MovieChat Forums > The Outsiders (1983) Discussion > Anachronism?? Was Color TV really so co...

Anachronism?? Was Color TV really so common in 1966?

posted 11 years ago by BethelAbba
25 replies | jump to latest

I was born in 1964. Our first Color TV was in 1972. Before that, all we had was Black & White. (I actually watched Neil Armstrong landing on the moon in Black & White, I was 5 at the time and I do remember it.)

That said --- the greasers are watching Mickey Mouse in color at Ponyboy & Sodapop's house. Wouldn't this be an error? In 1966 a Color TV would have been quite expensive... and with their parents being dead... I'm just saying it doesn't add up.

anyone else's thoughts here?

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[–] RockytheBear 11 years ago

Maybe their parents got it before they died, maybe the Curtis Boys inherited some life insurance money, or maybe you were just poorer than a greaser when you were a kid.

[–] Bob_Zerunkel 11 years ago

I was born in 1956. I saw my first color TV when I was about 8. My sister was collecting money on her paper route. One guy was watching a game show. I got to see about 2 minutes of color TV.

My friend's family had two TV sets in their front room. One had the picture. One had sound. I watched the Miracle Mets in the 1969 World Series on those TVs. Yes, we were poor.

[–] TimBur77 11 years ago

That's why they were poor. They spent all their money buying a color tv!

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[–] Strazdamonas 11 years ago

Color TVs were around back then, its just that most of television programmes themselves were black and while due to it being much cheaper to produce, so most of what people saw was still in black and white.

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[–] Zuider_Zee 10 years ago

I figured they stole it.

[–] loughsprng 10 years ago

Is this really so hard to comprehend? The boys are living in their parent's house - therefore the television had belonged to Mr.and Mrs. Curtis. It isn't possible that a blue collar working class family could have owned a color TV in 1966?

My parents owned a Zenith color television by 1968 and we were hardly well heeled.

[–] trainer1158 10 years ago

I'm watching the movie now and I had the same thought. We were a solidly upper middle class family and we didn't get a color TV until around 1970. In 1968, only 25% of homes had a color set. I doubt Ponyboy's family was one of them.

[–] loughsprng 10 years ago

Perhaps it wasn't all that likely, but my own experience growing up tells me it was possible. We weren't a wealthy family by any means, but my parents managed to get us a color television by 68.

It probably would have been more realistic to show them watching a black and white TV, but then again I really don't think it's all that important one way or the other. Now that the Curtis parents are dead the three brothers are obviously struggling to make it in a society that shuns them because they're poor greasers.

[–] kurt7825 9 years ago

they probably stole it

[–] kolnoaMograbi 9 years ago

Agree. We got ours in 1967, and we were a comfortable suburban family. Also: was Highlights magazine sold at newsstands? It was on sale at the convenience store Dally held up. I recall it being subscription only.

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