Films of the 1930s “During the Depression, when the spirit of the people is lower than at any other time, it is a splendid thing that for just 15 cents an American can go to a movie and look at the smiling face of a baby and forget his troubles.”-Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States of America (Hollywood in the Depression 1). That quote explains how the Depression caused misery for most, but at the movies, people could enjoy themselves. Some of the most famous elements of hollywood from the 1930s were in the form of film advancements, influential and iconic films, and famous actors and actresses. Films of that decade introduced new and creative ideas. Many iconic characters were introduced to more mainstream audiences. Even though the Great Depression brought many challenges, cinema evolved and changed. Some of those changes brought Hollywood to the state it is at today. Film continued to grow and thrive throughout the misery of the 1930s. There were many landmark advancements during the 1930s for films. One hugely important advancement is the addition of sound to movies (a.k.a. talkies) which led to them growing in popularity. People went to the cinema with the recent addition of sound. Another addition was in the year of 1930. 1930 was when the motion picture production set some guidelines that applied to the majority of U.S. motion pictures. That code was applied to films that came out from 1930 to 1968 (The History of Film The 1930s The Talkies, the Growth of the Studios, and 'The Golden Age of Hollywood' Part 1 Dirks 2). A more specific landmark would be how Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs caused other movies to advance and change. It arrive in 1937 and grew in popularity because of its greater use of color. It caused a greater use of color pioneered by Disney cartoons, and other movies like Becky Sharp in 1935 and Gone with the Wind in 1939. Those were some technical and industry advancements made in the 1930s (The History of Film The 1930s The Talkies, the Growth of the Studios, and 'The Golden Age of Hollywood' Part 1 Dirks 3). Although the 1930s were a period of devastation, films introduced a plethora of iconic and influential films and characters. The 1930s proved to be an extremely difficult time for studios financially. Studios had to reorganize, request government assistance, cut budgets, and close theaters, due to profits plummeting. One previously mentioned movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, was the first feature length Disney movie which influenced other studios to come up with their own animated movies. Many studios had their own films that today, are considered classics. Universal’s series of classic monster movies started in 1931, Dracula. Others to follow would be, The Mummy in 1932, The Invisible Man in 1933, and Bride of Frankenstein in 1935 (The History of Film The 1930s The Talkies, the Growth of the Studios, and 'The Golden Age of Hollywood' Part 3 Dirks 3). Those films continued to introduce new horror elements on screen. Those movies proved to be influential by introducing horror to larger audiences. Since there were a vast amount of what many consider to be cinematic feats in the 1930s, the late 1920s to early 1960s are what people consider to be the golden age of hollywood. Some of those films are King Kong in 1933, The Wizard of Oz in 1939, and the top grossing, Gone with the Wind 1939. Some people consider The Wizard of Oz to be one of the greatest films in cinematic history. (Hollywood in the Depression 2). Some of the popular movies at the time were gangster movies, comedies, and musicals. In the end, there were many iconic films and film characters that still are talked about to this day. They left their footprint behind in film history and are known well by people around the world. The 1930s were a very influential time for the cinemas. Since there were many influential films that made their way onto the silver screen in the 1930s. There were many actors and actresses that are commonly known today and became household names. One type of movie star that became very popular were musical stars. Some examples were Fred Astaire, Shirley Temple, Judy Garland, and Roy Rogers. Some of these actors like Fred Astaire (with his partner Ginger Rogers), became some of the most influential actors of their time and still to this day. Some milestones for actors and actresses included the first Academy Award for an African-American. Hattie McDaniel won best supporting actress for Gone with the Wind in 1939 (Timeline of Greatest Film Milestones and Turning Points in Film History The Year 1939 1) . There were many other stars besides musical ones. Some of the decades most well-known actors included Clark Gable, Paul Muni, Janet Gaynor, Eddie Cantor, Wallace Beery, Mae West, Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow, and many more. They came from all different genres. Some films were made with some specific stars in mind and some played familiar character types. Those were some of the decade’s most popular stars. Another star that was brought to an iconic status, was Shirley Temple. A very famous child actor who became a huge box office draw as well as These stars became role models, and idols and acted their way into the hearts of many audiences. In all, films went through many advancements and improved in a technical sense, as well as giving many miserable citizens a place to forget their troubles. There were many technological advancements and improvements for movies in the 1930s. There were many influential movies to go along with the many famous actors and actresses. There were many iconic characters introduced in this decade. The films brought those iconic characters to mainstream audiences such as King Kong and Snow White. To sum up everything up, the 1930s were full of improvements, influences, and memorable movie stars. If it wasn’t for the 30s, some of the famous movies today may not have ever existed. Those were movie elements of the 1930s.
A picture for the 1931 Universal monster classic Frankenstein
Another one of Universal's classic monster movies, The Invisible Man, in 1933.
This is a photo of Shirley Temple, who was an incredibly famous child actor throughout the 1930s.