1950’s and Theater, Film, and Television
“In mid-decade, the average film budget was less than one million dollars (Dirks).” The television was a toy for the wealthy and then a more affordable TV set was made, that’s when it became so popular. Theater soon came to be popular on television, but only for a certain amount of time. The 1950’s theater, film and television all interacted and affected each other in many different ways.
1950’s Historical, Social, and Political Events
In 1950’s the end of World War II and the beginning of the Korean War idealized the men of war as new and exciting symbols of rebellion in many different films, such as The Silver Chalice. During the baby boom, electrical products were ideal to have for entertainment and educational reasons which caused TV to become so popular.
1950’s Television, Theater and Film
The 1950’s were known as the golden age of television, even though the television sets were in black and white, about 4.4 million
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Theater was used to express the meaning in a story, also to give the audience a live performance of their favorite musicals. There were many big hits known in theater. A story lined based Shakespeare story of Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story was just one of the many big hits. Also an old-fashioned musical comedy of The Music Man had sent audiences home for 1,375 performances. Theater also played a part in the golden age of television. Broadcasters in the early years needed to fill in programming, so networks turned to theater for plays. “Hollywood soon quickly wooed away the playwrights and actor (The American Dream, 138).” Soon after networks came to rely on videotape in 1957.
CONCLUSION
Many families had television as a form of entertainment in the 1950’s. Theater was broadcasted on television but was short lived, but quite popular. Also, in a way television, theater, and film had some type of impact on each
Television shows would not be as accomplished as they are today without the power of mass media. After the second world war ended in 1945, television set sales boomed. Because of this, the 1950s was known as the “Golden Age of Television.”
“In 1938, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences requested its research council to study the film industry's preparation for the inevitable introduction of television, while numerous articles appeared that discussed the subject.” One of the findings from the Academy was for the industry to pursue the idea of theatre television. Finally, television gave film a another avenue by which it could access the american public. Public television had the ability to provide viewers a form of entertainment that they could enjoy from the comfort of their own
The advent of television also caused a great impact in the American society that brought huge changes in the economy. American families during the 1950s started to replace radios, newspapers, and magazines as the leading media entertainment with televisions. They became common for families to unite and watch TV shows at noon. “Television as a product itself influenced the economy, creating what quickly became an essential household item. By 1957, over 40 million TVs were in American households”. Fundamentally, television altered how Americans utilize their free time, but economically there was even a major impact. Businesses around the country started to use the TV for advertising and marketing to sell their products easier. TV commercials
While much of the power of television in the 1960’s can be attributed to the mainstream availability and shear increase in ownership, the delivery format also contributed to its influence. One of the biggest
in the twenties when a man by the name of Charlie Chaplain who was known for his "tramp" look, dominated the silent movie business. He was considered one of the most talented actors of the 20’s. Also during the 20’s radio was the popular for of listening to music and listening to the news. In the later 1920’s the television was created which now aloud people to see a picture in their home for entertainment, but the television did not surpass the radio entertainment wise, because most people were unable to afford it.
The 1930’s decade has been nostalgically labeled “The Golden Age of Hollywood.” (Dirks, Tim) There were many innovations that established the foundation of modern film. The 30s was the decade of the sound and color revolutions and the advance of the 'talkies’. (Dirks Tim)
In the 1950s the most popular products was the TV. At the starting the TV owner
People had very little money, but many people still went to the movies. 90,000,000 Americans went to a movie weekly, which is about three times the amount that went in the 1920s (“Good” 1). From 1930 to 1948, Hollywood was in its Golden Age. More than that, however, the color and sound industry of movies was becoming more advanced than ever before (Dirks part 1). Some very popular movies today are actually from the 1930s, such as The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, and
Television has changed though years and years of researching and now all those have paid off but no one actually could understand what the trouble of the old TV’s were like. Back when Tv’s were rare and very expensive they were extremely popular for the rich because usually they were the only ones who could afford these sets. In the 1930’s Tv’s were large sets and were usually around 12 inches and costed about $300 to $400 dollars per set. Now we have smaller sets with much larger screens and they range from the cheapest $200 to up to $3000 dollars. The first TV was a large black box and would reflect the image off a reflective glass and the image would shine off that to watch. There were very few channels such as sporting events and news broadcasts
The 1950s has been a great time for most people. It has been full of new trends, fads, and stars. Overall this is a very happy time in the 1900s. It is full of new beginnings and a lot of fun!
Television in the 1960s brought Americans closer through the stories and tragedies they experienced. As televisions became more mainstream and affordable, more people invested in them. The time was right for the industry to flourish. “Between 1959 and 1970, the percentage of households in the U.S. with at least one TV went from 88% to 96%” (Ganzel). More people buying TVs meant that the industry grew and the technology could improve.
“The 1960s began with a number of movies that were set in World War Ⅱ, in which the United States and its armed forces were portrayed as heroes” (Benjamin 23) Since Hollywood could not always predict which films would do well and which ones wouldn’t, what worked in the past would not always work in the present (Dirks) Maybe no other type of movie demonstrates the changing times of the 60s more than movies built around the talent of rockstars. For example, by 1960, Elvis Presley had already been cast as leads in four different movies, all with predictable plots where Elvis played a variety of upper class admirable characters (Benjamin 24). Another type of movie that was very popular in movies are movie-musicals. “Three of the biggest hits of the decade were musicals: My Fair Lady (1964), Mary Poppins (1964), and The Sound of Music (1965). Funny Girl (1968) and Hello, Dolly! (1969) were also successful movie musicals” (Benjamin 33). There were many other movies made in the 1960s that are still popular today, and tv movies started to become very popular in the 60s.
During the 1920s, movies grew in popularity in the United States due to their affordability and availability. This led to a general curiosity about the actors’ lives themselves and gave Hollywood a harsh reputation due to all of the scandals that occurred. In the 1950s, movies declined in their popularity and the American public turned their attention toward television. As a result, television became an American staple and TV shows were more convenient than movies, seeing as they could be watched without leaving the house. Now Americans can watch both movies and TV shows at home via DVDs, and are still interested in the personal affairs of the actors and actresses involved. In general, Americans lead
What role do audiences play in creating popular culture? Explain how Hollywood both manipulated and reflected the popular culture of the 1950's and 60's.
This paper was prepared for Introduction to Film History, Module 1 Homework Assignment, taught by Professor Stephanie Sandifer.