The Golden Age of Hollywood

The 1940’s and 1930’s was named The Golden Age of Hollywood. It was the beginning of sound and colour and this changed the way film was made, and consumed.

Musicals were popular in the western world. Waner Brothers made the first musical called “The jazz singer” made in 1927. Towards the end of the 1930’s they phase out because people were so sick of them.

After the 30’s when sound was available in films, gangster films became very popular. They reflected the crime and violence that existed in society in that era. For example a real life gangster, Al Capone, and the 1929 St Valentines massacre contributed to the ideas in this genre.

Comedies were mainly the sub-genre screwball-a binary opposition of two ideas in one film eg rich and poor or educated and uneducated. It was a very popular slang word in the 1930’s and was then introduced as a genre in film.

Historical biopics were films based on famous figures or groups from the past. They were also very popular in the 1930’s.

In the 1940’s Social realism film were popular. They were based on political and social issues. Many of these films were based on inequality and injustice. Four films dealt with racism made in the late 1940’s.

Horror films became very popular- it is said to be the classical era. It also involved the Dracula and Frankenstein phase- werewolves, vampires, mad scientist themes ect.