Movies
Written by Daelin, Eli, Michael, Riley, Anonymous
Have you ever thought about how much movies have influenced the world we live in today? They have, a lot. Since the early 1900s when the first pictures made for entertainment had their glorious premieres, to now, 110 or-so years later, movies have influenced the world, society, and the way we think. Examples of this are relevant every day, in all sorts of ways. For example, in President Ronald Reagan’s 1986 state of the union address, Reagan (a former actor himself) said the famous line; "As they said in the film Back to the Future, where we're going, we don't need roads." (Ronald Reagan - State of the Union 1986) In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, movies are also relevant, in subtle ways. Thus, 30s movies are part of the novel's historical background.
Movies in the 30s were big. The 1930s (along with the 1940s) has been called the “Golden Age of Hollywood” (Film History). Gone were the silent films of the twenties, in was the new Vitaphone sound-on-disk technology that allowed full-talking and often singing films, usually very lavish and glamorous. It was not long before optical soundtracks on the film replaced Vitaphone, for this method was cheaper, better quality. It is still in use to this day. Using this new technology and following the success of 1923's The Hunchback of Notre Dame and 1925's The Phantom of the Opera (both starring Lon Chaney, Sr.) Universal Studios started their long line of classic monster horror movies, beginning with Dracula and Frankenstein in 1931. Another breakthrough in cinema during this decade was Technicolor. Films in the early 30s perhaps had two- color Technicolor segments, but by 1939, such movies like Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz were filmed almost entirely in three-color Technicolor (Film History). The vast majority of movies in the 30s were not realistic, so these fictional films provided somewhat of an escape for the people who saw them, escape from problems such as the Great Depression. Heroes and anti-heroes also shared the silver screen. It was the heyday of the gangster film, such as 1931's Public Enemy with James Cagney. There were also musicals, such as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in Shall We Dance (1937) (America’s Decades). Also, there were kid movies like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and successful films featuring child actors Shirley Temple and Mickey Rooney were released at this time (Paradise in Celluloid). All of these films were entertaining in different ways, but at the same time they provided escape from the problematic world in the 1930s.
To Kill a Mockingbird was based in the early 1930s and has many connections to movies. This time was very big for cinema because they had just come out with new sound technology and some of the first color pictures. To go to a movie in this time was not an everyday thing. For a lot of people, it was formal event. For example, in the book, Lee writes: "His mother worked for a photographer in Meridian, had entered his picture in a Beautiful Child contest and won five dollars. She gave the money to Dill, who went to the picture show twenty times on it" (7). This shows that movies were valued much more then, because movies were instead called “picture shows” and they seemed like a big deal for Dill. Also, Dill saw 20 movies with five dollars but that still seemed like a lot of money to them. Another example occurs on page 7: "Don’t have any pictures here, except Jesus ones in the courthouse sometimes." This is an example of how scarce movies where back then. Even in large towns there were not many theatres; and if films were shown they were often religious films in makeshift theatres. Dill talks about how he saw Dracula. Dracula, along with Frankenstein, both premiered in 1931, and were the first major horror movies produced in sound by Universal Studios. Finally, another example of 1930s influence in To Kill a Mockingbird occurs throughout the book. During the summer, Jem, Scout, and Dill pass the time by acting out movies they’ve seen or heard of. These may just be childish games, but one could infer that this was the children’s way of dealing with the depression of the 30s.
The 30s were a big time in movie history. For the first time, movies were produced in full sound, and some of the first major full color films where released at this time like The Wizard of Oz. To Kill a Mockingbird was set in the same time as some of the greatest movies. The worlds view on movies changed in the 30s. This is clearly relevant in the novel, such as when Dill talks about going to the “picture shows” and how he sawDracula. This is just a little bit of history of the 30s cinema that coincides with To Kill a Mockingbird.
Movies in the 30s were big. The 1930s (along with the 1940s) has been called the “Golden Age of Hollywood” (Film History). Gone were the silent films of the twenties, in was the new Vitaphone sound-on-disk technology that allowed full-talking and often singing films, usually very lavish and glamorous. It was not long before optical soundtracks on the film replaced Vitaphone, for this method was cheaper, better quality. It is still in use to this day. Using this new technology and following the success of 1923's The Hunchback of Notre Dame and 1925's The Phantom of the Opera (both starring Lon Chaney, Sr.) Universal Studios started their long line of classic monster horror movies, beginning with Dracula and Frankenstein in 1931. Another breakthrough in cinema during this decade was Technicolor. Films in the early 30s perhaps had two- color Technicolor segments, but by 1939, such movies like Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz were filmed almost entirely in three-color Technicolor (Film History). The vast majority of movies in the 30s were not realistic, so these fictional films provided somewhat of an escape for the people who saw them, escape from problems such as the Great Depression. Heroes and anti-heroes also shared the silver screen. It was the heyday of the gangster film, such as 1931's Public Enemy with James Cagney. There were also musicals, such as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in Shall We Dance (1937) (America’s Decades). Also, there were kid movies like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and successful films featuring child actors Shirley Temple and Mickey Rooney were released at this time (Paradise in Celluloid). All of these films were entertaining in different ways, but at the same time they provided escape from the problematic world in the 1930s.
To Kill a Mockingbird was based in the early 1930s and has many connections to movies. This time was very big for cinema because they had just come out with new sound technology and some of the first color pictures. To go to a movie in this time was not an everyday thing. For a lot of people, it was formal event. For example, in the book, Lee writes: "His mother worked for a photographer in Meridian, had entered his picture in a Beautiful Child contest and won five dollars. She gave the money to Dill, who went to the picture show twenty times on it" (7). This shows that movies were valued much more then, because movies were instead called “picture shows” and they seemed like a big deal for Dill. Also, Dill saw 20 movies with five dollars but that still seemed like a lot of money to them. Another example occurs on page 7: "Don’t have any pictures here, except Jesus ones in the courthouse sometimes." This is an example of how scarce movies where back then. Even in large towns there were not many theatres; and if films were shown they were often religious films in makeshift theatres. Dill talks about how he saw Dracula. Dracula, along with Frankenstein, both premiered in 1931, and were the first major horror movies produced in sound by Universal Studios. Finally, another example of 1930s influence in To Kill a Mockingbird occurs throughout the book. During the summer, Jem, Scout, and Dill pass the time by acting out movies they’ve seen or heard of. These may just be childish games, but one could infer that this was the children’s way of dealing with the depression of the 30s.
The 30s were a big time in movie history. For the first time, movies were produced in full sound, and some of the first major full color films where released at this time like The Wizard of Oz. To Kill a Mockingbird was set in the same time as some of the greatest movies. The worlds view on movies changed in the 30s. This is clearly relevant in the novel, such as when Dill talks about going to the “picture shows” and how he sawDracula. This is just a little bit of history of the 30s cinema that coincides with To Kill a Mockingbird.
Works Cited
"Film History of the 1930s." Greatest Films. Web. 22 Mar. 2012.
Immell, Myra H., John F. Wukovits, Louise Gerdes, Stuart A. Kallen, William Dudley,
Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird. Philadelphia: Warner, 1960. Print.
Mark Ray. Schumidt, and Bonnie Szumski. "The Rise of the Common Man." Introduction. America's Decades:. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 2000. Print.
Paradise in Celluloid. Hard Times, the 30s. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life, 1969, 1998. 160. Print.
"Ronald Reagan - State of the Union 1986." Reagan 2020. Web. 04 Apr. 2012.
Immell, Myra H., John F. Wukovits, Louise Gerdes, Stuart A. Kallen, William Dudley,
Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird. Philadelphia: Warner, 1960. Print.
Mark Ray. Schumidt, and Bonnie Szumski. "The Rise of the Common Man." Introduction. America's Decades:. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 2000. Print.
Paradise in Celluloid. Hard Times, the 30s. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life, 1969, 1998. 160. Print.
"Ronald Reagan - State of the Union 1986." Reagan 2020. Web. 04 Apr. 2012.