American tourists talk about Australia (1961) | RetroFocus 

It's crazy how much the American accent has changed!

Who is watching in 1961?

Theory why the reporter stands so close to the interviewee: He wants the mic to capture both voices at a similar loudness without him having to move the mic back and forth

Bit of an annoying close talker, this reporter

How much do you think these Americans are worth now? Nobody travels around the world 1960s unless you were absolutely rich.

I'm just happy these recordings are still available and will be in this world for a very long time. A little glimpse in the past.

Why did he stare at the woman and say nothing like that?

0:34 uhm what happened here??

How is this Californian accent changed so much to that of Kardashian type accent? I also felt their politeness in their speech.

I love the charming sound of the 50's and 60's American accent. Like most accents, they change over the years.

1:53 - Australian pronunciation is cool. When you're in hospital and ready to leave, the nurse will say "You´re going today." sounding like "You´re going to die."

Australia was so backwards still in 1961. I think these Americans were just being polite

4:34 Interesting to see that Frank Costanza was able to visit Australia in 1961...

This guy wins most confronting reporter in history

2:20"You look like a typical tourist, and your neck looks delicious. You can't imagine how hard it is to be a vampire in Australia."

They answer so confidently and know exactly what they're gonna say, there is no hesitation or awkward silence.

Damn sum Americans sounded almost British

People were more eloquent then than they are today.

Hahaha, what's up with the way that the reporter just cuts the Americans off mid sentence as though he's just bored with what they have to say.

That reporter creeps me out 😧

It's funny how the Americans are much more poised and less laid back and jokey than the Australians but still friendly

Love that Transatlantic accent! Watching old Canadian, Australian, and American footage you can see how close we got to have one standard-ish broadcast accent.

people actually using adjectives other than "cool" and "super exciting" and "awesome".

Anyone else feel like we’ve evolved backwards when watching these eloquent, beautifully put together and intelligent people?

Americans were much smarter back then

0:32 "should I kiss her?" 0:34 "No, I better not, her husband is here.

Man, that reporter gets pretty stroppy if the people don't have anything juicy

3:13 it's funny how the L.A. girl has the closest to a modern general America/Canadian accent. I wonder if it has to do with the movie industry

This reporter is so awkward at making the conversation flow

Personal space was obviousely not a thing back then.

I wanna jump back in to this video and be like wasuuuuuuuup

This YT algorithm is something else...

I’m a 47 year old American who would love to take a tour to 1961 Australia! ❤ 🇦🇺

0:00 Holy crap, he looked like he was going to mug her!

The time when people speak the truth in front of the camera

I like these interviews. I like that the people are so composed back then and dressed so neat and clean! They spoke clearly! Nowadays people look and act a hot mess lol.

I’m fascinated with adults from the 50s and 60s. They’re so put together, well-spoken, and classy. They’re a generation that were children during the Great Depression, and teenagers during ww2. All they had ever known was hardship, never having enough, and working together to fight the war. I believe that’s why this generation valued the importance of organization and following rules, because they’re kinda have this military mentality. But I also think that when they became adults in the 50s they were finally allowed to have fun and let loose, so for the first time in their lives they were thriving. Movies and music really started to blow up in the 50s. Same with fashion and technology. I truly believe this generation was the best imo. Of course their privileged spoiled children ended up being the total opposite becoming hippies because they never had to struggle to appreciate what was given to them. They were just born into a perfect economy and given nice things they never had to work for. But hey, hippies are cool too though ✌️

It takes forever for someone from Indiana to answer a question.

Outspoken like the reporter. He was arrogant.

Very discomforting the way the reporter pushes up so close he seems to want to climb down the people's throats.

Its quite striking how the interviewer stand so close to his interviewees..

Everyone is dressed so nicely and well spoken.

No personal space in those days....

I had to laugh when he commented on the couple standing close together. He’s the king of standing too close to people! 😄

The interviewer was a bit of a comedian, he also had a kids radio show called riddle roundup. He wasn’t taking it too seriously, having a bit of fun.

He stands waaayyy too close to these people.

Woah the interviewer is rude lol

Should have had this reporter do the “how to get in a fight in a Sydney bar” clip. I feel like he would have found out fairly quickly.

"We've learned some new expressions." "Well don't quote them right here because I can imagine what some of them are."

Lockheed aircraft corporation (Now known as Lockheed-Martin after a merger) is a company that designed and built fighter aircraft, choppers and missiles and is currenlty a major player in the arms industry, it would've been very interesting to hear about what the last interviewee did at his job

this reporter hovers in quite close the creep

1:24 I love how the interviewer just cuts the guy off when it's apparent he's talking out of his ass 😂

Americans still sounded well spoken and civilized here 🤣 Also the reporter seems a bit of an impatient larrikin lol

3:13 I'm sure that's Lily Tomlin, who according to wikipedia owns 2 homes in Los Angeles.

this reporter reminds me of the close talker from seinfeld

I never met many Americans personally myself when growing up in my home state in Sth Australia . I think the first one I met was through my high school I attended in the early to mid eighties. She was our exchange maths teacher from the United States I was an insecure shy type teenager ( & introvert ) but she was really casual and friendly to everyone so I liked her still. I recall even how once when trying to get to know us more I guess she sat on her desk facing us and with her legs dangling and swinging from the desk while talking to us which I thought was unusual because all the other teachers would always just sit seated behind their desks. Still remember her name too. It was Hilary Whitehouse ! Also remember her for taking our class to the school library one afternoon to watch a black and white movie called.." To Sir With Love " starring Sidney Poitierre. Judging by what the movie is about I suppose she was trying to teach us to treasure our school girl days and our teachers too because one day soon they will be gone. How true ! Thanks Ms Whitehouse. Fond memories. ⚘👍

wow that dude worked for lockheed during the sr-71 era, that's awesome.

No face tattoos and sweatpants back then. We're such bums in 2020.

So personal space wasn't invented back then.

the British & Americans are two peoples separated by a common language.that came from Irish playwright George B. Shaw.

The American accent was so much better back then.

Love how the reporter looks up and down the people he's interviewing like he's inspecting them.

the interviewer is a nice guy BUT he gets way to close to the person when he interviews them. You can see most of them leaning back !

that american accent is so elegant.

**public interview** "I'm Doctor Joel Peterson" **doctor's office** "I'm Doctor Joel Peterson" **watching tv with his wife** "I'm Doctor Joel Peterson" **being born: It's a boy, have you picked out a name ?** Yes, we're going to call him "Doctor Joel Peterson"

So cool to me that some of the older people in these interviews could of been born in the 1800s

He stands so close because there is no wide shot. Notice there is barely any background in the shots. TV'S used to be small

When did they invent young people? looks like everyone was old back then

ABC reporters were terrible, even back then. Interruption is a speciality.

6:31 "Lockheed Aircraft Corporation" Hes a damn spy!

IN YOUR FACE reporting lol awesome to see, thanks for posting 👍

Everyone picks Australia first in Risk.

As a 21 year old with an immigrant US father this is so interesting to watch. I love the way everything was spoken.

I like watching interviews of dead people. It's just so fasinating to think It's 2020 and that was like 1960.

I'm embarrassed by the interviewer. He invades their personal space and has the subtlety of a crashing Skylab

This “reporter” was creepy AF!

The reporter just launches at people, gives em a shock

Did this interviewer have to stand that close to everyone he interviewed. That would be super annoying to have someone stand that close to me tbh.

Let's appreciate how far air travel has come, you can fly from the US West Coast to Sydney and back now for $800, back then it must have cost at least 10 times that adjusted for inflation.

A world where Americans have thoughts of Australia before Shrimps on the Barby and Mick Dundee. WOW.

Americans incredibly polite and articulate .

What an awful reporter

What is wrong with this reporter

That woman at @2.24 is like a minor character from Mad Men. Incredibly classy

Flying long haul was extremely expensive back then (you’d have to remortgage your home) ... most didn’t fly across the Atlantic / Pacific. Notice he’s at the Ocean liner (cruise ship) terminal? (Ships’ horns in the background).

The second man seems from TX and the woman at 2:57 looks very elegant and different from Australia women's fashion. HAHAHA I like American style. Even the suits still American got better style.

there is no personal space....I can't imagine this would be acceptable nowadays...not in America! LOL We love our space....the reporter is way too close to people!

Ahh back when Australia was all white. lol

Hes a bit of a close talker

Damn, and here I am in Australia for 2 years now as an American, and my accent sticks out like a sore thumb.

The lady at 2:22 sounds like Lucille Ball from "I Love Lucy".

This reporter is honestly obnoxious. As soon as he thinks the camera is off he just blanks the people doesn’t say thank you or anything and leaves. So arrogant

The reporter is standing uncomfortably close

Everybody is so well dressed

Before in Aus: late lunch Now in Aus: BRUNCH

1:33 For old grampa Dr. Joel Peterson to tell you to "tidy up your bedroom, mate"

Not long ago americans sounded more like British than americans.

If you watch carefully and the other four corner episodes, you notice the Australians look each other straight in the eye. This doesn't happen as much with the Americans.

That interviewer , couldn’t get any closer to people , could he lol lol .

Talking about Australia as a city ..... interesting