America's Crises; Old Age Part 1: The Wasted Years

Item Information

Title:
America's Crises; Old Age Part 1: The Wasted Years
Description:
In this, the first of two programs dealing with the problems of the aged, two of the faces of old age are explored the worker who has retired and the worker who loses his job and finds it hard to get another because of his advancing years. This program, a picture study of old age in America today, reports from coast to coast, documenting the plight of the aged. There are interviews with both senior citizens and government and social workers who bring answers to the challenge posed by this ever-increasing segment of society. Norman Sprague, director of the employment and retirement program of the National Council of the Aging, defines the changing concept of the word aging and what it means to the more than 18 million Americans already past 65. Cameras are with a worker in his 50s at an employment interview, reporting on the difficulties many Americans in their middle years experience in finding new careers. The program reports also from a post office in Maryland where U.S. Representative Clarence D. Long of Marylands Second Congressional District talks with citizens who claim they are being denied employment because of their age. (Congressman Long has introduced legislation that would establish a bureau of older workers within the Labor Department.) From New York City, Professor Robert Theobold, an economist, Frederick Pohl, a science fiction writer, and Eugene Leonard, a computer specialist, take a hard look into the future, picturing the aged as the first victims of galloping obsolescence. For many Americans, reaching retirement age is the first step on the road to the poorhouse. The program points out the Labor Department defines adequate income for a single person as $1,800 a year, yet 7.5 million retired Americans do not have adequate income. From San Francisco, the program shows a quarrel between a retired pensioner and practical nurse. The program reports from across the country on the substandard housing conditions under which most retired Americans are forced to live and there is a vivid contrast with those few wealthy aged who can live in luxury retirement. There are impressive scenes from retirement villages and from the posh high-rise apartment building, Channing House, in Palo Alto outside San Francisco where residents pay from $12,000 to $36,000 to purchase an apartment, plus monthly charge for maintenance of about $195. Channing House residents enjoy cocktail hours, meals, and the assurance of a doctor on the premises. There are interviews with Channing House President Dr. Russel V. Lee and a resident, R.L. Duffus, an author and formerly on the editorial staff of The New York Times. Dr. Michael Dasco of the Goldwater Memorial Hospital, New York City, a well-known specialist in geriatric rehabilitation, takes exception to the Channing House concept of sequestering the aged. From the little house near San Francisco there are scenes of senior citizens actively engaged in learning new languages and skills and discussing current events. From other areas around the country there are reports of senior citizens becoming involved with the mainstream of society. Cameras are with a retired schoolteacher who works for Vista, the Democratic Peace Corps, as she makes her rounds in the Appalachia region of Kentucky teaching illiterate adults how to read; and with a retired Newark, N.J., contractor as he gives advice on a city-improvement project. But the program comments that much of the work being done by Americas elderly citizens is on a volunteer basis and asks, Why should old people be the only ones in our society expected to work for nothing? The program concludes by pointing out recent attempts in various parts of the country by angry and frustrated senior citizens to organize into action groups to affect legislation and political decisions regarding them. From Los Angeles there is a look at a convention of senior citizens, one of the many groups springing up throughout the country. In this, the first of two programs dealing with the problems of the aged, two of the faces of old age are explored - the worker who has retired and the worker who loses his job and finds it hard to get another because of his advancing years. This program, a picture study of old age in America today, reports from coast to coast documenting the plight of the aged. There are interviews with both senior citizens and government and social workers who bring answers to the challenge posed by this ever-increasing segment of society. Norman Sprague, director of the employment and retirement program of the National Council of the Aging, defines the changing concept of the word "aging" and what it means to the more than 18 million Americans already past 65. Cameras are with a worker in his 50's at an employment interview, reporting on the difficulties many Americans in their middle years' experience in finding new careers. The program reports also from a post office in Maryland where U.S. Representative Clarence D. Long of Maryland's Second Congressional District talks with citizens who claim they are being denied employment because of their age. (Congressman Long has introduced legislation that would establish a bureau of older workers within the Labor Department.) From New York City, Professor Robert Theobold, an economist, Frederick Pohl, a science fiction writer, and Eugene Leonard, a computer specialist, take a hard look into the future, picturing the aged as the first victims of galloping obsolescence. For many Americans, reaching retirement age is the first step on the road to the poorhouse. The program points out the Labor Department defines adequate income for a single person as $1,800 a year, yet 7.5 million retired Americans do not have adequate income. From San Francisco, the program shows a quarrel between a retired pensioner and practical nurse. The program reports from across the country on the substandard housing conditions under which most retired Americans are forced to live and there is a vivid contrast with those few wealthy aged who can live in luxury retirement. There are impressive scenes from retirement villages and from the posh high-rise apartment building, Channing House, in Palo Alto outside San Francisco where residents pay from $12,000 to $36,000 to purchase an apartment, plus monthly charge for maintenance of about $195. Channing House residents enjoy cocktail hours, meals, and the assurance of a doctor on the premises. There are interviews with Channing House President Dr. Russel V. Lee and a resident, R.L. Duffus, an author and formerly on the editorial staff of The New York Times. Dr. Michael Dasco of the Goldwater Memorial Hospital, New York City, a well-known specialist in geriatric rehabilitation, takes exception to the Channing House concept of sequestering the aged. From the little house near San Francisco there are scenes of senior citizens actively engaged in learning new languages and skills and discussing current events. From other areas around the country there are reports of senior citizens becoming involved with the mainstream of society. Cameras are with a retired schoolteacher who works for Vista, the Democratic Peace Corps, as she makes her rounds in the Appalachia region of Kentucky teaching illiterate adults how to read; and with a retired Newark, N.J., contractor as he gives advice on a city-improvement project. But the program comments that much of the work being done by America's elderly citizens is on a volunteer basis and asks, "Why should old people be the only ones in our society expected to work for nothing?" The program concludes by pointing out recent attempts in various parts of the country by angry and frustrated senior citizens to organize into action groups to affect legislation and political decisions regarding them. From Los Angeles there is a look at a convention of senior citizens, one of the many groups springing up throughout the country. America's Crises: Old Age Part 1: The Wasted Years is a National Educational Television production. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche) America's Crises is a documentary series exploring sociological topics such as parenting, education, religion, public health, and poverty in American culture and the experiences of different people in American society. The series consists of 19 hour-long episodes.
Director:
Leacock, Richard
Director:
Cox, Nell
Production company:
National Educational Television and Radio Center
Producer:
Yudkoff, Alvin
Author:
Yudkoff, Alvin
Interviewee:
Lee, Russell V.
Interviewee:
Dasco, Michael
Interviewee:
Leonard, Eugene
Interviewee:
Theobold, Robert
Interviewee:
Pohl, Frederick
Interviewee:
Duffus, R. L.
Narrator:
Duncan, Herb
Creator:
Leacock Pennebaker Inc
Researcher:
Cohn, Ellen
Date:
1965
Format:
Film/Video
Genre:
Documentary
Location:
Indiana University Libraries Moving Image Archive
Collection (local):
American Archive of Public Broadcasting Collection
Series:
Indiana University Libraries Moving Image Archive > America's Crises
Subjects:
Social Issues
Extent:
00:59:17
Link to Item:
https://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-75-81wdc120
Terms of Use:
Rights status not evaluated.
Contact host institution for more information.
Notes:
Episode Number: 13