Utah in the '50s: Cedar City & St. George

The rivalry between St. George and Cedar City is historic. To give each Southern Utah town a fair hand, KUED has produced shortened versions of the latest UTAH IN THE '50s installment, ST. GEORGE/CEDAR CITY WITH TED CAPENER, premiering this month on KUED-Channel 7.
The first episode, UTAH IN THE '50s: CEDAR CITY WITH TED CAPENER airs on KUED Friday, August 9, at 9:00 p.m.

This version, which features original content used in the ST. GEORGE/CEDAR CITY installment, remembers Cedar City's El Escalante Hotel, the town's most elegant establishment where thousands of tourists would stay while visiting the National Parks. Many young men and women from Cedar City and from all across Utah cared for those "Dudes" at Bryce, Zion, Cedar Breaks and the Grand Canyon.

The crown jewel of this cultural oasis was the Branch Agricultural College (BAC), which later became the College of Southern Utah. One of its energetic cheerleaders, the film shows, eventually became president of the college and then mayor of the city.

The film also revisits the Candy Kitchen, the Goodie Garden, and the high school gyms that were transformed into grand palaces for weekly socials and dances. With KUED Producer Elizabeth Searles' latest UTAH IN THE '50s installment, host Ted Capener takes viewers on a nostalgic journey featuring archival photographs, film and dozens of interviews with the Cedar City residents whose lives were shaped by this golden era.

The second episode is UTAH IN THE '50s: ST. GEORGE WITH TED CAPENER, airing on KUED Tuesday, August 13, at 7:00 p.m.

This version, which features original content used in the ST. GEORGE/CEDAR CITY installment, recalls how the only stop light in town didn't come until the middle of the decade. There were no golf courses. Children played barefoot in the red hills, and Dixie College was the center for learning, social and athletic events. St. George in the '50's was a quiet, friendly little town. Socializing often meant going to the grocery store or to the Big Hand Cafe. Those who didn't have the time to go to town could buy eggs, chicken, milk, fruit and bread from Jim's traveling market, which toured the town on wheels.

Romances flourished at the drug store fountain or the Friday and Saturday night dances, many of which were held at the Recreation Hall or on the red hill's water tank. With KUED Producer Elizabeth Searles latest UTAH IN THE '50s installment, host Ted Capener takes viewers on a nostalgic journey featuring archival photographs, film and interviews with the St. George residents whose lives were shaped by this golden decade.

"This was a time of peace, prosperity, and optimism," says Capener. "I hope viewers will take away a sense of happiness and hope from the Southern Utah versions of UTAH IN THE '50s. "

After the broadcast, viewers can access the UTAH IN THE 50s online companion, available at kued.org/productions/fifties/, for additional materials and a golden-era photo gallery. Original music for Utah in the '50s was composed by Jimmy Reed and Mark Chaney. Funding made possible by the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation.

"Utah in the \'50s: Cedar City & St. George" sponsors: