Even at the Depression's depths 60 to 80 million Americans attended the movies each week, and, in the face of doubt and despair, films helped sustain national morale. Although the movie industry considered itself Depression- proof, Hollywood was no more immune from the Depression's effects than any other industry.

How many people were going to the cinema in a week in the 1930s?

In 1930 (the earliest year from which accurate and credible data exists), weekly cinema attendance was 80 million people, approximately 65% of the resident U.S. population (Koszarski 25, Finler 288, U.S. Statistical Abstract).

Did the Great Depression increase movie attendance?

Between 1930 and 1933, however, movie attendance dropped from around ninety million admissions per week to sixty million admissions, and average ticket prices dropped from 30 cents to around 20 cents over the same span.

How many people went to the movies during the Depression?

60-90 million people went to the movies every week during the Depression, making in one of America's greatest past times. The average movie ticket price during this period was 25 cents, but Americans were willing to spend the money.

How many people a week went to the movies in the 1920s?

Cinema in the 1920s

People of all ages attended the movies with far more regularity than today, often going more than once per week. By the end of the decade, weekly movie attendance swelled to 90 million people.

History Brief: Movies in the 1930s

How many Americans went to the movies each week during the Great Depression?

Even at the Depression's depths 60 to 80 million Americans attended the movies each week, and, in the face of doubt and despair, films helped sustain national morale. Although the movie industry considered itself Depression- proof, Hollywood was no more immune from the Depression's effects than any other industry.

How many people did go to the movies a week in 1940?

The association made sure the good guys always won, sexuality was suggested rather than mentioned openly, and social issues were not debated. The strict censorship in Hollywood was meant to protect the nearly eighty million Americans who went to the movies each week.

Were movies popular during the Depression?

At an average price of $. 27 a ticket, movies offered a relatively inexpensive way to vacation from reality. Always popular, this sort of diversion was especially sought-after during the Great Depression. Audiences gloried in spectacular fantasies of high society and easy living that they would never know.

How often did many Americans go to the movies by 1929?

During the 1920s, movie attendance soared. By the middle of the decade, 50 million people a week went to the movies - the equivalent of half the nation's population. In Chicago, in 1929, theaters had enough seats for half the city's population to attend a movie each day.

How much did it cost to see a movie during the Great Depression?

Average Price of a Movie Ticket

Going to the movie theater provided a brief escape from the crisis of the Great Depression. Popular genres included musicals, comedies, gangster films, westerns, and thrillers. The average cost for a movie ticket in 1931 was 35 cents.

How did the Great Depression affect Theatres?

The Great Depression had an enormous impact on theatre across the United States. Productions decreased dramatically, audiences shrank, and talented writers, performers, and directors fled the industry to find work in Hollywood.

How did the Great Depression affect entertainment?

Although times were difficult during the Great Depression due to the economic circumstances, many forms of popular entertainment flourished. In addition to the many popular radio programs, the transition from silent films to sound pictures was complete by 1930, ushering in a Golden Age of Hollywood cinema.

How many movie theaters closed during the Great Depression?

Within this context, the nation's film exhibition sector experienced tremendous losses and closures. Film historian Kathryn Fuller-Seeley emphasizes that small town theaters were hit especially hard; she estimates that “by 1932, about 8,000 of the nation's 23,000 movie theaters were closed.

What was a popular movie during the Great Depression?

The Invisible Man (1933)

A science fiction/thriller was perfect for The Great Depression. People needed an opportunity to suspend disbelief. As the stock markets crashed around them, having a movie that provided thrills was what people needed.

When did the most people go to the movies per week in the US?

Try 1946, believed to be the all-time biggest movie year, when more than 80 million people-57 percent of Americans -went to theaters every week.

How much were movie tickets in the 1930s?

During the Great Depression, the financially bruised and battered everyman could temporarily escape his woes by paying 25 cents to go to the movies. Ironically, some of the most popular movies depicted the superrich, clothed in satin gowns, and top hats and tails.

Why did so many Americans go to the movies during the Great Depression?

The Great Depression was a largely successful decade for Hollywood. Tickets on average cost under a quarter for the whole of the 1930s, down from 35 cents in 1929, so spending time in the cinema was an affordable form of escapism for many.

How did the movie industry survive the Great Depression?

Providing a place of escape for the public allowed the film industry to survive the hardships of not only 1932, but the unparalleled unemployment level of 1933. Theaters adjusted to fit their audience's new budgets, and managed to drop ticket prices, while continuing their ledgers move back toward the black.

How many Americans attended movies in 1930?

In fact, the years of the 1930s are considered the golden era of Hollywood cinema. Eighty-five million people a week crowded movie theaters across America to escape their sometimes desperate financial situations.

Why was the biggest reason why so many people attended movies during the Great Depression?

Above all, when Americans went to the movies during the Great Depression, they did so as a means of escapism. They sought relief from their concerns through a good laugh, a good cry, a lyrical song, or by seeing good triumph over evil.

What ended the Great Depression?

Mobilizing the economy for world war finally cured the depression. Millions of men and women joined the armed forces, and even larger numbers went to work in well-paying defense jobs. World War Two affected the world and the United States profoundly; it continues to influence us even today.

How much did a movie ticket cost in 1933?

The "Great Depression". In 1933, the inflation-adjusted cost of a movie theater ticket was $6.14 - by 1937, this number had dropped all the way back down to $3.97 (inflation adjusted) as Americans struggled to afford nights out.

What was the weekly attendance at movies in 1950?

The most widely quoted source, the U.S. Census Bureau, shows that weekly attendance dropped from 80 million in 1940 and 90 million in 1946 to 60 million in 1950 and 40 million in 1960.

When did movie attendance peak?

The golden age of the Hollywood studio era peaked in 1947 with 4.7 billion of yearly admissions. With the advent of TV, the yearly attendance for theatrical screenings dropped by 78% in only 17 years (reaching 1.02 billion in 1964).

What was the biggest decade for movies?

The Roaring 20s introduced us to the magic of silent films, the Golden Age showcased Hollywood's star power, the 1970s revolutionized storytelling, and the 1980s and 1990s brought us larger-than-life blockbusters. The modern era continues to push boundaries and explore new frontiers.