1. Culture of the 1930s
Chapter 9 Section 4

2. Movies & Radio Captivate Americans
By 1939
9 in 10 homes owned a radio
nearly 2/3 of Americans attended at least 1 movie per week
NBC and CBS were radio broadcasting giants
MGM, Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox, and Paramount dominated the silver screen (films)
Stars in both industries made fortunes

3. Enjoying Escapism Americans went to the movies to escape their worries
The Wizard of Oz (1939) was wildly popular
Good laugh
Good cry
A lyrical song
Good triumphs over evil

4. Enjoying Escapism
Studios churned out musicals, romantic comedies, and gangster films
Famous films of 1930s
Disney’s Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs
Frankenstein
Top Hat (Astaire & Rogers)
Gone With the Wind

5. Social Commentary
Early 30s films reflected growing distrust of govt and big business
Gangster films: characters turn to crime to survive the depression
As the New Deal restored confidence, movies began to show govt officials as heroes

6. Radio’s Golden Age Radio brought in as much $ as movies Comedians
Bob Hope
Jack Benny
Soap Operas
Dramatic Shows
The Lone Ranger
The Shadow: “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?”
FDR’s fireside chats
War of the Worlds with Orson Welles
Panic over a Martian invasion spread like wildfire

7. Sounds of the Era Music provided a diversion from hard times
“Swing” music played by “Big Bands” on radio and in nightclubs
Disc jockeys are introduced through shows like Your Hit Parade
Folk and ethnic music gained popularity
Blues singers focused on harsh realities of African Americans in the 30s
Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday

8. The New Deal & The Arts
Govt provided funding for the arts – 1st time in history!
Recognized the importance of keeping the arts alive
Federal Art Project, Federal Writers Project, Federal Theater Project
Govt sought to document the plight of America’s farmers
Provided photographers like Dorothea Lange with work

9. Literature of the Depression
Many writers focused on working-class heroes
Saw “ordinary Americans” as the best hope for a better day
John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath
Richard Wright’s Native Son
Comic strips/books
Flash Gordon
Dick Tracy
Superman – reassured Americans that ordinary citizens could overcome evil