Movies

In the 1920s
​ By: Gabriel Afuwape
Period 4
Movie Camera

(First Artifact)
Summary
This picture portrays a man behind a movie camera in the 1920s. It is a 35mm
motion picture camera. These cameras were no longer wooden like in the past,
the cameras were now made of metals. The cameras ran at 20 - 26 frames per
second.

Significance
These cameras show the stage of technology America was in during this period
of time. These cameras produced motion picture movies and these movies lifted
people’s spirits, despite these times of sorrow and fear. These cameras paved
the way for color motion picture films.

Compare and Contrast

The graphics of these cameras and the cameras of the 21st Century are very
different. The 1920s camera quality are far lower than the cameras we have now.
The 1920 cameras could only produce in black and white color. The cameras we
have now can produce in color. The film cameras we have today are digital and
are no longer motion picture.
Warner’s Theatre

(Second Artifact)
Summary
Warner’s theatre is a famous landmark and theatre located at Fresno, California.
It was built in 1928. The theatre was originally built by Alexander Pantages but
was later bought by the Warner Brothers. Its name was eventually changed to
Warnor’s Theatre due to trademark problems.

Significance
This theatre is one of the oldest theatres in America that is still functional.
Thousands of people came to this theatre and theatre like these in order to get
away from their problems. It is now a historic landmark and functions as a
non-profit organization.

Compare and Contrast

Unlike the movie theatres seen today, this venue only has a single room. The
movie theatres now have more than a single room. The interior design of the
Warnor Theatre is also different from the one’s seen today. The upper decking of
the Warnor Theatre is not connected to the lower area of the theatre and this is
dissimilar to theatres seen today. The movie theatres seen in both eras include
big billboards and posters on the outside to grab the attention of the audience.
The interiors for both theatres included seats that were slanted diagonally so that
everyone could see.
Movie Poster from 1920s
​

(Third Artifact)
Summary
This artifact is a poster for the movie The Wild Party created in 1929 which
starred Clara Bowie, who was a renowned actress and was known as the “It”
Girl. The poster is very vibrant in color with the purpose of appealing to a larger
number of people. This film is known for being Clara Bow’s first talkie.

Significance
The large letters and vibrant colors were meant to appeal to all people, whether
illiterate or literate. These posters helped make what movie posters are today,
not too wordy and eye catching. These posters were designed by well known
artists and thus, the digitally created posters seen today were influenced from
these posters.

Compare and Contrast

The posters from the 1920s were designed by artists and seem like they were
hand drawn unlike the posters we have today which are digital. This is due to the
lack of technology to create digital images in the 1920s. The posters in both time
eras include an interesting slogan, the actors name in emphasis and an
interesting background which grabs the attention of the audience.
Man Performing Stunt in Movie

(Fourth Artifact)
Summary
This picture is from a 1923 movie called Safety Last. It starred Harold Lloyd and
Mildred Davis. All stunts performed in this movie were real and without the help
of a professional stunt double, despite the fact that he only had three fingers. The
picture depicts Harold Lloyd dangling on a clock hand from a skyscraper. This
movie was filmed in downtown Los Angeles.

Significance
The stunts performed in this film were all completely real. This was what brought
rise to many future actors wanting to perform their own stunts. He was able to
persevere through these taxing challenges with only three fingers and this is
what makes all he did so honorable to the young actors during his time and
during our time. This movie remains one of the most prestigious films produced
in the past century.

Compare and Contrast

Most stunts performed in today’s film industry are done with the help of a stunt
double and safety equipment while the film Safety Last included neither. The film
is in black and white while films produced today are in color. Many films within
both generations have been produced in downtown Los Angeles and a few of the
buildings used in the movie are still around to this date.
Blackface in Movies

(Fifth Artifact)
Summary
This picture is from a 1927 movie called The Jazz Singer. This film starred Al
Jolson and he dons a ‘blackface” in this film. Blackface is a type of makeup non
African American performers used in order to play the role of an African american
person. This is also seen as a symbol of racism towards the black community as
it stereotypes the way African Americans look, often in an obnoxious way.

Significance
In today’s society, blackface is deemed as extremely offensive and is not seen in
the film industry. Although, in the past blackface was still derogatory, Al Jolson’s
The Jazz Singer had no racist intentions in it. A matter of fact, during this period
of time, this movie helped raise awareness to the black community. This was
also the first film to include a verbal speech in it and thus the first stepping stone
to the vocal movies we have today.

Compare and Contrast

The blackface shown in this movie is no longer seen in the film industry today.
Not many movies based on the jazz culture are seen today either. Unlike this
generation’s movies, “The Jazz Singer” is in black and white.
A Woman’s “It” Factor in Film

(Sixth Artifact)
Summary
This artifact depicts the original “It” girl, Clara Bow, in the film IT trying to seduce
a man. This film was created in 1927. It is a silent romantic comedy movie. The
“It” slang in the 20s meant sexual appeal and Clara Bow was known for having
the most sex appeal in the film industry

Significance
Clara Bow was one of the women who influenced a woman’s role of film to being
a sex symbol. Women such as Marilyn Monroe, Kylie Jenner and Farrah Fawcett
all took inspiration from Clara Bow and her reputation as the first It Girl. Although
she is one of the pioneers to how women are depicted in film today, feminists find
her to be one of the founding reasons women are not be respected and treated
equally today.

Compare and Contrast

Today women in films are much more promiscuous when showing off their sex
appeal unlike in the 20s. In the 20s women in films were far less concerned
about having “It”, however, in today’s film industry, most women are mostly
concerned about showing off their bodies to the camera. In the 20s, flappers
were deemed to be the most attractive but in today’s society this style of dressing
is looked down upon.
Los Angeles
​

In
The 1920s
3rd Street, Los Angeles, Cali.

(First Artifact)
Summary
This artifact is a picture which shows 3rd Street in the 1920s. The area looks
busy but also very underdeveloped. The picture shows a horse carriage and
many automobiles. There are American flags on almost every building as a sign
of their patriotism to the United States of America. The streets also don't have
any street lanes or traffic lights.

Compare and Contrast

Now 3rd Street is a marketplace which sells various goods and also has many
restaurants. The cars are modern, there are traffic lights, telephone poles and
street lanes. A similarity between both roads however, is that they both appear to
be busy marketplaces and both roads are somewhat narrow and crowded.
Seventh and Broadway, Los Angeles, Cali.

(Second Artifact)
​
Summary
This artifact depicts Seventh and Broadway in the 1920s. Different vehicles
ranging from horse carriages to buses are all bundled up in a traffic jam. The
streets are very busy and all the men are wearing suits. The men are either going
to work or looking for jobs. This traffic jam looks to be due to lack of proper street
regulations. There were no street lanes or traffic lights.

Compare and Contrast

In this area today, there are still many old buildings. However, traffic lights have
been installed and street lanes have been created unto the streets. In both
generations, this area has no skyscrapers. Now, the streets are more lax and the
automobiles in the past are far different from the ones we have now.
 ​Individualized Field Trip

​(​Pellissier Building and Wiltern Theatre)

Summary
The Pellissier Building and Wiltern Theatre a 12 story landmark located in Koreatown. It
was designed by the architect ​Stiles O. Clements​ in 1931. It was originally called the
Warner Brothers Western Theater until it closed in 1932. It was reopened a few years
later and was named after the first three letters of Wilshire and the last three letters of
Western (Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue) which is the intersection which the
theatre faces towards. The architectural style of this building is Art Deco.