The Rise of Hollywood

• By 1930, a few film companies controlled the U.S. film industry due to rising moviemaking costs.
• Jewish immigrants from central and Eastern Europe founded Hollywood because cinema was initially seen as lower-class entertainment.
• Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Warner founded Warner Bros after their parents emigrated from Poland.
• By 1918, Universal, Paramount, Columbia, and MGM were founded or led by Jewish executives.
• These studio founders intentionally produced films that promoted American ideals of opportunity, democracy, and freedom.
• Film moguls created longer, high-quality movies for grand theaters, appealing to middle and upper classes while retaining working-class viewers with blended values.
• Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments" (1923) mixed biblical themes with depictions of revelry.
• Samuel Rothafel's Roxy Theater in New York accommodated over six thousand patrons with luxurious amenities.
• Warner Bros invested heavily to showcase "The Jazz Singer" (1927), the first movie synchronized sound.
• Weekly movie attendance increased significantly, from sixteen million in 1912 to forty million in the early 1920s.
• William Fox of Fox Film Corporation called motion pictures a distinctly American institution with no seating restriction, appealing to nearly all Americans.
• Women made up over 60% of moviegoers and were drawn to stars like Mary Pickford, who embodied a glamorous lifestyle.
• Mary Pickford earned one million dollars a year by 1920 through film and endorsements contracts.
• Radio's Rise
• Radio became popular around 1920, with about half of American homes owning one by 1930.
• Radio stations offered entertainment through advertisements and sponsorships, such as "The Maxwell House Hour" and "The Lucky Strike Orchestra".
• Soap operas emerged as a genre, sponsored by soap companies to entertain housewives.
• Corporations like NBC and CBS controlled radio stations; radio programs were less constrained by traditional boundaries.
• Radio disseminated popular culture nationally, exposing Americans to diverse types of music.
• Jazz, originating from the African-American community in New Orleans, gained popularity through radio and records.
• The New York Times derided jazz, but it represented cultural independence for others.
• Jewish Lithuanian-born singer Al Jolson became a popular singer.
• Sports in the 1920s
• Play-by-play radio broadcasts marked a new era for sports.
• Jack Dempsey, the heavyweight champion, drew large audiences and media attention.
• Red Grange popularized professional football, joining the Chicago Bears in 1925.
• Babe Ruth, grew up in an orphanage in Baltimore’s slums.
• Babe Ruth hit fifty-four home runs in 1920, more than any other team combined.
• Heroes of the Era
• Charles Lindbergh completed the first nonstop solo flight from New York to Paris on May 21, 1927.
• Lindbergh's flight restored faith in individual effort and technological advancement.
• Lindbergh was dubbed “the heir of all that we like to think is best in America.”
• Cultural Escape
• Popular culture in the 1920s revolved around escape.
• Coney Island offered new amusements, and Americans enjoyed major motion pictures in theaters.
• Radio broadcasted jazz, soap operas, and sports events.
• Dempsey, Grange, Ruth, and Lindbergh symbolized breaking boundaries.
• Although they did could eliminate the memories of WWI, they offered a brighter future.

In the early 20th century, Jewish immigrants founded major film studios, shaping American cinema. Companies like Warner Bros produced films promoting American ideals. Moguls created high-quality movies for grand theaters, blending values to appeal to diverse audiences.