PopCultureDetective asks 'Who Framed Public Transit in LA?'

I saw Judge Doom and the Red Car pop up in my most read posts for the day on Sunday, which reminded me that I had newer videos on the topic in my blogging ideas list. The most recent is PopCultureDetective asking Who Framed Public Transit in LA?

The movie “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” references a real-life conspiracy by automotive companies to destroy public transit in Los Angeles and elsewhere.

This video provides the answer to one of the questions in Environmental Science version of my worksheet for The End of Suburbia.

6. How did the auto companies contribute to the demise of streetcars and the rise of cars and roads as the primary transportation system?

Here's what I wrote back in 2014 from the Disney Wikia.

Cloverleaf is based on the real-life National City Lines, a front company controlled by major American automotive and oil companies such as General Motors, which acquired streetcar and electric rail lines across the United States and replaced them with bus lines in order to monopolize the sales of buses. In the early 1950s, the opening of several new freeways in the Los Angeles area led to declining ridership, which led Pacific Electric to shut down several of its rail lines. While Pacific Electric never fell into the hands of NCL, Pacific Electric's rail service was sold off in 1953 to Metropolitan Coach Lines, a company which, like NCL, wanted to convert all rail service to bus service as quickly as possible. More lines shut down in 1954 and 1955, as freeways such as Interstate 5 neared completion.

Too bad I've stopped showing The End of Suburbia to my students now that I'm showing Treasures of the Earth: Power. Of course, I never completely retire any of my material; the students can still watch The End of Suburbia on their own time for extra credit.

Treehouse Detective added another element in 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' is based on a true story.


 Yes, the serious part of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? was originally meant to be a sequel to Chinatown. That's wild, but I first found out about that trivia and more when I watched The Complicated History of Who Framed Roger Rabbit by Yesterworld Entertainment.

A Deep Dive Documentary into the History of ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’. From the original version that was cancelled, the production problems of the one that came to be, and the fascinating production stories of one of the most ambitious films ever made.

Based on Yesterworld Mark's telling, it sounds like the movie was better than the book.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned to see if I return to the News & Doc Emmy Awards for Wayback Wednesday.