Amusement Parks: The Pursuit of Fun; Palisades Amusement Park: A Century of Fond Memories

Despite the hucksters, sexism, garishness, crowds, greasy food, and dizzying rides--or perhaps because of all that--most people love amusement parks and cherish their childhood memories of the carousels, hot dogs, and rollercoasters. Amusement Parks: The Pursuit of Fun presents a brief history of amusement parks, from the first ferris wheel and midway of the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago to the computer-programmed rides at the close of the 20th century, as well as more in-depth looks at five present-day amusement parks--Ohio's Cedar Point Park, Pennsylvania's Knoebels Groves and Kennywood Park, Virginia's Busch Gardens, and Florida's Universal Studios Theme Park. Organized around four key elements: thrill rides (mostly rollercoasters), midways, ways to cool off, and group experiences, the video's commentators (amusement trade publishers, historians, and park curators) provide entertaining, informative background, and the narration is crisp and clear. We learn, for instance, that although Ohio's Cedar Point Park is over a century old, it offers state-of-the-art rides today, including twelve rollercoasters, more than any other park. "Amusement parks are a fascinating mirror of the technologies and trends of our time," concludes the narrator, "and a link between past, present, and future." Highly recommended. Aud: P.Palisades Amusement Park: A Century of Fond Memories, on the other hand, offers a narrower history of one particular theme park, which opened in 1898 on the New Jersey Palisades over the Hudson River. Written by Vince Gariulo, the park's historian, this video is a loving tribute, with commentary from Gariulo and retired entertainers such as Soupy Sales, Buddy Hackett, Sonny Fox, Bill Britten ("Johnny Jellybean") and John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful. Originally shown as an hour-long documentary, this 90 minute version is too long and self-indulgent, but still contains fascinating material, such as a look at the renovations that owners Jack and Irving Rosenthal began in 1935: installing new rides, including Kiddyland for children, and specializing in big publicity stunts (such as a water-skiing elephant), while adding beauty contests such as the Mrs. America contest, Little Miss America for little girls, and the Diaper Derby race for infants. Viewers also get to hear Freddy Cannon bubble-gum the airwaves with his 1962 hit single, "Palisades Park." The film ends on the bittersweet note of the park's closing in 1971, calling it the "end of an era" (although amusement parks are very much alive and well, just not on expensive real estate near New York City). After the documentary ends, the video offers hysterical clips from old silent films and newsreels, including an astonishing beauty contest from the 1940s in which women wore masks over their eyes while air vents blew their skirts up and men ogled. A strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (M. Pendergrast)