Nothing irritates New York Times columnist Frank Rich more than Republicans who — in Rich’s view — want to turn the clock back to the 1950s. That long-ago time in America was never the idyll it is sometimes portrayed to be, Rich believes, but rather a “phony nirvana” rife with racism, sexism, homophobia, and economic injustice.

So it is surprising that in a new column, “Who Killed the Disneyland Dream?” Rich waxes nostalgic about…the 1950s.  He tells the story of Robbins Barstow, a union official living in suburban Connecticut who in the 50s was an avid home-movie maker.  In 1956, Barstow, his wife, and three children won a trip to Disneyland in a contest sponsored by 3M, the makers of Scotch Tape.  The home movie Barstow made of the experience, “Disneyland Dream,” portrays the happy family boarding an old Constellation propeller aircraft to fly to the paradise of Southern California and enjoy the wonders of Disneyland.  It has become something of a classic of post-war Americana.