Another reason for the great attraction to movies was a fascination with Society Papers. Society Papers provided a look into the lives of popular celebrities, much like magazines today. Many housewives read these papers as they searched for a glimpse into the money rich lives of the upper echelons of society. This concept of a great interest in the lives of beloved American celebrities is still very much alive today; however, in these days, the fascination did not lie in scandals and love triangles, but rather in the glory of wealth. Readers of the Society Papers were able to live vicariously through the articles as rich and famous celebrities. This interest in big names drew even more people to the theaters.
Movies were able to not only survive but prosper during the Great Depression because of their ability to offer a relatively cheap way to vacation away from the country's dire situation. Audiences relished the glory and excitement of money-filled, high class fantasies thus allowing the movie industry to thrive in a time when almost every other industry was badly devastated.
I agree that during the Great Depression, Hollywood performed both psychological and ideological role in American society. Films produced were providing reassurance and hope to a demoralized nation. Also, I wanted to point out that even though movie tickets were selling at the rate of $0.27 each at the Depression’s most dire moments, 60 to 80 million Americans still attended the movies each week. Hollywood proved that it successfully helped sustain our nation's morale through face of doubt and despair.
ReplyDeleteI like how specific you were in the ways that the movies helped people and were able to recover from this depression as a business. Also, in a time of need like this people would do anything to get away from the harsh reality that awaits them out side of that door and I like how you talked about that.
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