One thing we once again have in common with our forebears is that just as they did decades ago, we watch advertisements in darkened theaters before settling in for a feature. Of course, in the 30s and 40s it was just a wee bit different, seeing as there was no television with which to reach the masses. While we now endure rehashed TV spots before the latest blockbuster, our parents and grandparents routinely saw promotional films specifically produced for movie houses.

This one, a 1939 film touting the 1940 Chevrolet, strikes us as being particularly great right from the title card, which boasts of the Technicolor production, through the film itself, which captures a smiling nuclear family (and family dog, Rex) on a trip to grandma's. This is when men wore ties because that's simply what was done. The announcer's cadence is typical of the era, and when he mentions the "perfected knee-action riding system" we can't help but crack a smile.

Sit back, relax a moment, and click the video to fly back to a time when the year 2007 was a little more than a flight of fancy in people's minds. Happy New Year, everybody.

[Source: YouTube]