Pop Culture of the Roaring Twenties
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The Jazz Age
o Characterized by a meshing of African American tradition and ideals with white middle
class society
 Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong: two of the most prominent and influential
jazz musicians
o Affected all aspects of society: fashion, poetry, etc.
o Played more frequently on urban radio stations (cities like NYC and Chicago)
 Rather than on suburban counterparts
o Racial tensions lessened (but was still present)
Radio
o Frank Conrad, an engineer for Westinghouse, set up an amateur radio station above his
garage in a Pittsburgh suburb
o Nov. 2, 1920 – KDKA broadcasted Harding-Cox election
o Broadcasted popular music, classical music, sporting events, lectures, fictional stories,
newscasts, weather reports, market updates, political commentary, etc.
o Families gathered around their radios for night-time entertainment
o By 1922, 600 radio stations had sprung up around the United States
o The Radio Act of 1927 organized the Federal Radio Commission
 Designated air times to different groups and programs and monitoring the
growth of the radio history
o The Radio Corporation of America created Americas first radio network and called it the
National Broadcasting Company in 1926
o United States became more united
Dances
o Dance clubs became enormously popular; sponsoring dancing contest (foxtrot, waltz,
American tango, etc.)
o Physical contact between dance partners used to be considered scandalous in the early
1900’s, but it was a social norm in the 1920’s
o Fast paced and energetic, the new dancers were an escape from the horror of war, and
an opportunity to release pent up emotions created by the restricted lifestyle forced on
the public by the war effort
o Schools taught dancing to small children; children used dances to attract young people
o Charleston
 One of the most popular dances
 Names after the city of Charleston in South Carolina
 Became really famous after the song “Charleston” by James P. Johnson
 Upbeat and casual dance
o Lindy Hop
 Named for pilot Charles Lindbergh’s first solo non-stop flight from New York to
Paris in 1926
 Origins: Harlem. New York
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Films
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Based on Jazz, Tap, Breakaway, and the Charleston
First dance to include swinging the partner into the air and jumping in the
sequence
 Eventually evolved into swing dance
Movie industry skyrocketed in the 1920’s and Hollywood boomed
 Providing a new and accessible form of entertainment that led to the death of
Vaudeville
o Silent films were replaced by “talkies” in the late 1920’s
o Largely dominated by silent movies but saw the introduction of synchronized sound
o Famous actors and actresses got higher salaries than the president
o Early silent movies were often accompanied by live piano or organ music
o First theatres were called “Nickelodeons”
o 1922-1930, weekly U.S. movie attendance soared from about 40% to 90% of the
population
o Influenced youth’s concept of love and romance, wealth and glamour, physical
attractiveness, ideal behavior, friendship and loyalty, worthy ambitions. Racial
stereotypes, the world beyond their childhood experience, and values of “modern life”
German influences on movies
o Artistic movement termed Expressionism was established in the prolific European filmmaking industry following World War I
 Marked and featured by: stylization, dark shadows and dramatic lighting, visual
storytelling, grotesque characters, distorted or slanted angular shots and
abstract sets
o Three nightmarish, German expressionistic films were to have a strong and significant
influence on the coming development of the U.S. films
 Notably the horror film cycle of the Universal Studios
 Robert Wiene’s surrealistic fantasy/horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligary
(1919-1920)
 The earliest and most influential of German Expressionistic cinema
 F. W. Murnau’s classic vampire film (first of its kind)
 Fritz Lang’s Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler (1922) was based on a German film
Influential people in the 20’s
o Charlie Chaplin
 Icon of the silent film era
o Al Capone
 Most famous gangster in the 1920’s who influenced many action movies related
to gangs. Ex: Scarface
o Babe Ruth
 Most recognized for his many record breaking accomplishments and for being a
role model for any sports fanatic
Fashion influences
o Josephine Baker
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Most influential African-American entertainer in the 1920’s, a dancer who
popularized gold chains, banana skirts, large art deco earrings
Gloria Swanson
 International star largely because of the inspiration audiences found in her
fashion.
 Costume designer who popularized flapper dresses
Coco Chanel
 Leading French modernist designer who revolutionized women’s clothing
 Trousers, suit, collarless cardigan jacket, shoestring shoulder strap,
floating evening scarf