The Era of the Icons

The Golden Age of Hollywood, from the 1920s to the 1960s was the era of great artistry and commercial success for the American film industry. A period that I enjoyed learning from my recent Film History Class. This era was composed of many iconic films that featured well-known actors, actresses, and directors, who have inspired and influenced our modern-day cinema. It was also a period of significant social and political change.

It was a time when movie studios owned their own theaters and had complete control over the production and distribution of their films. Most of the power came from the five big studios at the time. MGM (Metro Goldwyn-Mayer), Paramount Pictures, Warner Brothers, 20th Century-Fox and RKO. These studios known for their control at the time, were one of the significant factors in the Golden Age of Hollywood. With many films that tackled controversial issues like racism, sexism, and war, this power to influence and shape the way people think concerned most people. So the Supreme Court forced the studios to break up their businesses, sell their theaters, and focus on just production and distribution.

Another notable mention; this was the time color came into the pictures! James Clerk Maxwell, A Scottish physicist, built the foundation of color photography. It then birthed the idea of putting color into film! With sound and color in the picture, the ideas for creating stories skyrocketed! The genres of dystopian and out-of-this-world stories only scratched the surface of what was being created. Monster movies like the famous King Kong were recreated, musicals like Singin’ in the Rain emerged and the iconic film Citizen Cane made its way to the screen.

Another mark of this time was the rise of some of the great actors and actresses in history names like Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Aubrey Hepburn, and many more. These stars brought excitement and captivated audiences. There was so much to learn from this era and I can see why this is an age that remains beloved and iconic and continues to inspire new generations of filmmakers and movie lovers.