Hollywood was at its peak in 1939 with over 300 films being released in that one year alone. However, “in December 1939, or in 1940, no one was saying Hollywood just had its greatest year ever” (Silet). At the time, people didn’t notice how many movies were being produced or all of the work that was being put into them. Leland Pague, professor of English at Iowa State University said, “we rarely take into account what was being done behind the scenes.” It wasn’t until years later people realized how incredible the year of 1939 was for Hollywood. The majority of the box office Top 20 in this year contained films that encouraged Americans to look to the past for reminders that they were great people once, and they could be again (Chadwick). However,
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People were being released from their jobs and struggled to live a decent life. The Great Depression hit people hard which resulted in people turning to movie theaters to dream of a better life and forget about their problems outside of the movie theater. Studios such as MGM, Warner Bros, Paramount, Twentieth Century Fox, and RKO created movies, shorts, and B-movies to distract everyday people from their tough life at home. The movies, actors, and directors that were presented in 1939 are what made the year so remarkable. Hollywood brightened one of the darkest years in American history with some of the greatest movies of all time. Movies such as Drums Along the Mohawk, The Wizard of Oz, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame were all popular movies that brought in over $1.5 million. Not only did The Wizard of Oz bring in plenty of money, but it …show more content…
Director Victor Fleming made two very popular movies possible with his hard work and perseverance. He produced The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind all in one year, and on top of that, both of those movies won different awards. Another popular director was John Ford. Ford produced the movies Young Mr. Lincoln, Drums Along the Mohawk, and Stagecoach, all of which were very successful. Without these directors along with many others, movies wouldn’t have been produced and people wouldn’t have been able to escape the harsh reality of what was going on in their
People were being released from their jobs and struggled to live a decent life. The Great Depression hit people hard which resulted in people turning to movie theaters to dream of a better life and forget about their problems outside of the movie theater. Studios such as MGM, Warner Bros, Paramount, Twentieth Century Fox, and RKO created movies, shorts, and B-movies to distract everyday people from their tough life at home. The movies, actors, and directors that were presented in 1939 are what made the year so remarkable. Hollywood brightened one of the darkest years in American history with some of the greatest movies of all time. Movies such as Drums Along the Mohawk, The Wizard of Oz, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame were all popular movies that brought in over $1.5 million. Not only did The Wizard of Oz bring in plenty of money, but it …show more content…
Director Victor Fleming made two very popular movies possible with his hard work and perseverance. He produced The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind all in one year, and on top of that, both of those movies won different awards. Another popular director was John Ford. Ford produced the movies Young Mr. Lincoln, Drums Along the Mohawk, and Stagecoach, all of which were very successful. Without these directors along with many others, movies wouldn’t have been produced and people wouldn’t have been able to escape the harsh reality of what was going on in their