Figure 1.--One of the best American films depicting American children is "To kill a mocking bird". Anyone interested in the American South should read Harper Lee's book and see the film which closely follows it. The two principal children which played the main roles in the film (Philip Alford and Mary Badham) were not trained actors, but performed beautifully..

Film making and entertainment have emerged as a major industry in America. The growth of the industry is a fascinating story. The production, distribution, and exhibition of films has evolved aloing with the changing structure of the industry. There have been a range of economic, industrial, and technological changes which have influenced the form and content of American films themselves. The industry began with kinetoscopes in the 1890s. Edison and his studio gave Amereica an early lead, but it was not until after World War I that America and Hollywood emerged as the film making capital of the world. Why this occurred is an interesting story which we do not yet fully understand. There has been a sea-change in how Americans see film--especially how children see them. Until World war II, American kids attended the Saurday mantinee. They usyally went with their friends, not their partents. Most kids by the time they began school did this. Older brothers would take younger brothers as did sisters. The kids would jam in the theaters. Front row seats were at a premium. They attended the neighborhood theater which was usually in walking distance of the home. It was the action pictures that were the great favorites. Stars like Tom Mix, Hopalong Cassidy, and Roy Roggers would bring thongs of kids--often toting their own six guns. The commotion could be deafening when the villan appeared or the hero rode to the rescue. Rooting for Hoppy at the top of your lungs with best friend was an important part of an American childhood. Given Hollywood's output, it is very difficult to develop a short list of the most important American films exploring American boyhood and illustrating boys' clothing. HBC has not restricted its list to just the more sophisticated, crtically acclaimed films. For example, the Disney film Follow Me Boys! would not be on a short list of critically aclaimed film. Yet it does accurately reflect American boyhood or rather how many of us would ideally describe American boyhood and there is a great deal of information about clothing over the spand of the film.

American Film Industry

Film making and entertainment have emerged as a major industry in America. The growth of the industry is a fascinating story. The production, distribution, and exhibition of films has evolved along with the changing structure of the industry. There have been a range of economic, industrial, and technological changes which have influenced the form and content of American films themselves. The industry began with kinetoscopes in the 1890s. Edison and his studio gave Amereica an early lead. Movies began as the Nickkleodian--because they only cost a nickle (5 cents). They were for workingmen. It was caught to mix them in with Vaudevill performers. The first Nicklelodians were a little seedy. Gradually the films became more sophiticated and the Nickleodians a little more respectable. They began to attrct women and children Then the first movie palaces began to appear. (Which is why many theaters were called The Pallace. By the 1910s, America and Hollywood began to emerge as the film making capital of the world. Why this occurred is an interesting story which we do not yet fully understand. A key factor explaining Hollywood was the warm sunny weather of southern California meant that films could be shot year round. There are a variety of aspects to the growth of the industry. Some of the most interesting include the star and studio systems, changing economics conditions, silent films and talkies, child stars, censorship, World War II, 1950s blacklisting, and fianlly competition with television. The end of the studio system in the 1950s and 60s has brought many changes to the industry. As has the competition with television.

Soundies

A HBC reader tells us anout an early form of music videos called 'soundies'. He reports that they were briefly popular during the World War II period. We are not sure about the chronology. They may have appeared in the late-1930s. They apparently were most popular during the War years (1942-45). This was also the Big Band era. In the late-1930s and World War II era it involved projecting short film clips of popular bands. Apparently during the War, people flush with cash and no where to spend it went out a gerat deal. And many bars and dance halls projected these soundies. They quickly disappeared after the War. As consumer products appeared in the stores again, people stopped going out so much and focused on now available consumer products, especially home entertaiment items: radios, phonographs, and by the late-40s--televisions.

American Movie Going

There has been a sea-change in how Americans see film--especially how children see them. Until World War II, American kids attended the Saurday mantinee. They usyally went with their friends, not their partents. Most kids by the time they began school did this. Older brothers would take younger brothers as did sisters. The kids would jam in the theaters. Front row seats were at a premium. They attended the neighborhood theater which was usually in walking distance of the home. It was the action pictures that were the great favorites. Stars like Tom Mix, Hopalong Cassidy, and Roy Roggers would bring thongs of kids--often toting their own six guns--although many theaters banned them. The commotion could be deafening when the villan appeared or the hero rode to the rescue. Rooting for Hoppy at the top of your lungs with best friend was an important part of an American childhood. And we all learned that no matter how dire the threat--the cavalry would always appear in the nick of time, buggles balzing and swords drawn. What we didn't know at the time and Hollywood didn't dare show us was that many of those cavalry troopers were Black--the famed Bufalo Soldiers. Then there were the serials with Buck Rodgers and others who always kept you on the edge of the chair. In the 1930s gangster films were added to the Wsterns and in the 40s war films appaered. But this is now all a thing of the past. Two decelopments changed all this. One was the movement to the suburbs and the other was television. Kids are now taken to theaters in malls. They watch the films in silence with their parents or a small grop of friends their patents have brought along.

Important American Films

Given Hollywood's output, it is very difficult to develop a short list of the most important American films exploring American boyhood and illustrating boys' clothing. HBC has not restricted its list to just the more sophisticated, crtically acclaimed films. For example, the Disney film "Follow Me Boys!" would not be on a short list of critically aclaimed film. Yet it does accurately reflect American boyhood or rather how many of us would ideally describe American boyhood and there is a great deal of information about clothing over the spand of the film. One common theme in American movies during the 1930s-50s was that rich kids were spoiled and often dressed in fancy sissy clothes. Movies with that theme included "The Magnificent Ambersons" (1942), many productions of "Tom Sawyer" (the Sid character), and "Newly Rich" (1931). It was called "Forbidden Adventure" in the UK. "Newly Rich" is an especially good example of this genre. There is one very destinctive feature of this list--it only includes Anmerican films. Hollywood has made films about all major countries around the world. Few movies about America, however, have been made by foreign film makers.

Foreign Films

America has made many films about foreign countries, especially European films. Some of the best known films about foreign countries are American made films. This includes England ("Lassie Come Home"), Scotland ("Braveheart"), Wales ("How Green is my Valley"), and others. Foreign countries have, on the other hand, rarely made fiolms about America. One of the few exceptions are the Italian Spagetti Westerns.

Hollywood's Political Role

The question of Hollywood's role in poltical debate is a very difficult one. The American approach has been primarily to grant film makers the same rights as jourmalists. Here wehave two issues to consider. One is the role of film nakers in normal times. The other is the role of film makers in national emergencies.

Created: January 27, 2001
Last updated: 5:27 AM 8/16/2012