CHAPTER 13 SECTION 4 CULTURE OF THE 1930’S

1. CHAPTER 13 SECTION 4 CULTURE OF THE 1930’S

2. MASS ENTERTAINMENT FLOURISHED DURING • THE NEW DEAL YEARS AS AMERICANS SOUGHT • TO ESCAPE FROM THE WORRIES OF THE • DEPRESSION • IT WAS THE GOLDEN AGE FOR ENTERNAINMENT • – THE MOVIES, MUSIC AND LITERATURE • PRODUCED DURING THIS ERA HOLD A UNIQUE • PLACE IN AMERICAN CULTURE

3. Movies & Radio • ENTERTAINMENT BECAME BIG BUSINESS DURING THE 1930’S • – NBC AND CBS BROADCASTING GIANTS • – MGM, WARNER BROTHERS, • 20TH CENTURYFOX AND PARAMOUNT • – HUGE MOVIE STUDIOS

4. Movies & Radio • BY 1935 TWO IN THREE HOMES OWNED A RADIO • – BY END OF 1930’S 9 OF 10 HOMES DID • BY 1939 NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF ALL AMERICANS • ATTENDED AT LEAST ONE MOVIE A WEEK

5. Movies & Radio • FAN MAGAZINES • TRACKED STARS • PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES

6. Movies & Radio • WHEN AMERICANS WENT • TO THE MOVIES DURING • THE DEPRESSION THEY • DID SO AS A MEANS OF • ESCAPISM • THE WIZARD OF OZ • WAS ONE OF THE MOST • MEMORABLE • DEPRESSION-ERA FILMS • – IT PROMISED AUDIENCES • THAT THEIR DREAMS • REALLY COULD COME • TRUE

7. Movies & Radio • STUDIOS RELEASED MUSICALS, ROMANTIC • COMEDIES, GANGSTER FILMS AND • CARTOONS • WALT DISNEY’S SNOW WHITE – CARTOON, • FRANKENSTEIN, • MUSICAL TOP HAT – STARRING FRED • ASTAIRE AND GINGER ROGERS ( PAGE 427), • GONE WITH THE WIND – STARRING CLARK • GABLE AND VIVIEN LEIGH

8. Movies & Radio • IN THE EARLY 1930S MANY • FILMS REFLECTED THE • PUBLIC’S DISTRUST OF BIG • BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT • GANSTER MOVIES, SUCH AS • PUBLIC ENEMY STARRING • JAMES CAGNEY WERE VERY • POPULAR • – SHOWED A DECLINING FAITH • IN GOVERNMENT AND LAW • ENFORCEMENT

9. Movies & Radio • WHEN THE NEW DEAL RESTORED CONFIDENCE MOVIES BEGAN PORTRAYING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AS HEROES • – JAMES CAGNEY • – IN G-MEN

10. Movies & Radio • OTHER FILMS FOCUSED ON THE STRENGTH OF AVERAGE AMERICANS • – FRANK CAPRA • – WAS A LEADER IN THIS GENRE • – HIS CHARACTERS WERE EVERYDAY • PEOPLE STRUGGLING WITH THE • HARDSHIPS OF THE TIME: • 1. MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON • – STARRING JAMES STEWART • – ABOUT A SENATOR WHO FIGHTS • AGAINST THE GREED AND • CORRUPTION HE FINDS IN THE • NATION’S CAPITAL • 2. MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN • – STARRING GARY COOPER • 3. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE • – STARRING JAMES STEWART AS • GEORGE BAILEY

11. Movies & Radio • CAPRA’S FILMS CELEBRATED AMERICAN IDEALISM AND THE TRIUMPH OF THE COMMON MAN OVER THE FORCES OF ADVERSITY

12. Movies & Radio • NATIONAL RADIO NETWORKS • BROADCAST POPULAR • SHOWS STARRING COMEDIANS • SUCH AS BOB HOPE AND • JACK BENNY • AMERICANS FOLLOWED SOAP • OPERAS, VARIETY SHOWS • AND DRAMAS SUCH AS • THE LONE RANGER • AND • THE SHADOW

13. Movies & Radio • IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING ENTERTAINMENT • THE RADIO DELIVERED NEWS AND POLITICAL • COMMENTARY • ON ONE OCCASION RADIO LISTENERS HAD A • HARD TIME RECOGNIZING THE DIFFERENCE • BETWEEN NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT • – OCTOBER 30, 1938 • – WAR OF THE WORLDS • – DIRECTED BY ORSEN WELLES • – WAS SO REALISTIC SOME PEOPLE • BELIEVED THE WORLD WAS BEING • ATTACKED BY MARTIANS

14. Movies & Radio • SWING MUSIC POPULAR BY BIG BANDS – POPULAR MUSICIANS: • 1. DUKE ELLINGTON • 2. BENNY GOODMAN • 3. ARTIE SHAW • 4. GLENN MILLER • 5. JIMMY AND TOMMY DORSEY

15. Movies & Radio • THE MOST POPULAR • VOCALIST OF THE ERA • WAS BING CROSBY • WOODY GUTHRIE • – FOLK SINGER • – WROTE SONGS ABOUT • THE OKIES • – ALSO WROTE “THIS LAND • IS YOUR LAND”

16. The New Deal and the Arts • THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT • PROVIDED FUNDING FOR • THE ARTS FOR THE FIRST • TIME IN AMERICAN HISTORY • WPA ADMINISTRATOR • HARRY HOPKINS • ESTABLISHED A SPECIAL • BRANCH OF THE WPA TO • PROVIDE ARTISTS WITH • WORK

17. The New Deal and the Arts • PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE FEDERAL ART PROJECT, • FEDERAL WRITERS PROJECT AND FEDERAL THEATER • PROJECT OFFERED A VARIETY OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES • TO ARTISTS • IN FEDERALLY FUNDED THEATERS MUSICIANS AND • ACTORS STAGED PERFORMANCES THAT WERE OFTEN • FREE TO THE PUBLIC • WPA WRITERS RECORDED THE HISTORY AND FOLKLORE • OF THE NATION IN A SERIES OF NEW STATE • GUIDEBOOKS

18. The New Deal and the Arts • ARTISTS PAINTED HUGE MURALS ON PUBLIC BUILDINGS THAT • CELEBRATED THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF WORKERS WHO HELPED • BUILD THE NATION • – STILL CAN BE SEEN IN PUBLIC BUILDINGS TODAY • PHOTOGRAPHERS ALSO BENEFITTED FROM THE FEDERAL ARTS • PROGRAM • – THE FARM SECURITY ADMINISTRATION (FSA) • – SOUGHT TO DOCUMENT THE PLIGHT OF AMERICA’S FARMERS

19. The New Deal and the Arts • WALKER EVANS AND DOROTHEA LANGE • – CREATED THE MOST POWERFUL IMAGES OF IMPOVERISHED • FARMERS AND MIGRANT WORKERS • – INCLUDING LANGE’S MIGRANT MOTHER • THE FEDERAL ART PROGRAMS CEASED TO EXIST IN THE EARLY • 1940S • – THEY SET A PRECEDENT FOR FURTHER FUNDING OF THE ARTS • AND HUMANITIES IN THE 1960S

20. The Literature of the Depression • THE DEPRESSION ERA • PRODUCED MANY • MEMORABLE WORKS OF • LITERATURE • MANY WRITERS WROTE • ABOUT WORKING CLASS • HEROES • – SAW “ORDINARY AMERICANS” • AS THE BEST HOPE FOR • BETTER DAYS

21. The Literature of the Depression • THE MOST FAMOUS NOVEL OF • THE 1930s WAS • JOHN STEINBECK’S • – THE GRAPES OF WRATH • – FOLLOWS THE JOAD FAMILY • FROM OKLAHOMA TO • CALIFORNIA DURING THE • DUST BOWL • THEY HOPED FOR A BETTER • LIFE BUT INSTEAD OF THE • PROMISED LAND THEY FOUND • EXPLOITATION, DISEASE, • HUNGER AND POLITICAL • CORRUPTION

22. The Literature of the Depression • AFRICAN AMERICN WRITERS WROTE • ABOUT HARDSHIPS FACED BY BLACKS • RICHARD WRIGHT • – WROTE NATIVE SON • – ABOUT RACIAL PREJUDICE IN A • NORTHERN CITY

23. The Literature of the Depression • LILLIAN HELLMAN • – PLAYWRIGHT • – WROTE PLAYS FEATURNIG STRONG • ROLES FOR WOMEN • – WROTE THE CHILDREN’S HOUR , THE • LITTLE FOXES, AND WATCH ON THE • RHINE • – NOTED FOR THEIR SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS SUBJECT MATTER

24. The Literature of the Depression • CLIFFORD ODETS • – WROTE WAITING FOR • LEFTYAND AWAKE AND • SING • – ABOUT THE STRUGGLES • OF THE WORKING CLASS • DURING THE GREAT • DEPRESSION

25. The Literature of the Depression • MANY AMERICANS READ COMIC STRIPS • AND COMIC BOOKS • MOST POPULAR: • 1.FLASH GORDON – SCIENCE FICTION • 2. DICK TRACY – DETECTIVE STORY • 3. SUPERMAN – SUPER HERO

26. The Literature of the Depression • THE SUCCESS OF SUPERMAN LED TO A RADIO SHOW AND LATER A POPULAR TV SERIES AND SEVERAL FEATURE FILMS – SUPERMAN REASSURED AMERICANS THAT ORDINARY CITIZENS LIKE CLARK KENT COULD OVERCOME EVIL