ENTERTAINMENT

1
ENTERTAINMENT DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION ERA 8th
Grade Gettys Middle School Mrs. Katie Warren
Collage from Voices of the 30s
2

• TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1929
• The Stock Market Crash of
• October 1929 affected millions
• of Americans.
• Banks closed
• Business shut down
• Unemployment surged

3
As the economy suffered, soup lines and bread
lines grew throughout the nation.
Young boy receiving pail of soup in kitchen of
city mission. Dubuque, Iowa. Vachon, John,
1914-1975, photographer.
4
President Hoover became an object of hatred.
Things that related to the depression were given
Hoover nicknames.
Dwellers in Circleville's "Hooverville," central
Ohio Shahn, Ben, photographer.
5
By 1932, things had gonefrom bad to worse.
Migrant agricultural worker's family.. Lange,
Dorothea, photographer.
6
Yet, people kept positive outlooks on life.
Many avenues of entertainment gave relief, if
only for a short period of time, to their despair.
Saturday night, Photographer Rothstein, Arthur
Circus poster, Circleville, Ohio. Shahn, Ben,
photographer.
7
One of the popular songs during this time was
Brother, Can You Spare Me A Dime. This song
was written in 1932 and captured the spirit of
the time.
8
Radio, the big box in the living room, filled
homes with adventure, laughter, and music.
Amos and Andy was afavorite comic series.
Kate Smith belted out songs.
http//www.sos.state.mi.us/history/museum/explore
/museums/hismus/1900-75/depressn/bungradi.html
9
Entertainment during the 30s, for children
centered around wide range of media.
10
Little Orphan Annie, Flash Gordon,Tarzan and Dick
Tracy were among the most popular comic
characters.
http//www.toonopedia.com/annie.htm
http//www.toonopedia.com/fgordon.htm
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Shirley Temple A pint-size
star radiated optimism through her songs and
dances.
http//www.reelclassics.com/Actresses/Shirley/shir
ley.htm
http//www.reelclassics.com/Actresses/Shirley/shir
ley.htm
12
A new president, Franklin D. Roosevelt was
elected in 1932 and set out to try new things to
help the economy.
Inauguration of President Franklin Roosevelt.
Roosevelt delivering his inaugural address March
4, 1933. Library of Congress Prints and
Photographs Division Washington, D.C
13
The new President declared waragainst the
Depression.
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself
Franklin D. Roosevelt
14
FDR said, Take a new method and try it. If it
fails, try another. But above all,
trysomething. This was his NEW DEAL.
Hands and cards. Representing New Deal.
Horydczak, Theodor, photographer
15
New agencies and projects were created giving
people new jobs and new hope for the future.
16
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) opened up
new work opportunities for Americans, including
those associated with the culture world.
Playbill from the Bridgeport production of
Macbeth
17
Popular culture continued to grow. Many people
would go to the movies, especially those that
diverted people from the hard times.
Children looking at posters in front of movie,
Saturday, Steele, Missouri. Lee, Russell,
photographer
18
People enjoyed the opera. Porgy and Bess by
George Gershwin opened in New York with great
reviews.
"Portrait of George Gershwin". Van Vechten,
Carl, photographer.
Gershwin, George. "Porgy and Bess title page."
Music Division, American Treasures of the
Library of Congress.
19
Baseball was another favoriteform of
entertainment.
Wide shot of baseball game in progress,
Photographer Rothstein, Arthur
20
Big Bands Break LooseDuring These Years

• Benny Goodman
• Tommy Dorsey
• Jimmy Dorsey
• Count Basie
• Duke Ellington
• Glenn Miller

Portrait of Count Basie, Aquarium, NY,
NY Gottlieb, William P. 1917-photographer.
Portrait of Benny Goodman, Sid Catlett, and Vido
Musso, 400 Restaurant, NY, NY Gottlieb, William
photographer.
Portrait of Duke Ellington, Aquarium, NY,
NY Gottlieb, William P. 1917-photographer.
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       Portrait of Ella Fitzgerald
Gottlieb, William P. 1917-photographer       
Portrait of Billie Holiday. Gottlieb, William P.
1917- photographer
Portrait of Mildred Bailey, Carnegie Hall
Gottlieb, William P. 1917- photographer.
CANARIES OF THE LATE 1930S

• Almost all big bands during this period
  would feature a vocalists. Most of these
  vocalists were female.

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Jive Talk
Alligator a devotee of swing Canary a girl
vocalist Cats musicians in a swing
orchestra Cuttin the Rug dancing to swing
music Disc or platter a recording Eighty-eight
or mothbox piano In the Groove carried
away by good swing
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Jam Session informal gathering at which swing
play for their own pleasure Jitterbug a dancer
responding to swing music Kicking out being
very free, improvising Licorice Stick a
clarinet Plumbing a trumpet Swing
unrestrained, but melodic big band jazz with a
strong element of improvisation
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BIBLIOGRAPHYDick Tracy. http//www.toonopedia
.com/fgordon.htm (Novmeber 27, 2001).
Gershwin, George. "Porgy and Bess title page."
American Treasures of the Library of Congress.
http//www.americaslibrary.gov/pages/jb_0902_gers
hwin_1_e.htm\ (November 7, 2001).Gottlieb,
William P. Portrait of Benny Goodman, Sid
Catlett, and Vido Musso The Golden Age of
Jazzhttp//memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/I?gottlie
b9./temp/ammem_Q5O gottlieb 03443(October
28, 2001).Gottlieb, William P. Portrait of
Count Basie, Aquarium, New York. The Golden Age
of Jazzhttp//memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/I?gott
lieb9./temp/ammem_Q5O gottlieb 03443
(October 28, 2001). Gottlieb, William P.
Portrait of Duke Ellington, Aquarium, New York,
N.Y. The Golden Age of Jazz. http//memory.loc.
gov/cgi-bin/query/I?gottlieb9./temp/ammem_Q5O
gottlieb 03443 (October 28, 2001).Gottlieb,
William P. Portrait of Mildred Bailey, Carnegie
Hall. The Golden Age of Jazz http//memory.loc.g
ov/cgi-bin/query/I?gottlieb9./temp/ammem_Q5O
gottlieb 03443 (October 28, 2001).Gottlieb,
William P. Portrait of Ella Fitzgerald, New
York, N.Y. The Golden Age of Jazz
http//memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/I?gottlieb9
./temp/ammem_Q5O gottlieb 03443 (October 28,
2001).Gottlieb, William P. Portrait of Billie
Holiday, Downbeat. The Golden Age of Jazz
http//memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/I?gottlieb9
./temp/ammem_Q5O gottlieb 03443 (October 28,
2001).Horydczak, Theodor. Hands and cards.
Representing New Dealhttp//memory.loc.gov/cgovb
in/query/D?horyd10./temp/ammem_dfHQ
(November 11, 2001).Inaguration of Roosevelt
http//memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?pin1./tem
p/ammem cph 3a20323 (November 11, 2001).
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Lange, Dorothea. Migrant agricultural worker's
family. http//memory.loc.gov/cgibin/query/D?fsa
all170./temp/ammem_8kQM fsa 8b29525
(November 26, 2001).Lee, Russell. Children
looking at posters in front of movie, Saturday
http//memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?fsaall10.
/temp/ammem_8fpl fsa 8a23452 November 7,
2001.Little Orhpan Annie http//www.toonopedi
a.com/annie.htm (November 27, 2001).
Playbill from the Bridgeport production of
Macbeth Credit "Production Photographs for the
New York Performance of Macbeth, Directed by
Orson Welles, New Lafayette Theater, April 14 -
June 20, 1936 - Finding Aid Box 1095." 1936. The
New Deal Stage Federal Theatre Project,
1935-1939, Library of Congress.
http//www.americaslibrary.gov/pages/jb_0725_wpa
_1_e.html(November 11, 2001)The Big Box.
http//www.sos.state.mi.us/history/museum/explore
/museums/hismus/1900-75/depressn/bungradi.html(
November 17, 2001). Rothstein, Arthur.
Saturday night dance The Charles L. Todd and
Robert Sonkin Migrant Worker Collection. AFC
1985/001P22 (November 7, 2001).Rothstein,
Arthur. Wide shot of baseball game in progress.
http//memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?toddbib26
./temp/ammem_t73o (November 8, 2001).Shahn,
Ben. Circus poster. http//memory.loc.gov/cgi
-bin/query/D?fsaall17./temp/ammem_giR4 fsa
8a18322 (November 7, 2001).Shahn, Ben.
Dwellers in Circleville's "Hooverville."
http//memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?fsaall22.
/temp/ammem_QQkkfsa 8a18461 (November 4,
2001).Shirley Temple. http//www.reelclassics.
com/Actresses/Shirley/shirley.htm ( November
27, 200).Vachon, John, Young boy receiving
pail of soup in kitchen of city mission..
http//memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?fsaall5./
temp/ammem fsa 8c17099 (November 4,
2001).Van Vechten, Carl. "Portrait of George
Gershwin" March 28, 1937. http//www.americaslibr
ary.gov/pages/jb_0902_gershwin_2_e.html
November 7, 2001.