Movies of the 1920's
By: TRENTON MENTZER
The start of Movies
- Movies became really big in the 1920s, expanding upon the new invention of film from earlier years.
- Most US film production at the start of the decade occurred in or near Hollywoodland now just know as Hollywood, on the West Coast, although some films were still being made in New Jersey and in Astoria on Long Island (Paramount).
- By the mid-20s, movies were big business (with a capital investment totaling over $2 billion) with some theatres offering double features.
- By the end of the decade, there were 20 Hollywood studios, and the demand for films was greater than ever.
- Most people are unaware that the greatest output of feature films in the US occurred in the 1920s and 1930s (averaging about 800 film releases in a year) - nowadays, it is remarkable when production exceeds 500 films in a year.
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE (16 April 1889 – 25 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the silent era. Chaplin became a worldwide icon through his screen persona "the Tramp" and is considered one of the most important figures in the history of the film industry.[1] His career spanned more than 75 years, from childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death in 1977, and encompassed both adulation and controversy.
Silent films
Silent movies dominated until the late 1920s
The 1920's movie goers experience was largely dominated by silent movies but saw the introduction of synchronized sound.
In the 1920's movie stars were really stars - with giant amounts of money, the fashions and activities of the Hollywood greats echoed around the world and 100,000 people would gather in cities all over the world, including such diverse cities as London and Moscow, to greet Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks when they toured of Europe.