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 much did movies cost in 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.

How much did a movie ticket cost in 1929?

In 1929, a bag of popcorn cost only 5 cents (the equivalent of 62 cents after inflation) and a movie ticket cost 35 cents ($4.32 after inflation).

How much did things cost during the Great Depression?

During The Great Depression the cost of living was an average of $4,000 per year, today that amount would be equivalent to $60,575. Yet, the average salary was $1,125 per year. Today a single person household costs $1,000 per month and a family of four is $4,000 per month.

Why did movie theaters lower prices 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.

The Great Depression - 5 Minute History Lesson

How much did it cost to go to the movies in 1920?

Cinema in the 1920s

A ticket for a double feature and a live show cost 25 cents. For a quarter, Americans could escape from their problems and lose themselves in another era or world. People of all ages attended the movies with far more regularity than today, often going more than once per week.

How much did a movie ticket cost in 1935?

Observe that in constant dollars, movie-ticket prices more than doubled between 1935 (when they cost a quarter; that's $2.93 in 1999 dollars) and 1970 (when they cost $1.55; $6.68 in 1999 dollars). Prices for movie tickets peaked, in constant dollars, during the 1970s.

Who was still rich during the Great Depression?

Not everyone, however, lost money during the worst economic downturn in American history. Business titans such as William Boeing and Walter Chrysler actually grew their fortunes during the Great Depression.

How much was a gallon of milk during the Great Depression?

But when the Great Depression hit in 1929, fewer people could afford milk and dairy farmers still had a lot of milk to sell. The price dropped from 35¢ per gallon to 26¢ per gallon. It doesn't sound like much, but 9¢ in 1930 is about $1.09 in today's dollars.

How much did a gallon of milk cost in 1920?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 1920, butter cost $. 70 per lb, milk cost around $. 60 per gallon, and eggs cost $. 68 a dozen.

How much did a dozen eggs cost in 1920?

Grocery Items

It's surprising what certain items at the grocery store would have set you back in 1920. For instance, a dozen eggs cost 47 cents ($7.09 today), one pound of round steak cost 40 cents ($6.04 today), and three pounds of macaroni cost 25 cents ($3.77 today).

How much was popcorn in the 70s?

“I would say the '70s is when it first started to change,” says Oberleitner. “The quarter cup of popcorn increased to 50 cents, 75 cents and then $1. This all happened pretty rapidly through the course of the '70s, and by the time we hit the '80s it was in full gear completely.”

What could 5 cents buy in 1930?

When I was growing up in Hartford in the 1930s, for 3 cents, we could buy The Courant, The Hartford Times or a postage stamp. For 5 cents, we could buy an ice-cream cone, a cup of coffee, a doughnut, a bottle of Coke or a Hershey bar.

How much was a house during the Great Depression?

Housing values dropped by approximately 35 percent. A house, worth $6,000 before the Depression, was worth approximately $3,900 in 1932. By the early 1930s, many people owed more money through their existing mortgages than the reduced value of their home.

How much was ice cream in 1930?

Offering customers a bargain proved to be more successful. The five-cent ice cream cone was not profitable, according to a trade magazine, but it was worth it because it brought in customers.

How much did eggs cost during the Great Depression?

At the store, the price of chicken fell from 38 cents a pound to 12 cents, the price of eggs dropped from 50 cents a dozen to just over 13 cents, and the price of gasoline fell from 10 cents a gallon to less than a nickel.

What is the poor man's meal?

Potatoes were also inexpensive and used extensively. Some meals even used both. One of these meals was called the Poor Man's Meal. It combined potatoes, onions, and hot dogs into one hearty, inexpensive dish, which was perfect for the hard times people had fallen on.

Why was there no food during the Great Depression?

Money. During the Great Depression, which occurred from 1929 to 1933, many Americans lost all of their money and were not able to get jobs. Therefore, they were not able to buy food. Since most people did not have enough money to shop for food, there wasn't enough business to keep most of the groceries fully stocked.

What assets did best during the Great Depression?

Obviously, stocks did horribly during the Great Depression. But bonds did well. Interest rates and bond prices are two ends of a seesaw. When bond yields are rising (usually from investors anticipating higher inflation), bond prices go down–and vice versa.

What businesses thrived in the Great Depression?

Who made money off the 2008 crash?

In the mid-2000s, Burry was famous for placing a wager against the housing market and profited handsomely from the subprime lending crisis and the collapse of numerous major financial entities in 2008.

What was the average cost of a movie ticket in the 1950s?

In 1950, a person could purchase a movie ticket for a mere 46 cents on average. By 2016, the average ticket price had increased to $8.65 -- and the increase in ticket prices shows no signs of slowing down. Still, the prices of tickets are much more consistent when adjusted for inflation.

How much were movie tickets in the 80s?

A trip to the movie theater in 1985, perhaps to see "The Breakfast Club" or "Back to the Future," cost $3.55 per ticket, on average, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners. Nowadays, you'll have a difficult time finding anything at the concession stand -- let alone an actual movie ticket -- for $3.55.

What was the average price of a movie ticket in 1985?

The average price of seeing a flick was $3.55 in 1985, not including popcorn and soda. Today? It's $9.16, well above the inflation-adjusted 1985 price of $8.65.