The newly developed invention of television becomes the must-have product of modern times, although some of the overwrought commercials here for Camay soap and an electric Frigidaire stove seem to make similar claims. As Christian Dior throws the fashion industry a curve and architect Philip Johnson unveils the glass house, the Soviet Union's development of atomic weapons intensifies the Cold War and threatens civilization itself. This disc is part of a series that surveys a prosperous but often bewildering era, using archival news footage, film clips, and commercials to evoke familiar—or perhaps forgotten—memories of some of the century's most significant politicians, athletes, and celebrities. DVD extras include trivia, movie trailers, and performances.