Since their introduction into American culture in the early twentieth century, movies have provided affordable entertainment to people from all backgrounds, races, and classes. Because of this position as popular culture, they are valuable sources of historical and cultural information.

 

Movies both reflect and create culture. Filmmakers use themes and genres that speak to the emotions and attitudes of their audiences in hopes of enticing them to buy a ticket to see the show. As a result, films capture the hopes, fears, truths, and morals of society at a specific time period. At the same time, movies also create culture. Studios, filmmakers, and governments use movies overtly and covertly to push their own ideas, shape peoples’ thoughts, and sway national opinion in their favor. Because of these reasons, it is possible to understand how historical events have impacted American culture and consciousness over time by examining popularity trends in movie genres.

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Click on the images below to learn about the movie trends from the 1930s-1960s.