At the Feb. 7 meeting of the Shakespeare Club, Nicki Schoenl presented her paper on Hollywood in the 1920s.

The 13th meeting of the Fredonia Shakespeare Club was held on Feb. 7 at the Lanford House hosted by Leanna McMahon. Fourteen members were in attendance. Vice-President Dr. Minda Rae Amiran welcomed members and thanked our hostess and presenter.

Priscilla Bernatz read the minutes from the Jan. 24 meeting. The minutes were approved as written.

The meeting that was scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 31 was canceled due to the weather. The meeting is rescheduled for March 7.

Incoming President Lucy Richardson presented three suggested topics for study for next year. Club members will vote on Thursday, Feb. 21.

The Club’s area of study this year is The World Between WWI and WWII. Nicki Schoenl presented her paper “Hollywood” which is summarized as follows:

At the start of the 20th century, while the Europeans were involved in World War I, their film industry was at a standstill. By and large, the war had a disastrous effect on most national cinemas in Europe. The movie production capacities of Italy and France, both rivals of the United States, were severely diminished. In just a few years the American film industry, freed of competition from abroad, became a cultural and economic powerhouse exerting influence around the world. Movie professionals based in New York City and Chicago were moving to Los Angeles to expand their production. With its sunshine, wide open spaces, and the diversity of its’ landscapes, the California metropolis was the perfect location to welcome ambitious entrepreneurs and artists. Thanks to pioneer filmmakers such as D.W. Griffith and Cecil B. DeMille, the creation of motion pictures was the fifth largest industry in the United States, with almost all filming occurring in a small California development called Hollywood.

Hollywood, in the twenties, became a place not only where films were made but where those who made movies chose to live. A star system emerged and actors and actresses were expected to behave in a manner that justified their coverage in fan magazines. They became synonymous with luxurious lifestyles and conspicuous consumption. Hollywood was both a town of wealth and glamour and a seedy place where brothels posed as fake acting schools and seduced young girls who traveled to California with dreams of stardom and fortune in their eyes. Marilyn Monroe is quoted as saying, many years later, “Hollywood is a place where they will pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and 50 cents for your soul”.

Throughout the boom and the bust of the twenties the film industry continued to grow and prosper, finding ways to sell movies that celebrated the nation’s war victories, prosperity, technology and exploiting its lapses like crime, Prohibition, and scandal. The major movie companies of the time: Warner Brothers, Paramount, MGM, RKO, and 20th Century Fox were known as the Big Five. They had vast studios with elaborate sets for film production. The Big Five also owned the theaters where their films were shown (about 50 percent of the seating capacity in the entire United States) as well as production and distribution facilities.

The twenties was an age of movie idols. The parade of screen stars reflected the changing needs, expectations, and tastes of America. Film producers needed to keep in mind the attitudes of middle class women’s groups while also providing films that appealed to the younger generation. After World War 1, movies continued to include stars playing roles that represented all American values but there was a definite shift in popularity of certain screen types. Increasingly popular were films depicting the new social and moral standards of the Roaring Twenties and the Jazz Age.

Some of the female stars of the 1920’s that helped welcome in Hollywood’s Golden Age included Clara Bow, Lillian Gish, Greta Garbo, Mary Pickford, Norma Shearer, Gloria Swanson, Louise Brooks, and Joan Crawford. Popular male actors of the time included Rudolph Valentino, Buster Keaton, Douglas Fairbanks, John Barrymore, Lon Chaney, Al Jolson, Gary Cooper and Harold Lloyd. Charlie Chaplin, along with being one of the most pivotal stars of the early days of Hollywood, was also considered one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of cinema.

In 1929, the mood of our nation moved from the exuberant era of prosperity and revelry to the dark days and hard times of the Great Depression. Hollywood played a valuable psychological role providing reassurance to a demoralized nation. More comedies were released spoofing traditional institutions and values and sexual innuendo poked fun at the middle class code of sexual propriety. Laughter eased minds and brought some joy in the midst of adversity if only for a short time.

The fantasy world of films was a therapeutic diversion for millions of Americans. Visits to the movie theater with family and friends provided a sense of community that being in a large group affords. Although Hollywood was also hurting financially, it reached a pinnacle of influence at a time when most other institutions and industries were struggling.

Gail Crow assisted at the tea table.

The next meeting of the Club will be held at the home of Dr. Minda Rae Amiran. Linda Dunn will present her paper “The Balfour Declaration.”