Film was blossoming and blooming in the 1920s. For the first time in America, through film, millions of Americans were sharing the same experience. This was not something divided by race, ethnicity, class or gender; everyone was washing the same newsreels and films. They were all listening to the same radio broadcasts, reading similar newspapers, and celebrating the same national heroes. Films entertained the public as well as gave them a happier place to live after WWI.
During this decade, films emerged as the most popular form of public entertainment. Twenty thousand theaters were spread across the nation by 1925. People hurried to see famous actors like Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, and Joan Crawford. One of the most famous Hollywood icons was Rudolph Valentino. Mr. Valentino was an Italian gardener from Long Island who became a new symbol for young women after starring in The Sheik. Movies taught people how to dress, talk, and how to come off as attractive.
In 1927 the first “talkie”, The Jazz Singer premiered in movie theaters. It only had a handful of scenes that contained sound but it was a revolutionary breakthrough in film. Not only were movies merely a form of entertainment, but they were also shaping a national culture. By 1927 Hollywood was the center of movie production, making up 85% of movie making. Whole new industries grew with the film industry like animal supply companies, costume suppliers, and casting agencies.
The 1920s represented the era of the greatest film output in the US movie market. Eight hundred films were produced annually and although the technology needed to produce movies were expensive, the high demand covered the budget. Entrepreneurs hurried to build impressive movie theaters - enough seats to fit up to 5,000 people - across the country. The Capitol Theater in New York City could seat up to 8,000 people making it the biggest cinema in the world in 1921.
The 1920s was a revolutionary decade for the film industry because it was the end of the silent movie era and the start of sound films. It also brought the country together and created a sense of connectedness within American moviegoers.
It's very interesting to think of how something that is seemingly unrelated to ethnic divisions, could have done so much to bring people of different ethnicities and backgrounds together. I'm sure that with a common entertainment, language barriers began to be broken down. Additionally, people would have been able to find a common interest despite their differing backgrounds. Do you think film continues to break down barriers between people of different countries today?
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