• _28 Friday, February 6, 1981 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS WZO Sponsors Bible Contest Danny Raskin's By FATHER TIME Guest Columnist Do you remember the 1950s? Maybe it conjures up memories of dancing cheek-to-cheek at the Won- der Bar or Statler Terrace Room, still getting over the jitters of World War H. The H-bomb was tested in the Marshall Islands of the Pacific, obliterating an entire island in a mushroom cloud of radioactive dust. Even as we danced, dooms- day predictions grew louder. Some said civiliza- tion would end. But even in the shadow of that mushroom cloud and the tapering off of the war in Korea, life trudged on. Americans began closing their bomb shelters and set- ting up barbeque pits. And many cheered the 1952 elec- tion of Dwight Eisenhower who promised peace and prosperity. People settled down in front of their TV .sets to watch "Gunsmoke" in which violence was more tolerable than the fear of war. Detroit area couples took dance lessons to the popular beat of the Cha Cha, the Mambo and other Latin favorites. They had a chance to practice at places like Elmwood Casino, the Book Casino, the Gold Cup Room and Frank Gagen's. James Dean was the idol of teen-age boys and the dream of teen-age girls. "Rebel Without a Cause" was a classic of non- conformity. And when Dean, the star of that movie, was killed in a 1955 car ac- cident, his spirit became the focal point of teen-age rebel- lion. Do you remember when the gold-plated world of TV quiz shows came crashing down after it was learned that contestants on "Twenty-One were primed with answers until their popularity began to wane? At the Democratic Con- vention in 1952, Gov. Adlai Stevenson of Illinois was a dark-horse candidate for president and was consid- ered an "egghead." Marilyn Monroe was the sex symbol of the de- cade. And moviegoers gawked through Polaroid glasses at 3-D flicks. Critics agreed the scripts were awful but the public loved the opti- cal illusion of beasts and roller-coasters which seemed to leap right out of the screen. TV was generating fads like the cult of Davy Croc- kett for the younger view- ers. And kids were spinning $1.98 plastic rings called Hula-Hoops. The basic black dress with pearls was still the uniform of Detroit area women who dined in now bygone restaurants like Ted Lipsitz, Cliff Bell's, the Motor Bar in the Book Cadillac Hotel and Beauchamps. The poodle cut was a popular hairdo in the '50s. Men were thinking and wearing pink from their shirts to ties and even hat- bands. Executives wore Bermuda shorts to the office and they sported stringy Colonial ties. Kids were into slang words and everything was "cool," "real gone," the most," "way out," "far out," "the end," and "groovy." The Beat Gen- eration was in and par- ents and all "squares" over 30 were definitely out. The "outs" of Detroit were still dancing at the Bowery, Club Gay Haven, North- wood Inn and Club Alamo. But TV provided super entertainment like the Kefauver Senate Crime Hearings which kept the "squares" glued to their easy chairs. The heavy in the hearings was Frank Costello, the re- puted elder statesman of or- ganized crime, who refused to testify on the grounds it might tend to incriminate him. In the summer of 1952, the Republican and Demo- cratic presidential conven- tions, in Chicago for the first time, brought the hoopla of the delegates live to fascinated TV watchers. And who can forget the 1954 hearings in which Sen. Joseph McCarthy was hunt- ing for Communists behind and in front of every movie camera. Babysitters charged 75 cents an hour but Mom and Pop managed to enjoy an evening out at places like the Latin Quarter, Club Royale, Danny's Gin Mill, Club Bali, Red Kemps and Sak's Show Bar. But with the new subur- ban lifestyle, the production of hot dogs, potato chips, gin, vodka, aspirin, campers and outboard motors soared. More power mow- ers, floor polishers and automatic washing machines were sold to do- it-yourself suburbanites who couldn't afford expen- sive help. Suburbia's reason for being was good schools, community life and healthy surroundings — all adding up to more and more kids. Bonds President NEW YORK (JTA) — Yitzhak Rager has been elected president of the Is- rael Bond Organization by the board of directors. Rager has been serving as vice president since January 1980. NEW YORK — Some 25 countries are expected to participate in the Fifth In- ternational Bible Contest sponsored by the depart- ment of education and cul- ture of the World Zionist Organization. The contest, open to those 18 years of age and older, will be held in three stages: a regional contest, national competition in New York, and the finals, to be held in July in Jerusalem. HAVE YOUR CAKE AND STILL LOSE WEIGHT AT SNEAKY TREATS Diet Gourmet Shop 29275 Southfield Farrell Plaza 569-7546 HARVEY URNOVITZ'S HUNGARIAN VILLAGE SUNDAY ONLY p RID CEDARS Chef's Specials CHICKEN PAPRIKASH Or HUNGARIAN COMBO PLATE SECONDS FREE! '4" WED. THRU SAT. 4 to 7 p.m. 20% OFF ALL HUNGARIAN DINNERS TUES.-THURS. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. FRI. 11 a.m. to 12 mid. Closed SAT. 3 p.m. to 12 mid. Mon . SUN. 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Served Mon. thru Sat. Nights %as)a).- 00sy NEW YORK STEAK ON A SIZZLING PLATTER or BROILED FLORIDA RED SNAPPER COMPLETE DINNER INCLUDES: SOUP, SALAD, VEGETABLE OR POTATO 40 OTHER ENTREE ITEMS ALSO AVAILABLE ETHNIC FOODS — STEAKS — SEAFOOD & His Gypsy JAY KALLAO Orchestra Reservations: 843-5611 1-15 (Fisher) at SPRINGWELLS EXIT All Credit Cards Live Entertainment & Dancing Monday thru Saturday 23055 TELEGRAPH AT 9 MILE RD. 353-5170 *ow etroit Plaza Hotel offers you traditional kosher facilities for your next event. Whether it's a wedding, bar mitzvah, reception, luncheon or dinner. Any group, any size. And we'll handle your event smoothly and efficiently. Because our expe- rienced staff knows 'exactly how to make your party a success. Down to the last detail. You'll have a professional catering manager to coordinate all the arrange- ments, so you don't have to. Impeccable service. And some of the most deli- cious food around. Plus, when you attend a catered event, you're eligible for our special catering "Sleep-over" rate—just $49.00 per night, double or single occupancy. So the next time you're having an event, call our Kosher catering expert, Eugen Waite', Director of Catering, at 568-8400 and let him handle the details. KOSHER KITCHEN APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL OF ORTHODOX RABBIS. Detroit Plaza Hotel WESTERN INTERNATIONAC 04) as 113