1920's Movie Cinema

Although cinema is now a priority, some feel as if cinema is no longer the cinema when it was first established. Movies no longer have that special feeling like viewers once had. Today, films are not only shared within a theater, if one pleases they could always have the same experience elsewhere. Moreover, with technology expanding, it takes away the importance cinema once had. “The

During the early 1900s, the film industry had just gained popularity but the films during this era were drastically different from films today. Films during this time were done in white and black, were much shorter, and were without sound. In this silent film era, no star shined brighter than that of Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin is without a doubt the biggest name of film during this or possibly any era. In fact, Chaplin should be considered the greatest influence of the film industry in the 1920s because of his fame in silent film, his career as a director, his controversial satire, and the popularity of The Tramp.

To begin with, some background information on movies and Hollywood in the 1920’s. In the 1920’s, movie attendance soared (The Rise of Hollywood par. 4). As stated in the introduction, with the influx of money in the American economic system, the average person also had an influx of time on their hands. The normal solution was to spend that time on entertainment and movies were the perfect way to do that. By the mid-decade, movie attendance rose to fifty million and only increased from then. The five main movie studios were Warner Brothers, Paramount, MGM, RKO Radio Pictures, and 20th Century Fox (Dirks 1). Before these studios were formed, every aspect of making movies was separated into different companies. The aspects may include filming, editing, or distributing. With the spark of interest in movies, these five companies took it upon

The “Roaring Twenties”, the “Jazz Age”, the decade that went from “Boom to Bust”, whatever you call it, the 1920s is known as a time of prosperity, optimism, and opportunity. At a glance the twenties could easily be considered the most influential decade in history. From the newly modified fashion trends and the developing music industry, to the life changing scientific and technological advancements, the 1920s was a time of constant change. Government rulings, like the 18th and 19th Amendments and the Prohibition Act, worked to quickly dictate the direction society was headed. The production of developments in the big cities like the Yankee Stadium, Sears store, and Wrigley Building founded ideas of a promising future (people). New figures,

Radio spread rapidly, bringing news, sport, light entertainment and advertising into every home. It was realised that radio could be a useful political tool too. The 1920s was also the golden age of silent cinema, with the emergence of Hollywood as the ‘dream factory’ and a new obsession with films stars as celebrities.

The endless amount of wealth lead to the excess amount of everything in sight. The introduction of mass entertainment was very revolutionary during this time. The young generation drifted from the traditional ways and began to do what was believed to be taboo by their elders. The cities were now run by the youngsters and their money. Another area which was greatly important during this era was the endless amount of alcohol which was being distributed at parties even though it was illegal at this time. Every party during this era had some type of alcohol and the cuisine during this era was also very extravagant and unique because there was no worry about the cost. Money was always available and all that really mattered was how well the party was. Advances in technology were also very revolutionary because it allowed for bigger parties and more

Pop culture during the 1920’s The 1920’s were an exciting and fascinating time in American History. Pop culture transformed america into a more vibrant and a modernized country. Pop culture includes Flappers, jazz music, and marathon dancers. The 1920’s was considered the aftermath for the world war 1 because many found comfort knowing that the war was done and it was time to celebrate.

After the golden years known as, The Roaring Twenties,the U.S experienced the greatest economic crisis in human history known as the Great Depression.People struggled just to get by,actors especially .The Federal Theater Project (FTP), was a government funded program to help struggling performers find work.Though the idea of such a program was revolutionary,it failed, and ended a few years after its creation. The FTP ultimately didn’t establish what it set out to do.

Underneath the façade of dancing and parties, the decade of the 1920s was a violent clash of culture between the conservative Protestants mostly from rural, small town America and the liberal, modern city dwellers. The liberals embraced and celebrated their newfound freedoms, such as sexual liberation, while the conservatives tried desperately to hold onto their traditional religious standards. The World War sent many Americans abroad for the first time and blacks were introduced to foreign societies where they were equal to whites. The post-war years saw mass immigration, which brought new religions and cultures to America. Prohibition became law, and failed miserably to produce the moral society its supporters had predicted. While this was a time of economic prosperity, the inability of the conservatives and the liberals to reach a common ground on moral issues provided a backdrop for the instability and social

In American history, the 1920’s was a decade thriving in terms of style, social trends and an improving economy. Popular culture during this time period was mainly characterized by the innovation of new technological devices, the arts, and film. Right after World War I came to an end, when the “roaring 20’s” began, cinemas became a huge social and economical success in America during the 1920’s. The cinema turned into a lifestyle for many Americans. American citizens made trips to citizens on a weekly basis. Different theaters were rapidly growing and being built in many towns around the country due to the increasing interest in visiting nice places to watch a film. Cinemas in the early 1920’s showed silent motion films and then gradually later on in the decade ‘talkies’ were released. In the 1920’s the cinema led to an improved economy in America, happier citizens, and the mass media for the cinema created a national culture.

The film The General (Keaton 1926) was made during a time when Hollywood and worldwide film-going made a vast expansion. Before the invention of the projector in 1895, those who seeked visual entertainment opted for optical toys, shadow shows, magic lanterns and visual tricks. After this invention and years of experimentation, film had swept across the world, with the 1920’s having some of the greatest impact on its history. The 1920’s was the decade known for “Picture Palaces” or “Movie Palaces”, which were large, elaborately snd classically decorated movie theaters that could fit nearly 2,000 patrons. Genres that had not been very recognized, such as horror and romantic comedies, developed rapidly and successfully, and ended up

It has been claimed that he term “trailer” originates from a time when the advertisements were shown after a feature film had ended. This practice did not last long, however, due to customers leaving before viewing the trailers. Trailers from then on were placed before films began, yet the term seemed to have stuck (Thomas, 1966). The first recorded trailer was shown in 1913, which advertised a stage musical called The Pleasure Seekers and by 1920, trailers were a common part of the cinema experience (Thomson and Borwell, 2009). Throughout the 1920’s, the National Screen Service were exclusively responsible for producing film trailers and had access to all the major film studios footage.

The 1930’s began with depression, and ended with the war. Surprisingly, despite a difficult economic situation in the United States, the one industry that remained quite stable was fashion. One of the factors of such state was the impact of Hollywood-style luxury. The thirties are known as Hollywood’s Golden Age, with screen idols becoming role models for the masses. There were also Hollywood costume designers that played a crucial role in dictating fashion trends (gingham dress, a cotton fabric dress featuring a checked or striped pattern). Fashion trends that featured in the movies were quickly copied by retailers. Women, who found a dress or a gown in a movie appealing, were able to purchase a lower priced version of it in a nearby department

“The innovation and diffusion phases of transformation took place between 1926 and 1930. Seemingly overnight the silent film era ended; by 1930 Hollywood switched completely to talkies. In 1925 silent filmmaking was the standard; a mere five years later Hollywood produced only films with sound….Within nine months, formerly perplexing technical problems were resolved, marketing and distribution strategies were reworked, soundproof studios were constructed, and 15,000 theaters were wired for sound.” (Gomery and Pafort-Overduin)

Film production in the 1920’s was when the movie business expanded immensly. With new technologies creating movie theaters, film makers were able to let the public see the movies they made. Movie theatres were large and a very common place to go to during the 1920’s also known as the “Roaring 20’s”. With this new increase of movies, actors and actresses are needed, therefore making them incredibly weathly. The 1920’s started the birth of sound in films called “talkies”. Entertainment in the 1920’s expanded quickly and was dominating.