1. The Great Escape A Way to Forget the Hardships of Life in the Great Depression

2. The Golden Age of Hollywood

3. The Golden Age of Hollywood Forget the harsh realities of life for 25 ¢ Popular films:  Gone With the Wind  Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse films  King Kong  The Wizard of Oz There were a number of Canadian stars who became internationally renown

4. King Kong (1933) One of the first horror/adventure films Movie director meets a young girl stealing an apple during the Depression  Offers her a starring role in a film Filmmakers encounter a giant gorilla named “Kong” on a mysterious island  They capture him and bring him to NYC Made a hit for its special effects

5. The Wizard of Oz (1939) Ahead of its time: musical fantasy, filmed in colour Dorothy (and Toto) are whisked away from her aunt’s farm by a tornado to the magical and mysterious kingdom of Oz Dorothy has many adventures as she tries to reach the Wizard who is supposed to help her get back home

6. Do You Know Who This Is?

7. Shirley Temple Beloved child star of the 1930s 1934: her first film – at the age of 4!  She was the box office hit for the next 4 years! She sang and danced her way into the hearts of North Americans Shirley Temple dolls, doll clothes, soaps, books, and ribbons added to her salary

8. The Radio Reinvented 1930s: people gathered around the radio to listen to popular programs Most radio programming originated in the USA: left many Canadians concerned about the amount of American content  Creation of the CRBC (CDN Radio Broadcasting Commission) in 1932 by Bennett Designed to broadcast CDN radio programs in French and English and to regulate broadcasting

9. The Radio – Cont’d 1936: the CRBC evolved into the CBC (CDN Broadcasting Corporation) as designed by PM King  The CBC demonstrated its power in 1939 when it broadcasted – to even the most remote areas – the first royal visit to Canada by England’s monarchs, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth  It demonstrated its ability to establish a sense of national unity in Canada

10. Canadian Radio CDN-made radio programs copied the formats of popular American shows:  The Happy Gang: comedic entertainment with easy-listening music Other uniquely CDN shows:  Hockey Night in Canada: first broadcast from Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens in 1931

12. Musical Trends “Big Band” sound by artists such as Guy Lombardo, Glenn Miler, and Jimmy Dorsey  Some songs reflected the harsh economic times: “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”  Others offered an escape from reality: “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” “Moonlight Serenade”

13. Musical Trends – Cont’d Artists of African-American descent began to make their mark  Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald: soulful blues, powerful religious songs Singers and songwriters of African- American descent had a profound influence on the development of modern North American pop music

14. Newspapers and Magazines Daily life in CAN was looking more like daily life in the USA American publications dominated the magazine industry in CAN  1931: Bennett responded by issuing a hefty tariff on US magazines  1935: King takes office and cuts the tariff as part of a trade agreement with the US American magazine sales rapidly increase and easily outsell CDN magazines

15. Newspapers – Cont’d American press services provided most foreign news coverage: news stories always had an American slant  Little or no coverage about CAN or CDNs The influence of the US on CAN through films, radio, magazines, and fads did not really become an important political issue until the 1960s

16. The most popular magazines during the Depression reported on the lives of the rich and famous. Why do you think these magazines were so popular? Is this type of magazine popular today?

18. A Media Sensation Newspapers of the 1930s downplayed the harsh conditions of the Depression: people had become tired of reading bad news  Lots of space for human interest stories Birth of the Dionne quintuplets in Corbeil, ON in 1934 – first quintuplets to survive!  Quickly became a major tourist attraction: were looked at through a one-way screen  Provided upbeat stories about the girls’ progress

19. Questions The movies discussed are Hollywood classics. Why do you think each one was so appealing in the 1930s? Why do you think some movies are able to maintain their appeal across generations? What is escapism? Many forms of 1930s’ entertainment falls under this category. Answer the following questions in your notes. These will be checked on Wednesday and will go towards your letter grades.

20. Questions Continued How have the changes and developments in movies, radio, music, and news print that we see in the 1930’s shaped the Canada we see today?