Certainly, you remember "This is a test! This is only a test! If this were a real emergency, you would be instructed to ...". You probably also remember those small triangles on the AM radio dial, marking the CONALRAD frequencies. These were examples of how seriously the prospect of nuclear bombardment was taken in the '50s. It was a time of opposites. Yes, there was optimism that we would all live in a Jetson's future with rocket cars and enjoy a cure for any disease. At the same time, we built fallout shelters, and post-apocalyptic dramas like On the Beach (1959) were taken as sagely prophetic.
One of the most interesting shifts in our popular thought occurring in the '50s was the skepticism which arose concerning science. This was directly related to the atomic bomb, which although it ended WW2, was generally seen as a great threat now that other countries had it. Consider, for example, the 1934 film Things to Come in which science defeats barbarism and elevates mankind. Now, compare that with Howard Hawks' The Thing (1951) where the pursuit of science is characterized as dangerous, destructive, and anti-social. Note that the scientist foil - who wears a goatee and is clearly foreign - in The Thing is willing to endanger everyone's life in pursuit of pure science. Where once we trusted science and scientists completely, in the '50s the wheel was turning and we had a more skeptical view of its benefits.
We had air raid drills, and were taught to hide under our desks at school, and were aware of a threat, but it didn’t stop us from being kids. Not in my neighborhood. Maybe because I lived very close to the Raritan Arsenal which was a ten square mile of military bunkers filled with tanks, jeeps, weapons, etc. Many of our neighbors worked there as contractors or as military personal. The Arsenal had a yearly “Neighborhood Day”. There was burgers and hotdogs, soda and beer for adults, rides on tanks and other military vehicles, and I saw myself on an experimental television in 1958. There was a great feel of patriotism in spite of the Russian Threat. We were comfortable and knew our country could overcome anything. I don’t remember any kids “traumatized” by the drills either.
“At the same time, we built fallout shelters, and post-apocalyptic dramas like On the Beach (1959) were taken as sagely prophetic.”
Good movie as far as acting, drama and the simple “Waltzing Matilda” score. Horrible movie as far as it’s supposed science goes.