Media
Bold new ideas in all areas of media, such as movies, music and art helped characterise the 1920’s as a crazy, chaotic time, brimming with new possibilities and thoughts.
Upon seeing all these new and exciting changes, it is easy to see why the 1920s was a decade that set itself apart.
Here are some of the highlights of the 1920s.
The 1920s was the first decade to see the common use of sound in films. In 1927, synchronised sound was used in the film, The Jazz Singer, the first feature length film to star a leading singer and actor, Al Johnson. This movie jumpstarted the implementation of sound in films. Movies in the 1920s were also an extremely popular art form, they entertained and made people laugh, especially after the horrors of World War One. The 1920s also saw Hollywood becoming the centre of the movie-making industry in the US, with 85% of movie productions occurring there. Swashbucklers, melodramas, historical and gangster films were all very popular. The 1920’s were also considered to Broadway’s prime years. Musicals were very popular, and it was considered to glamorous to go and see a show – it would not have been uncommon to see places like Times Square throbbing every night with people.
During the 20s, a number of prominent writers reflected their struggle to accept the massive changes that were affecting society. While some writers praised the changes, others expressed disappointment in the passing of the old ways. Some notable books of the time include: - Mein Kampf - Adolf Hitler's autobiogrpahy. - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - a book that defined the 1920s; The American dream that anyone can achieve anything - The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot - The ultimate indictment of the modern world's loss of personal, moral, and spiritual values. - The New Negro by Alain Locke - A hopeful look at the negro in America - Strange Interlude by Eugene O'Neill - A look at 30 years in the life of a modern woman - Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis - A satirical look at small town life - The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner - Details the moral decay of the Old South
Bibliography
www.1920-30.com
http://arthistory.about.com/cs/arthistory10one/a/dada.htm
http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/1920m.html