1930’s POP CULTURE

Movies Gone With the Wind King Kong Frankenstein The Wizard of Oz Mutiny on the Bounty

Movie Stars Clark Gable Erroll Flynn Judy Garland Humphrey Bogart Shirley Temple http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXHVDRgAFMk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r4bbgv1If8

Movie Starlets Greta Garbo Jean Harlow Carole Lombard Marlene Dietrich “The Blonde Bombshell” Carole Lombard Marlene Dietrich Claudette Colbert Fay Wray Mae West

Cartoons/Comics Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs Bugs Bunny (1937) The first full-length animated film Bugs Bunny (1937) Superman

Radio Programs Radio programs were at the height of their popularity during the 30’s. Families would gather around the radio to enjoy weekly programs, soap operas, and catch the latest news. Popular programs included: Burns & Allen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Tmj0xMPRvE Amos n’ Andy The Lone Ranger http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU0sE3axEFw FDR’s “Fireside Chats” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9CBpbuV3ok

War of the Worlds (1938) This radio drama about an alien invasion was written to sound like a newscast. It was broadcast as a prank on Halloween , narrated by the famous actor Orson Welles. Many Americans believed it was a real event taking place and there was a nationwide panic! Over a million people thought it was real Rebroadcasts in later years were required to say that this was a work of fiction http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6YNHq1qc44 Play from16:40- 18:05

Music Swing & Big Band Music were hot! Benny Goodman Duke Ellington http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDQpZT3GhDg Glenn Miller Tommy Dorsey The Star Spangled Banner became our national anthem in 1931 God Bless America was also popularized during the 30’s

Literature The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck) Gone With the Wind (Margaret Mitchell) Ulysses (James Joyce) And, of course, more uplifting fare from Hemingway & Fitzgerald

Fads Stamp collecting (popularized by FDR) Swing dancing Monopoly Stickball Betty Boop Gambling

Sports 1936 Olympics- Hosted by the Nazis in Berlin The Germans expected their “racially superior” super athletes would trounce the competition Jesse Owens of the United States won 4 gold medals in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He won gold in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay, and the long jump. Hitler couldn’t believe his Aryans were beaten by a black man, and refused to attend the medal ceremony http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quQopJmQry4 Heisman Trophy- First awarded in 1935. It is given annually to the most outstanding athlete in college football The New York Yankees dominated the 1930's winning 5 World Series Titles (5 pennants). They finished in second place 4 times, and 3rd place once. For major athletes, check out http://www.ecusd7.org/columbus/columbusstaff/rcanada/09kids/grant/sportsheroes.htm

Fashion Men Zoot suits High-waisted pants Sweater vests Hats Zippers Women Print dresses with a fitted waistline Longer hemlines Clothes inspired by Hollywood starlets Furs Velvet

Lindbergh baby kidnapping http://video.foxnews.com/v/3873696/lindbergh-baby-kidnapping Charles Lindbergh’s 20-month-old son was kidnapped from the family's mansion on March 1, 1932. The Lindberghs discovered a ransom note demanding $50,000 in their son's empty room. The kidnapper used a ladder to climb up to the open second-floor window and left muddy footprints in the room. The case became an international sensation. The Lindberghs were flooded by offers of assistance and false clues. Even Al Capone offered his help from prison. The kidnappers eventually gave instructions for dropping off the money and when it was delivered, the Lindberghs were told their baby was on a boat called off the coast of Massachusetts. After an exhaustive search, however, there was no sign of either the boat or the child. Soon after, the baby's body was discovered near the Lindbergh mansion. He had been killed the night of the kidnapping and was found less than a mile from home. Eventually, a German immigrant named Bruno Hauptmann was accused of the crime convicted, and executed (although the evidence wasn’t incredibly solid)

Marian Anderson (Constitution Hall 1939) Anderson was a popular African-American singer She toured Europe and even sang at the White House in 1936 The D.A.R. (Daughters of the American Revolution) would not permit her to perform at Constitution Hall in D.C. because it was a “white’s only” venue Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the organization in protest Anderson would instead have the opportunity to sing at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday before a crowd of 75,000 (plus radio listeners) This concert, and the events surrounding her, were part of the foundations of the Civil Rights Movement

The Hindenburg The Hindenburg disaster took place on Thursday, May 6, 1937, as the German passenger airship caught fire and was destroyed during its attempt to dock with its mooring mast at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey. Of the 97 people on board (36 passengers, 61 crew), there were 35 fatalities; there was also one death among the ground crew. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F54rqDh2mWA

Empire State Building In 1931, construction was completed on the Empire State Building in NYC At the time, it was the world’s tallest building, standing 1454 feet tall (102 stories) It would hold the record until construction of the World Trade Center's North Tower was completed in 1972