Great Old Amusement Parks [VHS]
The Caterpillar. The Cyclone. The Whip. The Thunderbolt. The Cannonball.  To amusement park buffs, the names of these legendary rides gives a roller-coaster rush of nostalgia and joy. From "handcarved carousels to  vintage mechanical contraptions and rides they just don't make anymore,"Great Old Amusement Parksis pure escapist entertainment.Visit and go behind the scenes at the nation's oldest operating traditional amusement parks. At one time, 2,000 such amusement parks dotted the nation's landscape. They have, sadly, dwindled to 600, and this program's wonderful footage--past and present--is a reminder of what we're missing.  Smaller than contemporary theme parks and older than Disneyland, such cherished establishments as Playland in Rye, New York, Cedar Point in Ohio, and Idlewild and Kennywood in Pennsylvania have thrilled and delighted generations. Their caretakers (with populist persuasion from activist amusement park buffs and historians) have not only kept them operating, but have painstakingly worked to keep their unique charms intact.As this program observes, amusement parks are "not part of the ordinary troubled world." So strap yourself in (and keep your head and arms inside your easy chair at all times) and, in the immortal words of the commercials for Chicago's late, lamented Riverview Park, laugh your troubles away.For more time-capsule Americana, check outAn Ice Cream ShowandA Hot Dog Program.--Donald Liebenson