The 1930s: My Favorite Era for Classics

What decade are you drawn to for classic films and why? I’ve made no secret how much I love the 1930s, but lately I’ve been thinking about how special this decade’s movies are to me. When I was 9, I was reading a book series set in the Great Depression, which led me into the world of classic film–but there was a glimpse of these films before that.

It Begins with a Memory at a Movie Theatre

The photo I remember from the movie theatre: Jean Harlow with her 1932 Packard. Click image for larger view. Source: Tumblr

My first memory becoming acquainted with 1930s films is of a dimly lit red carpeted hall of a movie theatre I went to when I was a kid, which had several gold framed photos along the walls. I took my time looking at all of the different ones, but there was one photo in particular of a woman with platinum hair posing by a car. She didn’t look like a movie star in the sense of an evening gown and furs with a limo. She was dressed casually, her pose and smile seemed friendly. This was a year before I began to watch classic films and later learned the photo was of Jean Harlow. Today the photo represents to me a type of lifestyle in 1930s Hollywood–an enjoyable place without visible worry. One of the ways I describe the era’s films is their exuberance that transports one to another world. Back then it could prove a turnaround. I never forgot Ken Burns’s The Dust Bowl had a story about a movie theatre on the verge of closing, but citizens insisted it stay open because the movies uplifted them.

What was The Intrigue of 1930s Movies?

Lobby card of Blonde Crazy (1931), starring James Cagney and Joan Blondell, the first precode I watched. Source: Pinterest

A handful of classics sparked my interest in the ’30s between the ages of 9 to 13. Today they’re still some of my favorites. The following, along with several others, showed me the variety of stories and characters that existed during the era:

• Blonde Crazy (1931), the first precode and film I saw of Joan Blondell and James Cagney’s. Their chemistry seemed natural and I’ve enjoyed their acting since. This movie made me love precodes because of its reckless mood, mixing drama with comedy. Blondell’s character was funny yet strong. I always remember the jewelry scene with Guy Kibbee.
• The Thin Man (1934), made me a fan of the detective/mystery genre. William Powell and Myrna Loy were likable immediately. The Thin Man boxset was one of the first in my collection. I liked how Loy as Nora Charles wasn’t easily scared and seemed graceful. The gunshot scene is a favorite because of the fast dialogue and Nora’s comment.
• Swing Time (1936) introduced me to Fred and Ginger–especially Ginger Rogers’s films, as well as to musicals. I still get chills watching the dance after Fred Astaire sings Never Gonna Dance, which has always stayed in my mind. The costumes and set design, especially the glimmering backdrop during this particular dance, made me interested in the style of the era, as well as the art direction–but I didn’t realize it yet.
• Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938) was one of the first Shirley Temple movies I saw. It’s one of her best in my opinion. I had read some of the novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin, but this version quickly became a favorite of mine because it incorporated radio with Temple’s cheerful character. The songs are very good including Come and Get Your Happiness, and a duet sung by Jack Haley and Phyllis Brooks (dubbed by Loretta Lee).

A Special Era for Filmmaking

Constance Bennett during a scene for Bought (1931). Click for larger view. I like this angle as it shows sound recording before boom sticks. Notice the crew in the doorway, indicating there’s more people on set than often seen in behind the scenes photos. Source: Film Noir Photos

1930s movies are fascinating to me because of the change in storytelling. Refining talkies allowed the sound department to become another valuable addition to filmmaking and screenwriters seemed more recognized by audiences too. I think it’s interesting to watch how movies evolved over the decade, from technical to writing. More independent studios formed, such as Monogram Pictures. The art direction of 1930s film defined and preserved the elegance and grit associated with the time. Often it’s thought of that people only dreamed of becoming movie stars, but there were others ready to become technicians and designers. Costume designer Orry-Kelly is one of the many who began his career in the decade. Screenplays themselves show the stories audiences enjoyed (or felt uneasy about), and sometimes a glimpse of history which influenced the narratives. Some of my other favorite themes/genres from this era include: fast paced plots of newspaper reporters, crime/gangster, Depression conscious stories about people pulling through, melodramas, and comedies of the witty sophisticated type to screwballs.

…and An Interesting Time in History to Explore

Located in Kannapolis, North Carolina is The Gem Theatre, as photographed in 1938 playing Fools for Scandal. The film starred Carole Lombard with Fernand Gravet. Source: Cinema Treasures

It’s become an adventure to explore classic films and life of the 1930s because of how vast the history of both subjects are. Sometimes I’ve been asked why I’m interested in the movies of a time that I never lived through. If you like classics, maybe you’ve experienced something similar. With old movies, I feel one has to look past the obvious changes in equipment. A good story or performance is still that over 75 years later. For myself, the delight of the 1930s is not having been there, trying to piece together what the era and filmmaking was like back then. What I’ve learned so far about the 1930s has helped me understand and enjoy classic films more. The stories of the Great Depression have made me feel a lot of respect and inspiration by the perseverance of the people from that time. Getting to enjoy and learn about the films that entertained them in a new era is so much fun and something I feel grateful for.

What’s your favorite decade for classic films and what makes it special to you?

 

*Cover Photo: Hemet Theater in Hemet, CA. Circa 1936. Source: Bugard/Martin Archive and the Historic Hemet Theater Committee at Cinema Treasures