Let's Get Jazzy
Entertainment was a huge part of peoples' lives during the 1920's. The main reason for this was because they had all just gone through a horrific war. Life had been hard, loved ones had been lost, the weight of the "teen" years pushed down upon the people threatening to consume them. Their ways of coping and forgetting were through movies, music, and partying. Comedians were especially popular as they, more than anything, brought peace to the heavy hearts of people across the nation. Music brought bouts of happiness and was huge for the very same reason. As anyone will tell you, dancing brings a sense of freedom, of carefree joy. The dance floor can totally transform a person bringing even the darkest being out of his gloomy hiding place.
This era was known for it's materialistic and worldly values, but we must understand why that was before we are so quick to judge. It is true that the people were very worldly during the 20's and that they didn't have the greatest values and, because of this consumerism attitude, the entertainment industry was literally booming! Money was rolling in like hot potatoes as families went off on movie theater outings, and young men took their girls out to Broadway plays like "Show Boat" and the first ever motion picture production of "Ben Hur"! People were very focused on the fuzzy, warm, lovely, feelings that come with being frivolous and enjoying oneself, perhaps too much?
The Silent Films were all the rage during most of the 1920's. Charlie Chaplin, the very funny comedian , Mary Pickford, Chaplin's co-star, who was Canadian-born and also known as "America's Sweetheart", and Rudolph Valentino, the heart-throb, were favorites of that time. It wasn't until 1927 that talking films were introduced in Canada, but as soon as they made their appearance they were just huge!
"Singing" in the Rain" is a great classic film that shows how much talking films changed the entertainment industries, and also gives a great view on the materialistic life in the 20's, especially within the movie business.
This era was known for it's materialistic and worldly values, but we must understand why that was before we are so quick to judge. It is true that the people were very worldly during the 20's and that they didn't have the greatest values and, because of this consumerism attitude, the entertainment industry was literally booming! Money was rolling in like hot potatoes as families went off on movie theater outings, and young men took their girls out to Broadway plays like "Show Boat" and the first ever motion picture production of "Ben Hur"! People were very focused on the fuzzy, warm, lovely, feelings that come with being frivolous and enjoying oneself, perhaps too much?
The Silent Films were all the rage during most of the 1920's. Charlie Chaplin, the very funny comedian , Mary Pickford, Chaplin's co-star, who was Canadian-born and also known as "America's Sweetheart", and Rudolph Valentino, the heart-throb, were favorites of that time. It wasn't until 1927 that talking films were introduced in Canada, but as soon as they made their appearance they were just huge!
"Singing" in the Rain" is a great classic film that shows how much talking films changed the entertainment industries, and also gives a great view on the materialistic life in the 20's, especially within the movie business.
"The Jazz Age" may be a rather familiar term to music lovers and is what the 20's are often referred to as. It is called this as it was the time when the earliest forms of jazz hit America through legendary trumpet player Louis Armstrong, fellow musician Duke Ellington, as well as many more . During this time the Charleston became the dance of the decade and was greatly attacked by those with Christian values. A law was even attempted to be passed in Boston to make the dance illegal as it was seen as incredibly absurd, crazy, and pure hectic in some council member's eyes. However, the law was not voted through and the people simply danced on!
Walt Disney entered the picture in 1923 with his first silent black and white film "Alice's Wonderland (view in video attachment below), the first of the comedy series. Later on, in 1928, our friend Mickey Mouse walked on set in America's first short cartoon, "Steamboat Willie"!
When one wished to spend a little leisurely time at home, he may have picked up a copy of one of those new Agatha Christie mysteries, or "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, although it was not as popular in the 20's as critics believe it should have been. If a book was not to your liking, perhaps, if you were one of the up-to-date few, you might turn on your radio and tune in to a current sports event, or gather the family around and listen to a story together over your newfangled electronic device: the radio.
Entertainment options were limitless. There was always something to do, always some place you could be if you liked. The pace simply never slowed down! In fact it continued to quicken its pace at breakneck speed until... 1929, Black Tuesday, the day the stock markets crashed and The Great Depression hit North America.
Walt Disney entered the picture in 1923 with his first silent black and white film "Alice's Wonderland (view in video attachment below), the first of the comedy series. Later on, in 1928, our friend Mickey Mouse walked on set in America's first short cartoon, "Steamboat Willie"!
When one wished to spend a little leisurely time at home, he may have picked up a copy of one of those new Agatha Christie mysteries, or "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, although it was not as popular in the 20's as critics believe it should have been. If a book was not to your liking, perhaps, if you were one of the up-to-date few, you might turn on your radio and tune in to a current sports event, or gather the family around and listen to a story together over your newfangled electronic device: the radio.
Entertainment options were limitless. There was always something to do, always some place you could be if you liked. The pace simply never slowed down! In fact it continued to quicken its pace at breakneck speed until... 1929, Black Tuesday, the day the stock markets crashed and The Great Depression hit North America.