Our journey through space travel science fiction has our coordinates locked onto the 1950's The most Ultra of the Ultra-Swank decades. Receding in our aft view screen is the pulp pre-war period of the 1930's and 1940's - the times of cowboys in space. They rode rockets instead of horses and blasted bad guys with ray guns instead of six-shooters.

Our mid-century destination is where the science in science-fiction takes over the controls! We land squarely in the realm of motion pictures- mostly black and white and often projected on the mosquito obscured screens of drive-in theaters. The plots may still be thin, the dialog contrived and the budgets no bigger than a plutonium neutrino but it's all arc-welded together by the blazing brilliance of the the god in the white lab coat- The Scientist! This is the height of the Cold War and the near vertical climb of American consumerism. Any moment science will end all life on the planet- but in the meantime let's get that new Hydramatic Futurific Buick with the built-in color TV dishwasher!

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Need a compilation of some catchy tunes? Well, you've come to the right diner! I was hungry for more lounge music and found "Music for TV Dinners: The Sixties." For those that don't know many lounge artists, this is a great compilation with a tasty mix of library music. The album includes artists such as Syd Dale, Laurie Johnson, and of course the great Alan Hawkshaw. I never got full from listening to my favorite songs, Beauty Parade and Chase That Car.

Warning: The TV Dinner will be hot, but a swell meal! Click here to taste a sample of "Music for TV Dinners: The Sixties". Have a story of TV dinners or shopping malls as a kid? Share them in the comments!

Twiggy, born Lesley Hornby, is without a doubt one of the biggest fashion icons to emerge from the 1960's. Her thin frame and big blue eyes became the envy of fashionistas everywhere. The look of drawn on lashes (anything to make the eyes look bigger) and pale lips became a Twiggy staple as girls copied her look to fit in with Swinging London and everything Mod. The geometric patterns and straight cuts of fabric in 60's fashion fit the Twiggy's frame as clothes did in the sketches fashion designers put down on paper--making her the perfect model. In a way, Twiggy and her "twig-like legs" (as you'll see in the video above) brought designs to life in a way other models hadn't done before.

Twiggy took her style around the world, landing numerous jobs in Europe, the US and Asia. Her success also came with numerous awards including being named "The Face of 1966," "Woman of the Year," and a variety of Vogue covers. While the 90's ushered in the era of the supermodel, including fellow Brit Kate Moss, I think it's safe to say Twiggy revolutionized the British modeling and fashion scene and inspired girls across the globe to cut their hair short and challenge their own sense of style.

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As the technological miracles of the 20th Century exploded- so did our imaginations. Where would all this science take us? Up, out and beyond our normal mundane lives to New Worlds where anything was possible! The vast and limitless horizon of outer space!

In a time before television and jet airplanes the technical label of astronaut had not been invented. The men and women that plied the sea-lanes of the cosmos were “Spacemen!”. Dashing pioneers and adventurers cut in the dime store novel image. Countless books, magazines and comics sang the futuristic folk-tales. Illustrations were as lush and lurid as a twelve year-olds fevered fantasies. It was a Universe filled with monsters clutching space maidens while square jawed heroes blasted away with ray-guns.

As long as you had your secret decoder ring and a spare summer afternoon any kid could strap in and hurtle to the Ice Palaces of Pluto, save the Earth from invasion and be home in time for supper.

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The opening begins with an ominous scene. In succession, skiers descend a snowy mountainside under moonlight in what surely represents the director’s vision of the Archangel Lucifer descending into hell. Then the credits announce “Starring Frankie Avalon” as Avalon sings the theme song. Thus begins another entry in American International Pictures’ series of Beach movies.

The film proper leads off with an unbilled Annette Funicello teaching a sex education class. She explains in vain that one can “have fun without sex”. Todd (Frankie Avalon) and Craig (Dwayne Hickman) are two of Annette’s college students, pursuing their carnal desires without success. Todd wants Linda (Deborah Walley) and Craig wants Barbara (Yvonne Craig). Meanwhile, Linda, Barbara, and the rest of the female student body are swarming around Big Man on Campus, Freddie (Aron Kincaid). Todd and Craig discover that the ladies are following Freddie on a ski trip during school break, and the two Casanova wannabes make a plan to score.

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