Route 66: An American Odyssey; Route 66: The Mother Road

Stopping in at a local dive along Route 66, according to author Michael Wallis, you might find the ultimate feast, "that cheeseburger platter that takes you 12 napkins to get through." Although his culinary tastes might be questionable, Wallis is a noted authority on the subject of America's most famous interstate highways, and he figures prominently in two new documentaries. Route 66: The Mother Road, which Wallis hosts, is the longer and more informative of the pair. Interviewing such famous personages as Ted Drewes (of Ted Drewes Frozen Custard fame--one store, no franchises) and Pop Hicks, proprietor of the eponymous Pop Hicks' Cafe, Wallis weaves a charming tale of the "mother road," and the establishments that grew up along its 2,400 mile sinewy trail; places that catered to the "road warriors" who traversed the highway from its beginning in Chicago to its end in Santa Monica. An enjoyably nostalgic trip. Part of "The American Tradition" series, the other entries include: Life Along the Mississippi, The Pony Express, and The Oregon Trail. Recommended.Wallis also lends his wisdom to the voice-over soundtrack of Route 66: The Video Road Trip, along with singer/songwriter Bobby Troup ("Get My Kicks on Route 66") and Angel Delgadillo, founder of the Route 66 Association. Whereas the filming is perfunctory in Route 66: The Mother Road, with more attention paid to history and anecdote, Route 66: An American Odyssey is more of a visual ode to the highway, and a pretty cool one at that. Drawing on historical footage, the film artfully blends period clips into engaging montages which chronicle the rise of the automobile, the Great Depression (which spurred westward movement), the booming 1950s when mobile Americans hit the road, and the highway's decline after new freeways took the majority of Route 66's traffic away. Still, as the video points outs, there's been a resurgence of interest in the old highway, and many people are now re-traveling the fabled road they criss-crossed as kids in stationwagons many moons ago. A lovely film. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)