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.

Did people go to the movies during the 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 went to the movies in 1930s?

Millions of people went to the movies then. The high point was between 1929 and 1932. In '33 and '34 it declined a lot, then it picked up a little again. In the peak years about 88 million people would go to the movies every week.

How many people went to the movies in the 1920?

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.

Did people go to the movies in the 1930s?

The American people in the 1930s and 1940s were no exception. They enjoyed many forms of entertainment, particularly if they could do so inexpensively. With the addition of sound, movies became increasingly popular. Comedies, gangster movies, and musicals helped people forget their troubles.

Did people watch films during The Great Depression? - Going to the Movies - 1930 to 1940

How often did people go 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. The silent movies of the early 1920s gave rise to the first generation of movie stars.

When were movies popular during the Depression?

Movies. Comedies were popular films in the 1930s. A good laugh eased the mind and brought joy in a time of adversity. Towards the late 1930s, films that showed how America was fighting against the Great Depression became popular as well.

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.

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

At motion pictures' height of popularity in the mid-1940s, the studios were cranking out a total of about 400 movies a year, seen by an audience of 90 million Americans per week.

How many Americans went to the movies in 1930?

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).

How often did people go to the movies in the 1940s?

During the 1930s and 1940s, cinema was the principal form of popular entertainment, with people often attending cinemas twice a week.

What was popular during the Great Depression?

Radio programs, music, dancing and dance marathons, and cinema were popular forms of entertainment during the Great Depression. Many people affected by the economic downturn sought inexpensive ways to pass the time and distract themselves from the challenging circumstances.

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.

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 much did movie tickets cost 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 movie theaters thrive during 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.

When was the peak movie attendance in the United States?

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 did the average movie ticket cost in 1940?

In 1940, a movie ticket cost a quarter. Now, some theaters charge upwards of $10 for admission.

How much did it cost to go to the movies in 1947?

In an average week in 1947, 90 million Americans, out of a total population of only 151 million, went to a movie, paying on the average forty cents for a ticket. Nor was this massive outpouring, about two thirds of the ambulatory population, the product of expensive national marketing campaigns.

How often did people go to the movies in the 30s?

Back in the Golden Age of the cinema (1930-1945), most Americans went to the movie theater every week. In the early 1940s households averaged over two trips to the movie theater per week.

What is the longest running movie in cinema history?

How many hours is the longest movie in history?

The longest film ever made, according to Guinness World Records, is "The Cure for Insomnia" (1987), directed by John Henry Timmis IV. It lasts 85 hours and is considered an extraordinary achievement in the film industry.

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.

What was the name of the biggest hit movie of the Depression era?

One of the most successful films of the 1930s is Gone with the Wind, released in 1939 and still the highest-grossing film of all time when adjusted for inflation. The 1930s also saw the rise of stars like Clark Gable, who became a household name thanks to his roles in the iconic film It Happened One Night (1934).

What did people do for fun in the Great Depression?

Many who could not afford books or periodicals spent time reading in libraries. Inexpensive amusements included backyard games, puzzles, card games, and board games such as Monopoly, which was introduced in 1935. Even the national pastime, baseball, changed profoundly during the Great Depression.