotional film pitting 4 Chryslers against 5 of the best General Motors products in
a series of detailed performance tests. The tests were conducted over a 4-week period at
Chrysler Proving Grounds in Chelsea, Michigan. We see side-by-side performance tests
between the various 1957 models; Buick Century, Buick Super, Olds Super 88, Olds 98,
Cadillac 62, Chrysler Windsor, Chrysler Saratoga, Chrysler New Yorker, and Imperial.

1957 Chrysler TV Commercials – 7 min (b&w)
From the “Shower Of Stars” TV show, a look at various new
1957 Chryslers, with an appearance by Jack Benny.

1957 De Soto TV Commercial – 1 min (color)
A rare color commercial for the 1957 De Soto with “Flight Sweep Styling”.

1957 Dodge TV Commercials – 6 min (b&w)
Various TV commercials for the new 1957 Dodges.

1957 Plymouth TV Commercials and Promotional Films – 81 min (b&w)
Various promotional spots and TV commercials for the 1957 Plymouths, billed as
the “1960 new” cars, 3 years ahead of their time. These segments are mostly
from the Plymouth Show, where we see some well produced, over-the-top song
and dance numbers revolving around the new Plymouths.

1958 Chrysler Promotional Film – The McCahill Tests – 25 min (color)
A rare color film, Chrysler displays their performance advantages over their
competition, in braking, acceleration, handling, etc. We see the new 1958
Chrysler Windsor, Saratoga, New Yorker, and Imperial against the best of
their competition, including Mercury, Oldsmobile, Buick, Cadillac, and Lincoln.

DISC  4  (1958-1960)

1958 De Soto TV Commercials – 6 min (color – b&w)
Various color commercials for the new 1958 De Soto, and a
b&w segment from Grouch Marx’s game show.

1958 Plymouth TV Commercials – 6 min (b&w)
TV commercials for the new 1958 Plymouths,
including a promo with Betty White.

1958 Dodge TV Commercials – 5 min (b&w)
TV commercials for the new 1958 Dodges, including a tap
dancing routine for the pushbutton transmission.

1959 De Soto TV Commercials and Promo Films – 17 min (color – b&w)
A De Soto salesman training film, and an excellent color promotional
film called  “The Moments That Count” for the 1959 De Soto.

1959 Plymouth TV Commercials and Promo Films – 15 min (b&w)
TV commercials for the new 1959 Plymouths, along with a salesman training
film titled “The Two Mile Tryout” , explaining to salesmen how to convince
a buyer that Plymouth is the best car during a 2-mile test drive.

1959 Dodge TV Commercials – 3 min (b&w)
TV commercials for the new 1959 Dodges.

1960 Chrysler Promotional Films – 85 min (color – b&w)
Several promotional clips for the 1960 Chryslers; 1) Rare 18-minute color promotional film
showing the new uni-body construction; 2) A 37-minute salesman training film in b&w, directed
at boosting sales; 3) 6-min color promo film showcasing the new instrumentation and features
of the Imperial; 4) Two TV commercials for the 1960 Plymouth and Dodge Dart;
5) A spectacular 18-minute color promotional film for the new 1960 300F.