How did the ‘Roaring Twenties’ roar?

Learning objective – to be able to explain the impact of the growing forms of entertainment in 1920s America. I can describe some of the features of entertainment in the 1920s in America. Grade D I can explain why there were changes in entertainment in 1920s America. Grade B I can explain and assess the impact of the different forms of entertainment in 1920s America. Grade A

Starter – the 1920s were full of crazes and one was for marathon dancing. Alma Cummings was the US Champion Marathon Dancer. How long, in hours, was her record for dancing in 1923?

Answer – Alma Cummings managed to set the record for marathon dancing at 27 hours in 1923.

How can you tell that Americans had more leisure time in the 1920s? The average working week for an American dropped from 47.4 hours to 44.2 hours in the 1920s. At the same time wages rose by 11%. Put these facts together – more people had more leisure time and more money to spend on it during the 1920s.

Why were the 1920s a golden era for American sport? Radio broadcasts and newspaper coverage helped bring sport events to a mass audience. For example, 60 million radio listeners tuned in to a boxing title fight between Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney. Sportspeople became celebrities and were able to earn massive salaries, such as the baseball star, Babe Ruth, who earned an modern equivalent to £7 million in Better transport links and more leisure time allowed people to take a more active interest in sport. The betting and gambling industry boomed as more people placed wagers on sporting occasions. People also took a more active interest in sport as more tennis and golf clubs were formed.

Why did films become so popular after the First World War? By 1914, Hollywood became the centre of the US film making industry because of its warm climate and proximity to deserts and mountains for location filming. The 1920s saw cinema attendances treble to 100 million people a WEEK going to the cinema with cinemas making $4 million a week. People were attracted to the lifestyles films portrayed showing affluence and style which many wanted to emulate but could never afford.

What was the star system? The film industry employed the star system to promote their films. The star system was the name given to describe the way the film studios promoted their actors as well as their films. The star system would allow extensive media access to the actors promoting their lifestyles and projecting an image of sex appeal. Film makers realised that the star of the film was more important than the plot as people would pay to see a film even though it was rubbish just to see the star of the film.

What was the impact of the ‘talkies’? The first talkie – film with sound – was made in 1927 and was called The Jazz Singer. People flocked to see this ‘new wonder’ just to see what their favourite actors would sound like. Talkies ruined many careers as a number of actors looked better than they sounded as well as many film actors had difficulty in learning their lines and had to retire.

How did films offend people? Critics of modern films felt that movies glamorised violence and crime as well as found the sexual content of films offensive. Many felt that people wanted to copy the lifestyles seen in films. This fear was made worse by the media coverage of the wild behaviour of film stars of the time. Such was the outrage, 32 states threatened to ban a number of films. In reaction, the film industry in 1930 created a code of conduct called the Hays Code, which set down strict rules about what can be shown in films safeguarding moral standards.

What was the Jazz Age? With the Great Migration of African- Americans moving to the northern cities, they brought with them music to the cities. This music was known as jazz and became a massive hit and symbolised the new, free age. New dances, such as the Charleston and the Black Bottom, were created to fit this new style of music. Jazz created opportunities for African- American musicians, such as Louis Armstrong, who made massive sums of money through record deals and radio appearances.

Tasks Complete the source activity from the worksheet. Extension questions List as many jobs as you can that were created by the expansion of the entertainment industry in the 1920s. Explain the effects the entertainment industry had on the economy during the 1920s.

Plenary This word cloud summarises the content of today’s lesson. Pick out the three most important words and explain why they summarise your learning in the lesson.