Classic Bowling History, Learn how it was the American Pastime.

The History and Evolution of Modern Bowling on DVD

An original production published by The Classic Archives!

This DVD runs about an hour and has a fully interactive menu.  A list of films is as follows:

It's All in Knowing How (1954)

A teenage boy discovers how good nutrition (i.e. milk products) improves his habits, social life and bowling score.  Sponsored by the National Dairy Council, the focus of this film is achieving proper nutrition with Dairy Products and its positive effects on the rest of your life.
 

Sound, Color, 12:23

This film aims to explore the Culture and practice of bowling in 1950s America.  Ah, remember when bowling was like the high classy thing one could do in the 1950's? When men bowled in ties and women wore furs when they went to the bowling alley? Well, you can relive those moments in the delirious 'Let's Go Bowling', a film which puts bowling on the same level as, say, church going, as being the requirement of any 1950's respectable person, but remember! Only in 'approved' locations. These approved locations always have instructors who get a LITTLE too close when teaching you how to bowl, and who have their names engraved on their (bowling) balls. Oh, and this is large pin bowling. The topic of small pin bowling, with smaller balls and pins, is briefly covered here. But you'll be a wimp if you play that because a) you'll never get a strike and b) you'll be bowling by yourself as they'll be no one else around. A bowling lesson bookmarked by bizarre observations of bowling culture, this is a recommended romp trip through the sport. 

Sound, B&W, 27:56

Shows how Bowling was made respectable and appealing to middle-class Americans through modernization and "Populuxe" design.  This film was part of the drive by automatic pin-setting equipment manufacturers in the fifties to change bowling's image from beer and blue-collar to cookies and family togetherness. It tells us that convenience, comfort and style are "the ultimate desires of today, tomorrow, and the years ahead of us," and can be found, specifically, in Brunswick Bowling Centers. Even more specifically, in the Brunswick Bowling Centers depicted in this beautifully styled and photographed production, where everything is spotless, freshly waxed, and has pin-spot lighting.

Sound, Color, 14:32

DVD Menu Sampler: