GM Promo Films : 1950-1961

1950 Chevrolet Promotional Film – (9 min) b&w
Titled “The Way You Want It”, this film captures that period between post-WWII and the extravagance of the
mid-1950’s. A great film that also shows how the Chevrolet Service Department Technicians were like doctors
for your car back then, wearing white lab coats, and treating your new Chevrolet like it was a patient. Also
some footage of vintage Service Department equipment, the Parts Department, etc.

1953 Chevrolet Promotional Film – (12 min) b&w
Titled “A Great New Star”, this promotional film features Dinah Shore introducing the new 1953 Chevrolet. The film starts
with Dinah singing a song in her studio, then transitions out to the open road, where a narrator explains the features of
the new 1953 Chevrolet, and ends with Dinah singing her trademark jingle “See The U.S.A. In Your Chevrolet”.

1955 Chevrolet Promotional Film – (9 min) color
Ten promotional films featuring the all-new 1955 Chevrolets. All ten promo clips are in vivid
color, and each clip focuses on different features and marketing proposals for the new 1955
Chevrolets. Very clear color footage that any Tri-Five Chevy owner would love!

1955 General Motors Promotional Film – (11 min) color
Titled “Achievement U.S.A.”, this General Motors promotional film celebrates GM’s 50 millionth car
produced in 1955. GM pulls out all the stops with stage shows, a massive parade through Flint Michigan
(complete with walking AC-Delco Spark Plugs), a golden GM diesel train is seen, open houses at each
division office, etc. It’s such a massive celebration that even high school kids are let out of class early!
The ending is quite surreal, as we see thousands of people milling about as the huge parade ends.
Originally shot in color, but through a gold tint lens to match the “gold” anniversary theme.

1955 Pontiac Styling Promotional Film – (10 min) color
This is a silent 10 minute film showing the new 1955 Pontiac. There are dozens of slow panning shots of the Pontiac,
as well as some great footage of the interior, all shot within a studio. This film was believed to be used as a backdrop
for the Pontiac display at the 1955 GM Motorama. If there was ever any narration for this film, it is believed to be lost.

1956 Chevrolet Promotional Film – (12 min) color
Originally part of a General Motors series on “American Engineering”, this 12 minute film, shot in stunningly
beautiful Technicolor, shows the parts and assembly processes to assemble the 1956 Chevrolets, along with
some footage at the end showing how beautiful America used to be. Shown in widescreen format.

1956 General Motors Promotional Film – (9 min) color
Titled “Design For Dreaming”, this bizarre film was shot in vivid Technicolor, and we follow a woman, awakened
in her bed by a man in top hat and tails, in a sort of Cinderella type story where she is given an invitation to the
1956 GM Motorama Show. As she floats, flies, twirls, and sings her way around the show, she is eventually
swept off her feet by the mysterious masked man in the 1956 Firebird II GM Concept vehicle.

1956 Chevrolet Promotional Film – (9 min) b&w
Titled “Thrill Driver’s Choice”, this film showcases how sturdy and well-built
the new 1956 Chevrolets are by using them as stunt vehicles!

1960 Chevrolet Promotional Film – (7 min) color
An excellent promotional film for the 1960 Chevrolet Corvair,
showcasing power, maneuverability, and crash worthiness.

1960 Chevrolet Promotional Film – (3 min) color
A second promotional film for the 1960 Corvair, showing how rugged the little
Chevy is by taking it up Pike’s Peak for the Mobil Gas Economy Run.

1961 General Motors Promotional Film – (11 min) color
Titled “A Touch Of Magic”, this color film is one of the typical over-produced “dream theme” type GM films of
this era, complete with dancers, pantomime, etc. Eventually, we see some of the new 1961 GM models, but
then we’re quickly whisked away in the final two minutes of the film to a dream kitchen, complete with
Frigidaire Appliances, GM’s appliance division at the time. Shown in widescreen format.