Today, Times Square is seen as a tourist attraction with people traveling to the United States from all over the world to visit New York. Times Square did not always have the glamorous portrayal it has in movies today. In the early twentieth century, Times Square was not a pleasant place and the sounds one would hear would be a lot different from today’s sounds.
In the 1920s Times Square had a brief heyday, from thriving entertainment and being the center of flashy commercial advertising, but Prohibition caused many downfalls in the entertainment industry, forcing theaters and nightclubs to close. Times Square was full of nightclubs and theaters, so as the demand lowered because of the limitation of serving alcohol, these venues needed to adapt their business to continue to bring in customers. Most theaters started to add rooftop gardens, cabarets, and restaurants that can maintain the long hour shifts for extra income (Reichl 53). During the “1927/1928 theater season, seventy-six theaters were operating in the greater Times Square theater district, but within a decade the number had dropped to thirty-three,” with none of the theaters on 42nd street in operation by the end of the 1930s (Reichl 56).
Eventually, theaters had to resort to other forms of entertainment; certain parts of Times Square were known for the peep shows, burlesque clubs, and video stores (McNamara 20). With a new crowd of people coming to see this type of entertainment, there were different sounds heard on the streets of Times Square then heard today. Outside of the theaters one would hear the chatter about the pornographic film being shown, hustlers trying to pick people up for a few hours, and mass transit passing by.
A few decades later, the do...
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...ainment attractions and sharing in the booming tourist economy of Times Square” (Reichl 160). Kids and adults now enjoy the theatrical performances of many Disney classics along 42nd Street and can end the visit by visiting the two-storey Disney Store to purchase various Disney trademarked items.
Most people do not realize the history of 42nd Street when they are passing by because they hear the speakers playing the soundtracks to shows, people selling tickets in the box office as well as scalpers trying to find tickets, and anxious kids waiting for the show to begin. The tourist area that 42nd Street has become is flourishing all because of Disney and how the officials looked passed the dingy look and negative views of 42md Street. Instead of focusing on the looks and negativity, Disney looked at this project as a business venture with a big picture aspect.
People had a lot of money to spend after the war, new fashion trends were popping up in every corner of the United States, and the nightlife became the center for social life. When the outlawing of alcohol started, the nightlife died but only for a short time. Many jazz clubs known as speakeasies kept the nightlife going and soon enough everybody was trying to get into one. What made these clubs grow so much in popularity was that it was a social place where people were able to both buy alcohol and dance. Both men and women alike were in the same crowded room and there was socializing, flirting, and dancing between the two sexes. Clubs during the 1920’s had played a major role in taking down the wall that separated men and women.”For the first time, women went out to drink too and occupied the same dark small, dark spaces as
Throughout the late 1920's an important theatrical movement developed: The Workers' Theatre Movement. In the end, it diminished around the middle of the 1930's, and one of the developments aiding the decline of the Workers' Theatre Movement, was the creation of the Federal Theatre Project. The Federal Theatre Project was the largest and most motivated effort mounted by the Federal Government to organize and produce theater events. Once the government took on the duty of putting people to work, it was able to consider the movement. The Federal Theatre Project’s purpose was “to provide relief work for theatrical artists that utilized their talents and to make their work widely available to ordinary Americans, thus democratizing high culture.” (www.answers.com) Furthermore the FTP tried to present theatre that was relevant socially, politically, and had popular prices, such as free shows. The majority of its famous productions, although not all of them, came out of New York City. New York had many units, such as, a classical unit, Negro unit, units performing vaudeville, children’s plays, puppet shows, caravan productions, and the new plays unit. The Federal Theatre Project was “the only fully government-sponsored theatre ever in the United States”. (Witham 16)
Speakeasies were a place where gang members, ordinary people, and famous people all went in order to have a good time.
“When the Movies Moved to the Suburbs.” The New York Times. Janet Maslin, 29 Oct. 2011.
The Walt Disney Company is a highly diversified media and entertainment company that has been growing by leaps and bounds since its inception in the late 1920’s. In the past few decades, The Walt Disney Company has expanded into numerous markets and diversified its business greatly. The company states that their corporate strategy is targeted at creating high-quality family content, exploiting technological innovations to make entertainment experiences more memorable, and expanding internationally. Upon studying the happenings of the company throughout the years, it is easy to see that the company is executing this strategy well through numerous strategic moves in the industry.
In the early 1930’s entertainment started to become popular. The reason for that was due to the Great Depression. Entertainment took people’s minds off of the struggles that were being faced. Country and blues were forms of music that were introduced during this time, but the 1930’s was mainly a time of jazz. Broadway and movies became more advanced and more popular then too. “Movies, music, and Broadway all combined to provide as an escape from the dreary life of the depression.”(Walker n.pag.) Throughout the 1930's people would turn to entertainment to forget about the hard times.
Another alluring aspect of the “Golden Twenties” was the social freedom and danger that came along with cars and prohibition. Though I disapprove of irresponsible drinking, I imagine it would be fun to attend one of the infamous “speakeasies” that were popular in the 1920’s. A speakeasy is an establishment that illega...
Entertainment in the 1920s began changing after World War I. Because people had more money and were more prosperous, they were able to go to theatres, clubs, and sporting events. Although the greatest form of entertainment had been motorcars, it was a form of freedom that people had never experienced. Sports began to become more popular. “Baseball became popular with the great mass of people for the first time”(Fischer). Because of another form of entertainment gaining popularity, the radio made it easier for fans to keep up
Over the next 160 years Central Park has seen many transformations. An early decline in the 1900’’s followed by a revitalization by Robert Moses
In the beginning of the twenties America was in the midst of an economic boom, people were happy- World War I was over and Americans were rich. But by the end, because of prohibition, and in large part because of the stock market crash, the American economy quickly declined into the Great Depression. During this time the 18th Amendment- prohibition- was passed. Prohibition's supporters were initially surprised by what did not come to pass during the dry era. When the law went into effect, real estate developers and landlords expected rents to rise as saloons closed and neighborhoods improved. Theater producers were expecting an increase in customers as Americans searched for new ways to entertain themselves, ways that did not involve alcohol. But this did not happen. Instead, there was a decline in amusement and entertainment industries all over the United States. Some restaurants even failed, as they could no longer make a profit without legal liquor sales. On the whole, the initial economic effects of Prohibition were largely negative. The closing of breweries, distilleries and saloons led to the elimination of thousands of jobs, and in turn thousands more jobs were eliminated for barrel makers, truckers, waiters, and other related trades. One of the most profound effects of Prohibition was on government tax revenues. Before Prohibition, many states relied heavily on excise taxes in liquor sales to fund their budgets. Almost 75% of New York’s revenue came from liquor taxes, but with prohibition in effect, all that reven...
“Fifty years ago, Walt Disney passed down three key precepts that still hold true today: tell a great story, tell it with great characters and push the technological barriers” (Hightower, 1993 p. 54). This statement by the Disney founder still drives the philosophy for Disney’s studio entertainment and parks and resorts business segments.
The painting Red Square by Russian painter Kasimir Malevich is a particularly interesting piece. It is simple red square on a white background representing a peasant woman. It is an example of the Malevich's unique style of suprematism, which focuses on motion and feeling.
The Walt Disney Concert Hall located in Downtown Los Angeles, CA is an example of a worthy public space, this year marking its tenth year being open still reflects and engages Los Angeles like few other buildings. In the beg...
When you associate anything with New York City it is usually the extraordinary buildings that pierce the sky or the congested sidewalks with people desperate to shop in the famous stores in which celebrities dwell. Even with my short visit there I found myself lost within the Big Apple. The voices of the never-ending attractions call out and envelop you in their awe. The streets are filled with an atmosphere that is like a young child on a shopping spree in a candy store. Although your feet swelter from the continuous walking, you find yourself pressing on with the yearning to discover the 'New York Experience'.
Without a doubt, Times Square in New York City is a unique experience, but the image created by TV and movies does not show the gloominess that accompanies the euphoria of being in the Big Apple. The atmosphere is so exhilarating and exciting, you don’t even know what to do for a few minutes, but it is tinged with the bitter reality that sadness and melancholy also trail closely behind the positive. With most, if not all, of your senses being stimulated – sometimes all at once – Times Square creates a memory that will surely be cherished, and haunt you for the rest of your life.