Great Old Amusement
Parks (Documentary/Special
Interest)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C Main Program: B
Amusement Parks are still around, though the newer ones
are often much more commercial and are even part of limited chains. The great thing about Great Old Amusement
Parks (1999) is that it focuses on the early successes that still survive
and what is fun about the one-of-a-kind places offer. This includes rollercoasters, as well as other traditional rides
we do not see produced (or reproduced) anymore. Carousels and Ferris Wheels (much more likely to still be
produced) are a famous example, while more specific types of rides so quaint
are too numerous to go into here.
The places covered include Idlewild Park in Ligonier,
Pennsylvania and nearby Storybook Forest starts the show, then Cedar Point in
Sandusky, Ohio (the second-oldest park in the U.S.), Coney Island’s scattered
rides (though their three famous parks from the beginning of the 20th
Century are gone), Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Lake Compounce in Bristol,
Connecticut, Kennywood Park near Pittsburgh, Playland in Rye, New York, Oaks
Park in Portland, Oregon, San Diego, California’s Giant Dipper, The Cannonball
Coaster in Roseville, Georgia, Whalan Park in Central Massachusetts, Holiday
World of Indiana, Lakeside in Colorado, and Lakemont Park in Altoona, PA are
all covered here and very well. That is
a huge number of terrific places to cover in an hour show, but nothing is
rushed or skipped over, which is amazing.
The Sebak/WQED crew have become masters at putting these shows together,
so the impact is exceptional, especially considering this is from TV. These days, TV is sloppy in its editing
alone, but many could stand to learn on that level alone form these shows.
Once again, Sebak and company get past the plasticity of
the commercialism and get to the fun and the people, in one of their
increasingly frequent (and not frequent enough) national shows. Well, you can only make a few shows at a
time, but no other public television station (or any network for that matter)
seems to be coming up with such great entertainment like this so consistently
and with such a personal touch. The
interviews are always a highlight and the scenery like a time travel trip. This is worth going out of your way for.
The 1.33 X 1 image is nice and clean for its age and the
transfer is up to the high standards of this entire DVD series. The same goes for the Dolby Digital 2.0
Stereo, which does not have any surrounds, but tends to be some of the best
such TV Dolby we get. Extras include
the usual fun previews for other national shows and Sebak’s now-legendary
Pittsburgh Series, plus three pieces from those other shows on West View Park
(near Pittsburgh), Olympia Park/Rainbow Gardens in McKeesport, Pennsylvania and
more on Kennywood Park. This time, the
later is over footage from the 1941 WABCO (Westinghouse Air Brake Company)
picnic. As a companion to the great Kennywood
Memories (reviewed elsewhere on this site) and all Roller Coaster shows
alone, Great Old Amusement Parks is another winner.
- Nicholas Sheffo
