1. Music and entertainment in the 1940’s
By Natalie Watkins, lotus pham, ian selover, rebekkah hapurn, Oakley earl, and sarah thomasson

2. movies
Movies in the 1940’s, like everything else at the time, were dominated by the war. However, instead of facing shortages, the movie industry was well supported
The Production Code Association (PCA) kept a tight leash on topic matter that could be presented in films
Good guys always won
Sexuality was suggested rather than mentioned openly
Social issues were not debated
By 1991, Hollywood decided to support the war, making training films for the army and releasing films supporting U.S engagement in the war
Majority of films were playful romps such as Philadelphia Story

3. Movies/ Broadway after WWII
After the War, film noir became a popular style for movies
Dark, serious films gave life to popular detective stories
Popular movies in the 1940’s included: Citizen Kane, Casablanca, The Grapes of Wrath, Dumbo, and It’s a Wonderful Life
Elaborate musicals were also wildly popular
Nearly 11 million people attended Broadway shows in 1943
Shows had upbeat, patriotic themes with the cast of singing soldiers or hick kicking women

4. Comic books
The success of Superman spawned a series of spin-offs and created a whole new genre of characters with secret identities, superhuman powers and colorful outfits – the superhero. Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman, Plastic Man, Green Lantern and Flash were amongst those who followed.
Captain Marvel proved to be one of the most popular superhero comics of the Golden Age, regularly outselling the adventures of Superman during the 1940s.
The sales of comic books increased markedly during World War II. They were cheap, portable and had inspirational, patriotic stories of good triumphing over evil.
Comics very much reflected the events and values of the time. Pro-American characters were popular, particularly Captain America, a superhero whose entire creation was based on aiding the country’s war effort.
For example Captain America was pictured battling Adolf Hitler on the cover of the very first issue.
A comic strip featuring a red-head named Archibald "Archie" Andrews debuted in 1941, becoming so popular the company that created it changed its name to Archie Comics in 1946.

5. Sports Many sports, especially football, lost many players to the war
With men players gone, women took the spots in sports
Popular women’s sports included basketball, swimming, and archery
Basketball and Baseball were very popular
The sports industry didn’t stat to diversify until 1947, with Jackie Robinson

6. Toys Toys got more advanced but all had some sort of war slant
Boys commonly played with guns and military toys
Girls had many more options to choose from, they typically played house with their baby dolls
Girls also had toy brooms, mops, tea sets, irons and other appliances
Later toys were referred to as “electronic” even if they were as simple as a blinking light
Toy advertisements came in newspapers and were black and white or faded brown
Some of the most popular toys of this time were the Red Ryder BB gun, Slinkies, Legos, and the Crystal Radio Set

7. music People listened to music on the radio
Radio batteries were as big as car batteries!
Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong dominated the jazz genre
Songs in the 1940’s were mostly romantic and funny
Many Americans at war loved listening to music that reminded them of home
Centered around WWII
Jazz and swing were very popular music genres
Famous musicians included: Perry Como, Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters, Nat King Cole and many other legends.
Famous Songs include: Star Dust, Paper Doll, Riders in the sky, Night and Day, and Maybe

8. dancing
The 1940s were the crucial decade for American dance in this century, by establishing the dominant forms of dance that lasted until the 1970s
Various types of dances were imaginatively combined: ballet was fused with modern dance; modern dance with burlesque and vaudeville
Jazz, tap, and swing music influenced everything;
Popular dances and steps from Harlem nightclubs, such as the jitterbug, found their way to the performance hall and the Broadway stage.
The legends of modern American dance—George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Helen Tamiris, Jerome Robbins, Agnes de Mille, Fred Astaire, and Gene Kelly—established their reputations during the decade;
Classic musicals such as Oklahoma were based off of dances from the 1940’s

9. bibliography
Dance America. Accessed 11 Feb
Deseret News. time.html. Accessed 12 Feb
Digital Dream Door. digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_songs-1940s.html. Accessed 12 Feb
My Comic Shop. Accessed 12 Feb
National Women's History Museum. Accessed 12 Feb
The People History. Accessed 12 Feb
The People History. Accessed 12 Feb

10. bibliography
Ranker. Accessed 12 Feb
Retro Ramblings. retroramblings.com/1940s-hot-toys/. Accessed 12 Feb
Retrowaste. Accessed 12 Feb
Retrowaste. Accessed 12 Feb
The Washington Post. punching-nazis-in-1941-heres-why-that-was-so-daring/?noredirect=on. Accessed 12 Feb
Women in Sport and Physical Education. Accessed 12 Feb
Women in Sport and Physical Education at the College of Wooster. Accessed 12 Feb