How Movies Helped To Shape A Nation During Desperate Times
Americans love movies and rightly so. The passion we are share in slipping in a DVD or watching a movie online seems to be one of the most enjoyable and relaxing times of our entire day. It is not only a great form of entertainment but a time to enter different worlds of fantasy played out in movie plots.
How deep is this passion? Each year, we spend millions of dollars buying and renting movies, DVD’s and entertaining films. However, having access to so many movies has not always been so easy.
When you study history, you will see that movie watching was a favorite source of entertainment during some of the most turbulent times in America history. People flocked to theaters during the Great Depression and throughout both world wars.
During the 1920′s sound was first introduced to movies. It was then that you could watch a movie and actually hear the characters for the first time. Movies that cam out with sound technology were instant hits as people fell in love with actors such as Shirley Temple.
There were a many blockbuster hits released during those times. Gangster movies seemed to grow with popularity with the rise of the mob. Women seemed to love watching musicals, plays and intriguing romance stories featuring the best actors of that time.
Even though movies were the best form of entertainment during those times, it did cost money for a ticket and that was a scarcity, especially during the Great Depression. As an alternative to going to the local theater, people resorted to listening to their favorite radio stories such as and very often the entire family would huddle around the radio in dead silence as stories were told.
One of the most popular radio stories was “Little Orphan Annie” about a little girl who was a detective solving mysteries along with her little Children in particular loved this show because Annie often displayed a great sense of child-like imagination.
Musical performances put on by Big Bands were another great hit during the Great Depression. People would listen to these musical shows and stage performances over the radio as an alternative to spending money for movie tickets. It was very popular.
This went over extremely well. People across the country loved it. It was a way for them to briefly escape the hardships they had to endure and enter a fantasy world where they could live out their fantasies through the roles of their favorite movie stars. It kept them entertained and took their minds of the difficulties of life.
Looking back we have come a long way with movie entertainment. The Internet and advanced technology has taken the movie watching experience to an unlimited level. Not only do we have special cinema and sound effects to include 3D viewing, but entertaining movies have become a common source of entertainment for everyone.
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