IMO the 50's stuff just distanced itself from the common post-apocalyptic tropes and made it so much more interesting visually and story wise.
Except Fallout is based on mostly reference from Culture. For example Mad Max - sawed off shotgun, missing sleeve on the leather jacket, dogmeat, old lady Gibson.
http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Cultural_referencehttp://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout_cultural_referenceshttp://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout_2_cultural_referencesThe 1950's culture theme is there in the old games, but not to the extreme Fallout 3 had.
Fallout 1 felt more like madmax and each community was unique. In a place like shady sands, the buildings were made of adobe and the followed the teachings of Dharma and dressed like Arabs. In Junk Town people lived in a city of scrap metal and broken cars. The Hub is a trading community full of gangs and con-men and they live in the ruins of a city. Los Angeles is home to a cult known as the Followers of the Appocalyse, has a gang called the Blades which are a group of Rag-tag freedom fighters, and Adytum which is a small community that is paranoid and hired a sketchy mercenary group called the Regulators which ended up turning the place into a dictatorship.
Fallout 2 was a like a western with primitive tribals, ghettos, the mafia, casinos and cowboys.
