A New Popular Culture is Born

Main Ideas 1.Mass Entertainment of the 1920s 2.An Era of Heroes 3.Arts of the 1920s

Types of Mass Entertainment in the 1920s Mass Entertainment Movies Radio Sports

Mass Entertainment Movies and radio reached many Americans in urban and rural areas of the country People all across the country were sharing the same information (ads, news, and music) and enjoying the same pastimes A new American popular culture was emerging

Movies Birth of a Nation – produced by D.W. Griffith –Established film as an art form –Widened the audience for movies –Content of the film was and still is highly controversial (themes and images many consider racist)

Movies The Jazz Singer – first movie with sound Steamboat Willie – first animated movie - produced by Walt Disney - introduced Mickey Mouse 100 million tickets sold per week – 123 million people in the United States

Radio Went from being a little known novelty item to being standard equipment in the American home Guglielmo Marconi invented the radio in late 1890s Early uses included military and ships at sea, hobbyists

Radio Breakthrough came in George Westinghouse started first corporate radio station in Pittsburgh (KDKA) - played music and news 570 stations by aired music, news, religious services, and children’s bedtime stories

Sports Radio helped to promote public passion for sports Millions of Americans attended events in person Athletes became top performers among the famous and wealthy individuals in the world

Age of Heroes Sports Stars 1. Babe Ruth – saved baseball after the 1919 Chicago Black Sox scandal, home run king

2. Jim Thorpe – one of the greatest athletes of the 20 th Century, played 3 professional sports and won 2 Olympic gold medals

3. Red Grange – “The Galloping Ghost” greatest college football player of all time

4. Jack Dempsey – world heavyweight boxing champion from 1919 – 1926, 1 st million dollar gate

5. Helen Willis – won 31 major tennis tournaments and 2 Olympic gold medals

Art of the 1920s Film Stars 1. Charlie Chaplin – silent film star, signature character is a tramp with ragged clothing and a derby 2. Rudolph Valentino – star of romantic films, sex symbol of the 20s

Art of the 1920s Arts/Literature - Artistic and Literature works reflected the changing social and economic culture of the country - common themes included social concerns, business success, glamorous lifestyle of the wealthy

1.F. Scott Fitzgerald - writer most linked to the 1920s - “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” provided image of the flapper - “Tales of the Jazz Age” provided lasting nickname of the decade - “The Great Gatsby” most notable work 2. Ernest Hemingway - “A Farewell to Arms” told of his own experiences as a soldier in the Great War - Member of the Lost Generation, American writers who lived in Europe for a period of time 3. George Gershwin - “Rhapsody in Blue” detailed the powerful impact of jazz

Cultural Heroes Charles Lindbergh - 1 st to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, 33+ hours non-stop from New York to Paris “the greatest feat of a solitary man in the history of the human race” - The New York World

“Spirit of St. Louis” Lindbergh flew this plane in his historic trans-Atlantic flight

Cultural Heroes Amelia Earhart - 1 st woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean - set a number of speed and distance records as a pilot - disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in an around the world flight attempt