1930s Culture

Radio Golden Age of Radio 1935- 2 of 3 homes in Americans owned a radio. By 1940- 9 in 10 homes in America owned a radio Free entertainment when so many had so little money Easy way to get information about what is going on in the world FDR used fireside chats – made citizens feel closer to the president and up-to-date on what was happening in White House NBC and CBS=Radio Networks

Golden age of radio Bob Hope and Jack Benny- Comedians Soap operas and variety shows were popular. Listeners could return each night/week to continue the story The Lone Ranger and The Shadow ran for years. Promoted traditional family values created a model for people to live by

War of the worlds Radio show from H.G. Wells’ novel War of the Worlds Led by Orson Welles (actor) Story of a conflict between humans and aliens Created panic as many believed it was true!

Movies MGM, Warner Brothers, Twentieth Century Fox, and Paramount= Film Companies Start of the Golden Age of Hollywood (continue through 40s) Had losses in early 30s but my mid-30s, back to profits

Movies Motion Picture Production Code – set limits and guidelines to topics (mainly inline with Christian ideals) Abandoned in 1960s Creation of “talkies” Late 1920s – films with speaking Charlie Chaplin – transitioned into sound films

Escaping the troubles Wizard of Oz Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs first film in colour Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs America’s first feature-length animated film Dracula considered the scariest movie of all time (at that point) Gone With the Wind most popular film of the era

Social Commentary Films such as Public Enemy showed public distrust of the government and big business. People turning to crime to survive the depression G Men police officials capture bad men. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington- Senator goes to Washington to fight corruption. As the New Deal changed opinions about government, movies began to show that.

Famous Actors Clark Gable Errol Flynn Fred Astaire “Gone with the Wind” biggest film star of the 30s Errol Flynn Best known for playing Robin Hood Considered the “most handsome man of the time Fred Astaire Considered by many to be the best male dancer who ever lived

Famous Actors The Marx Brothers Groucho, Chico, Harpo & Zeppo Popular comedy group “One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got into my pajamas, I’ll never know.”

Famous Actors Greta Garbo May West Shirley Temple Born in Sweden; immigrated to USA Considered to be one of the 5 top actresses of all time May West Very powerful actress in Hollywood; scriptwriter Shirley Temple One of the first child stars

Sounds of the Era Swing dominated the charts D.J.s introduced Duke Ellington Benny Goodman Bing Crosby D.J.s introduced Latin music introduced - rumba and samba.

New Deal and the Arts Federal Art Project- Job opportunities for artists. Murals painted on public buildings, a lot had to do with the history of the nation. Dorothea Lange- Photographer, created powerful images of the era.

Other Forms of Entertainment Horse racing – Seabiscuit Horse of the Year – 1938 Boxing – Joe Louis Longest reigning heavy-weight champion of the world (12 years – 1937-1949)

Literature of the Depression John Steinbeck- The Grapes of Wrath Richard Wright- Native Son- Racial prejudice Lillian Herman- Wrote about strong women. Clifford Odets- struggles of working class.

Literature of the Depression Superman Comic books and first superheroes Stood for the hope America needed – FDR’s New Deal Someone who would put everything else behind them and help these in need Creators were children of Jewish immigrants

Literature of the Depression Dick Tracy Comic book Story of a hard-nosed detective in Chicago Mirrored real Chicago gang violence One of the longest running newspaper comic strips of all time – still going!