Entertainment and Popular Culture During the Great Depression. The movie industry’s triumph in the 1930s lay in giving the public what it wanted to see. Movies, radio, and sports in the 1920s. Blog. 1920s America. Many people say that the “Golden Age of Sports” had … Great Depression - Great Depression - Popular culture: The indifference to politics and to the larger social concerns of the 1930s was reflected as well in the popular culture of the decade. Seminar led by Lewis Erenberg, Loyola University. Refrence.com stated that, “while sports took a dive during the great depression, baseball remained America's most popular sport.”(Pg 1, History. The Great Depression . Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives. The 1930s: The Not-So-Great Depression » 1930s Sports: History, Facts, MVPs & Champions; 1930s Sports: History, Facts, MVPs & Champions. Even during hard times and wartime, people need to be entertained. Comedies became specifically popular films, as they provided an escape from the grim realities of the time and brought momentary happiness that was much needed. Sports provided an inexpensive way for people to forget their troubles for a few hours, whether they were playing the game, watching it live or listening to it on the radio. com) But there was Baseball, boxing, and track they were three of the most popular sports in the 1930’s, due largely to the stars that captivated the fans of their respectives sports. Its product was therapeutic diversion for millions of Americans who needed to get away from their troubles. The 1930s weren’t dominated by a superstar like they were in the ’20s. In contrast to the prosperity of the Roaring Twenties, the 1930s emphasized simplicity and thrift. Previous Section Labor Unions During the Great Depression and New Deal; Next Section World War II; Race Relations in the 1930s and 1940s Negro and White Man Sitting on Curb, Oklahoma, 1939. Jan. 26, 2021. The 1930s was an era of the Great Depression; however, people and families still devised ways to have fun and be entertained through radio, music, dancing, football and movies. In the 1920s, radio and cinema contributed to the development of a national media culture in the United States. ... By discussing popular music, motion pictures, sports,and other aspects of entertainment, participants will have a chance to explore how to use entertainment in the classroom. Here’s a story of success plucked from adversity: the story of Hollywood’s response to the Great Depression. Five strategies to maximize your sales kickoff; Jan. 26, 2021 The Great Depression (1929-1939) was the worst economic downturn in modern history. The financial downturn of the Great Depression left many people in the 1930s out of work or out on the streets. Previous Section Americans React to the Great Depression; Next Section The Dust Bowl; Art and Entertainment in the 1930s and 1940s Saturday Night Dance, 1940 Voices from the Dust Bowl, 1940-1941. Interest in basketball, football, soccer and other major sports of today did not balloon in interest until decades later in the United States.