THIS IS ROLLER SKATING

[Music] this is fun this too is fun but there are two hard facts about these kinds of pleasure you need the money for it and you need the weather for it if you've got that you've got fun here's another kind of fun fun for the youngster taking his first uncertain strides on roller skates Fun For The Not So Young skating with a measured care that speaks their years and fun for all the millions of people in [Music] between roller skating is for everybody you don't need a big pocketbook or Eternal Springtime that's the beauty of [Music] it it all began about 100 years ago 1863 to be exact when a mechanical genius named James Leonard Plimpton of Massachusetts invented the first modern roller skate crude things whose only virtue was that they were round round enough to circle the world it caught on in New York Paris London and while the styles of yester year weren't meant for free skating the boys and girls man to enjoy themselves young people have a talent for pleasure but time is a way of making grandmothers and grandads of all youngsters and so the skates of plimpton's era gave way to the modern streamlined Affair of today and here to give you a capsule comment on that evolution is one of the industry's leaders Joseph F Shevon vice president of the Chicago roller skap company the most dramatic proof of the growth and development of the sport of roller skating is seen in a close examination of this modern streamlined Precision skate compare this beautiful Precision engineered skate with the relics of olden days here is a pair of Chicago custom gold medalist skates it's no wonder that the advance in the design of roller skates has made roller roller skating a top sport as well as a delightful Pastime the sport of roller skating today is just as beautiful as these Precision skates wherever there are people there is roller skating in The Valleys of New York skyscrapers people skate glamorous Radio City in mid Manhattan serves as a lovely backdrop for these skaters and the Not So Glamorous backdrop of the city street serves equally well for these youngsters this particular speed skating meet is sponsored by the New York Journal American one of the country's largest daily newspapers Civic groups everywhere recognize the wholesome values in roller skating the history of cooperation between the rink operators and various local groups form one of the brightest spots in the story of roller skating Girl Scouts have fun Boy Scouts have fun and church groups too all have found the roller rink an ideal place to get the youngster together and mix liberal doses of Education with some good clean fun and always the rink operator is about to welcome the group and lend a helping hand in administering in the program and making his rink a comfortable proper source of community activity from the community level we star to the National level high above the banks of the Hudson River to West Point where America's future are shaped and it's a tough rigorous life these Cadets lead lots of close order drill and lots of marching but it isn't all drill drill drill for the young men will one day take charge of our country's defenses h 2 three 4 h 2 three 4 they take time out for some fun too and the number one fun item on the cadetes is roller skating in their spacious recreation hall girls help a little too and while some of the young men might be more at home on the firing line or Computing the angle of an artillery shell they get their share of kicks Wheeling around the hall and who knows but some of the conversation might lead to a stroll along West Point's Fame flirtation walk and a budding romance it has happened you know now to The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and rules the land mother take a little time out from your household chores mom bring the little ones with you they'll be an excellent hands while you try to win back the figure that once had the old man whistling it's fun for the whole family and these young ones putting on their skates belong to Gil McDougall star shortstop of the New York Yankees Mrs McDougall knows that playing Big League Baseball has its tensions and excitement she also knows that a good way to relax those tensions is on the roller rink floor [Applause] and pleasant-faced Gil like all wise husbands agrees with the [Music] misses you can skate to all kinds of tempo there's the Serene walls it seems that the dance was invented just for roller skates it fits so well or maybe the Latin American rhythms are your particular cup of tea well then 1 2 3 [Music] kick this one's not ready for dancing yet but it won't be long before she'll be part of a more ambitious young group getting their skating legs on The Good Ship Lollipop of course it's a far cry from these Candyland kids to the Precision chorus delighting the many thousands at Madison Square Garden but every fine Talent must have a beginning and all the great skaters begin with unsteady legs on some local roller skate rink [Music] amateur theatricals are a big thing in the local ranks country square dance with choreography by some native emerio won't threaten the ranking of the valley Roose but it does make for some good fun swing your partner hidey-ho twice around and away we go couple dancing is one of the big favorites and they know these youngsters that the more they skate the better they'll dance [Music] living proof of the maxim is Betty LEL the number one lady of the roller skating World Betty LEL whose complicated routines of thrilled crowds the world over always finds time to do a few practice spins in the local rink on her cross country tours and puts on a pretty good show in the process [Music] [Applause] [Music] this is Madison Square Garden in New York City the world's number one entertainment [Music] center a capacity crowd of almost 20,000 is on hand to watch the skating vanities gorgeous costumes brilliant lighting Big Time production and the world's best roller skaters combined to give the big city an entertainment thrill it's still remembered [Music] one of the biggest moments was the Precision dancing of these wooden soldiers who would do credit to the famous Rockets of Radio [Music] City here is couple skating at its best two people moving like one in the smooth flowing pattern that just oozes with with [Music] Grace that's hard to [Music] beat now a male solo the jumps and turns and roller skating are more difficult and complicated than those performed by ice skaters the roller skate allows the performer to do quicker and effort turns and greatly increases his repertoire of Pricks every Musical review has its comic relief and roller skating is no exception the reparte is purely visual [Music] however now the evening's highlight the Prima ballerina let's enjoy it [Music] together lovely lovely the send biggest event of the roller skating year is the choosing of the annual roller skating Queen the site is one of Florida's leading hotels and the time is in late Autumn here the finalist chosen from thousands of girls who competed in local and state competitions buy for the title of Queen the girls are chosen on the basic of beauty Poise and character from little towns and big cities the country over the nation's loveliest go on Parade every contestant must show an ability to speak it reflects her Poise the screening process is a vigorous one while they all look like winners the judges have to pick the fairest of the fair there she is the lucky the happy girl who's taken her first big step forward to fame and recognition she's pretty isn't she and for her loveliness there's a sports car a trip to New York radio and television interviews and possibly a Hollywood screen test truly a shortcut to stardom one of the happiest functions of a skate Queen is to preside over the float that marches in the mammoth Macy Parade on Thanksgiving Day in New York and it's with pardonable pride we mentioned that the roller skate quote was the big hit of the parade the Queen's Entourage of skaters would go through their routines every several blocks and literally stop the parade at Central Park West down Broadway at Macy's everywhere the girls gave the crowds a good show as a matter of fact they did their job so well that the parade officials invited them back next year with one stipulation that they have two floats instead of one in the parade And So It Goes wherever people see roller skating they like it and whenever people themselves skate they enjoy it it's really that simple and to sanction what we've been saying here is Dr Shane McCarthy of Washington director of president Eisenhower's Council on youth Fitness Dr McCarthy we are convinced that on the American scene one of the most potent ways of attaining Fitness is by well administered wholesome healthy Sports and what fits into this category better than Roller Skating here is something that can be done by boys and by Girls by Young And by old by parents and also by their children by teachers and by pupils in summer in Winter around the home in the school and we hope with safe Pathways between home and school this sport is inexpensive this sport is healthy this sport benefits the entire system and therefore in the attainment of fitness goals we are hopeful that it will become very popular go to it and God bless you he was talking about roller skating a sport enjoyed by more than 18 million people in the United States and linked from the East to the west by a network of over 5,000 roller skating rinks representing an investment of more than $500 million that's big real big but not so big that it forgets the youngsters trying on his first pair of skates not so big that it ever forgets the Personal Touch the rink is a place where you meet people and you make friends it is by nature and by design a part of the community life it is good clean fun all year round and it's inexpensive It's Entertainment it's relaxation it's for the family and for the community so be a good skate have fun [Music]