In the late 1960s, a good number of young Americans were becoming unhappy with American society. These baby boomers (see entry under 1940s—The Way We Lived in volume 3), whose parents had survived the Great Depression (1929–41; see entry under 1930s—The Way We Lived in volume 2) during the 1930s and World War II (1939–45) a decade later, viewed with disdain what they regarded as their parents' lack of concern with the way the world was shaping up. They were questioning their country's military presence in Vietnam (1954–75). They were experimenting with sex and drugs and had embraced the liberating sounds of rock and roll (see entry under 1950s— Music in volume 3) music. In this regard, America was in the middle of a cultural revolution, with the result being the creation of a youth-oriented "counterculture." Up until that time, moviemakers mostly had ignored that revolution—that is, until the...