Popular culture in the 1930s

• What significant cultural trends emerged in the 1930s despite the Great Depression?

  Influential trends in literature, arts, music, and cinema
• What significant historical event produced notable works in American literature?

  The Great Depression
• How did the New Deal programs support the arts during the 1930s?

  They established programs to support artists, writers, musicians, and theatre professionals
• What themes did writers focus on during the Great Depression in American literature?

  Blunt and direct representation of American life and social criticism
• Comics


  The 1930s also witnessed the development of popular literary genres. Pulp fiction magazines began to feature distinctive, gritty, adventure heroes that combined elements of hard-boiled detective fiction and the fantastic adventures of the earlier pulp novels. Two particularly noteworthy characters introduced were Doc Savage and The Shadow, who would later influence the creation of characters such as Superman and Batman. Near the end of the decade, two of the world’s most iconic superheroes and recognizable fictional characters, Superman and Batman, were introduced in comic books.
• Which political perspective often influenced the social criticism in literature during the Great Depression?

  Leftist political views
• What was the mission of the projects funded by New Deal programs in the arts?

  To bring culture and arts to the masses
• Who is considered the quintessential author of the Great Depression era?

  John Steinbeck
• What subjects did John Steinbeck often write about in his works?

  Poor, working-class people and their struggles
• What nickname was given to the 1930s in relation to Hollywood?

  The "golden age" of Hollywood
• Movies

  A trip to the cinema was one of the most popular leisure activities of the 1930s. The 60 million people who went each week often wanted to escape the trouble of the Depression. Comedies starring Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy, Walt Disney cartoons and horror films such as Dracula were very popular.

  Adaptations of classic and best-selling literary works were popular. Among them are such classics of American cinema as King Kong (1933), Anna Karenina (1935), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Gone With the Wind (1939), and Grapes of Wrath (1940).
• What is considered John Steinbeck's masterpiece?

  The Grapes of Wrath
• What are some other popular novels written by John Steinbeck?

  • Tortilla Flat
  • Of Mice and Men
  • Cannery Row
  • East of Eden
• What types of movies were produced during the 1930s in Hollywood?

  Both low-budget and epic expensive movies that became classics
• In what year was John Steinbeck awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature?

  1962
• What was the purpose of the Motion Picture Production Code of 1930?

  To forbid certain subjects from being addressed or portrayed in film
• Why were the 1930s significant for American literature?

  It was a very important and productive decade for American literature
• What are the key cultural contributions of the 1930s in America?

  • Emergence of influential trends in literature, arts, music, and cinema
  • Establishment of New Deal programs to support artists and cultural projects
  • Recognition of the decade as the "golden age" of Hollywood
  • Implementation of the Motion Picture Production Code of 1930
  • Significant productivity in American literature
• The Arts


  Many of the works created under WPA belonged to Social Realism–an international art movement that depicted the everyday life of ordinary people, most notably, the working class and the poor. The WPA (Works Progress Administration) provided work for unemployed artists of all kinds. Actors were hired to put on free shows, artists to paint displays for schools etc. However, some people believed the WPA was a waste of taxpayers’ money
• What dominant form of music emerged in America by 1930?

  Swing
• How did swing music develop in relation to dance?


  Swing music developed with corresponding swing dance
• Who is considered the pioneer of jazz music mentioned in the study material?

  Louis Armstrong
• What impact did Louis Armstrong have on music?

  He inspired both mass audiences and fellow musicians
• What became a popular way to listen to recorded music in the 1930s?

  Gramophones and vinyl
• What was the era of immense popularity for radio?

  The 1930s
• How could Americans access radio if they did not own one?

  They could access one in their communities through friends or neighbours
• What types of content were popular on the radio during the 1930s?


  Content included comedy, music, theatre, soap operas, news, and political content
• Who was one of the biggest comedic radio personalities of the time?

  Bob Hope