the classic and stylish station wagon

I feel station wagons have fallen decidedly out of fashion in past five to ten years. Station wagons seem to get shunned by society. They are turned away as drab, unexciting implements that have long been obsolete. They were first replaced by minivans, then sport utility vehicles and more recently crossovers.  For the new models that closely resemble the classic station wagon the automakers create new terminology, such as sport utility and crossover, anything so long as they evade the stigma of the station wagon.

It seems the station wagon is the relic of another time; maybe a better time.  It’s a shame station wagons are not more fully embraced today, because in their hay day they were truly something special and important to the American family, and yes, even exciting.  Since they were largely a product of the ‘50s and ‘60s, the glory days of the American automobile, they were highly stylish.

1950 Buick Estate Woody

1967 Pontiac

It was a time when bigger was clearly better--making low, wide and long the current vogue in auto design. The station wagon was in excellent taste. Its three rows a seating and cargo space gave purpose to the long sweeping lines so in style.   As kid, my grandpa still drove an old station wagon and that last bench facing rearward was always the best part of riding with him.

1957 Oldsmobile 88 wagon

1960 Buick LeSabre Estate Wagon

Another ‘50s element that added to the beauty of American station wagons was the unrestricted, open-air feel that was so important to create a pleasant driving experience for car owns.  This meant big wraparound windows, razor thin pillars, deleted pillars (hardtops) and vista windows in the roof all used to create an open glasshouse canopy.  American families wanted to be able to pile into the family car for a road trip and have a great view of all they passed.  Families were crisscrossing the nation in rolling works of art.

Then in the ‘60s it was a time of unrestricted high performance.  Cars were offered with huge lists of engine options running from the mundane economy engines to the probably-shouldn’t-be-street-legal, don’t-tell-my-insurance-agent engines.  So, there were the high performance station wagons.  Chevy Nomads (extra-stylish two-door station wagons) were given the now legendary Chevy small-block V-8.

1957 Chevy Nomad

The Oldsmobile 4-4-2 station wagon was probably the greatest and most outrageous of the high performance wagons. It was offered with the vista roof and the Hurst hi-po package which included: 455 cubic inch big-block V8, fiberglass ram air hood, heavy duty suspension, disc brakes, duel mode tailgate (swings down and swings sideways) and power everything.

The Burns and Allen Show

"If I say the right thing, please excuse me." Gracie Allen

Being a fan of old things I love classic television, and one of my favorites is The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show starring the greatest husband and wife comedy team. Burns played straight man to Allen’s dizzy dame. They started in vaudeville, became hits; moved to radio, became hits there; and then moved to television to become hits all over again.

George playing straight to Grace's "illogical logic."


The Burns and Allen Show has lots of appeal for modern television audiences. It was quite advanced for its day and it remains freshly unique from modern television trends. George’s character had the power to walk through the fourth wall to directly converse with and comment to the “live” audience. For fans of The Office this will feel similar to Jim Halpert’s sly smirks and stares, but it works out very differently.

In the Burns and Allen Show it allows George to step out of scene to monologue (with impeccable timing famously punctuated by his cigar) and occasionally manipulate plot towards a more entertaining ends.

The show’s unique stage set aids George’s comical flaunting of the fourth wall. It consists of two homes with partially-built walls (including front doors) facing the audience—unlike other shows which have no fourth wall and the ends of the joining walls are hidden to disguise the wall’s absence. George could walk through the walls to eavesdrop on Gracie’s scheming, keeping him ahead of his co-characters’ actions (although not always).

Gracie brings home a trimmed Christmas tree

But the most drawing feature of the Burns and Allen Show is Gracie’s lovably confused character with her loopy conversations and silly schemes. George Burns once described her character as “the American poster child of confusion and misunderstanding.” The real genius of the character is that, for Gracie, it is never really Gracie who is confused but those around her, and it is up to her to patiently set them straight. To do that she uses her unique brand of “illogical logic”--the things she says always have the strictest appearance of being logical.

"I was so surprised at being born that I didn't speak for a year and a half." Gracie Allen

Gracie’s character is very charming, loving and sweet. Her mix-ups frequently involve her earnest attempts to help her friends, and nearly everyone is a friend. Unlike Lucy Ricardo in I Love Lucy, Gracie is rarely driven by selfish and self-serving motives.

Those closest to her learn to wade through the misunderstandings and George encourages it (after all, this is how he makes his living as a comedian). Strangers become confused beyond natural sense often leaving their hats while fleeing Gracie’s presence. She then thoughtfully stores the forgotten hats after labeling them with names and personal descriptions (one of my favorite running gags of the show). George keeps a bottle of aspirin on the coffee table, for guests. When someone attempts to ask George why he stays with such a … he cuts them short, answering: “I happen to love her, that’s why.”


The show’s a blast of old-time charm, spiraling dialogue, innovative formatting, clever narration, and ambiguous boundaries that could only be made in the earliest days of television. In those early days television was new and the rules were not yet made.

Much like in early film and Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane, when rules and trends are unmade or unknown it allows creative talent to use fresh ideas and styles that are independent from the influence of previous trends and practices.  The result is an exciting and lasting originality.

A few samples:

Gracie's Checking Account- This is a very funny episode early in the series. It runs 30 minutes.
Lamb Chops- This is an eight minute film of one of their vaudeville routines. 


*Orson Welles had complete creative control and a very limited understanding of film-making when he made Citizen Kane, his first film. He had a strong theater and radio background.