In this Cold War-era educational film, a working-class American family can’t afford a turkey, but have a happy Thanksgiving anyway. Filmed in 1951 in Lawrence, Kansas, by the Centron Corporation, the film’s patriotic message focuses on American values like education, political freedom, and freedom of speech. But the central theme—how material things are not needed for happiness—stands in contrast to the strident consumerism that had the American economy thrumming in the 1950s, and certainly seems innocent in contrast to today’s Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S., where Black Friday deals take center stage.
