The Roaring Twenties

1. The Roaring Twenties The 1920s

2. 1920s Slang • The 1920s was a colorful decade in both Europe and America, sandwiched between the hardships of the two World Wars. Especially in the United States, the 1920s was also accompanied with a dizzying amount of slang, most of which was used by young people. Many phrases from 1920s slang are still used in modern English, as is the case with terms like “baby” for sweetheart, “necking” for making out, “john” for toilet, and “Joe” for coffee. Others have faded into obscurity, only to be revived in films and books which celebrate the 1920s.

3. Slang • 1920s slang is often related to alcohol and having a good time, since Prohibition put a premium on both of these things. The slang also reflects changing morals and ideas, especially surrounding sexuality. Flappers, young women who enjoyed risque garments and late night dancing, abounded, as did daddys, wealthy older men, to support them. Many 1920s slang terms also suggest a sense of fun and mischievousness, both of which ran rampant during the 1920s.

4. Slang • An attractive woman in 1920s slang was a Sheba, while a man was a Sheik. The two might spend a night on the snuggle bunny, the back seat of a car, assuming neither upchucked from drinking too much hooch. A woman might also put the brakes on the proceedings by declaring “the bank'sclosed,” or she might be a wet blanket and want to go home early. People who stayed out late were known as owls in 1920s slang, a term which has endured to this day.

5. Slang • Something particularly excellent might be the bee's knees, the cat's pajamas, or the cat's meow. A woman might get dolled up in her glad rags for a late night on the town, meaning that she put some care into her appearance and wore her nicest garments. After a blind date, one or more participants might carry a torch for the other, assuming that no one got smacked in the kisser, or mouth. Being a good hoofer, a dancer, was also a valued trait.

6. Slang • Given the criminal atmosphere of the 1920s, it should come as no surprise that many 1920s slang terms were related to criminal activity. Someone might be on the lam from the fuzz, indicating that they were avoiding the police, or “on the level,” for law abiding and reasonable. In a hairy situation, someone might become the fall guy, taking the punishment or being framed for a crime. When a joint or club was raided, the celebrants would usually scram in an attempt to avoid being penalized.

7. Slang • In 1920s slang, an establishment might be ritzy, like the hotel chain, meaning that it was extremely nice. People were advised not to take any wooden nickels, a colorful way to say “don't be stupid,” and stragglers would be exhorted to “get a wiggle on” for “get moving!” And, of course, people were reminded to “mind your own beeswax” if they got too nosy.

8. Slang • The long-term endurance of many 1920s slang terms may be related to a general glorification of the era. It is probably also due to the fact that the 1920s marked a distinct change in attitudes, especially for young people, and it paved the way for many other things, from the spread of jazz to the women's liberation movement. Thus, the neologisms of the 1920s hold particular resonance since many of them describe new concepts.

9. Slang terms you need to know • Applesauce- an expletive same as horse feathers, as in "Ah applesauce! • Bank’s Closed- no kissing or making out - i.e. - "Sorry, Mac, the bank's closed." • Bee’s Knees- An extraordinary person, thing, idea; the ultimate. • Breezer: a convertible car. • Berries- That which is attractive or pleasing; similar to bee's knees, as in "It's the berries." • Cat's Meow- Something splendid or stylish; similar to bee's knees; the best or greatest, wonderful. • Dead soldier - an empty beer bottle. • Gams- A woman's legs.

10. Slang You need to know • Giggle Water-An intoxicating beverage; alcohol. • It - Sexappeal • Sheba - A woman with sex appeal (from the movie Queen of Sheba) or (e.g. Clara Bow) • Tomato - a female • Upchuck - To vomit when one has drunk too much • Sheik - A man with sex appeal (from the Valentino movies) • Hot Diggity Dog- an expression of happiness. • Dogs- feet (my dogs are barking).

11. What We Read • The top selling and most read books of the decade. • Following WWI (the war to end all wars), talented young authors, some expatriates in France, wrote about their feelings of disillusionment and alienation. A sense of rebellion developed and the Victorian idea of decency was considered hypocritical.  Writers began to write frankly about sexuality. Three important groups during this period were:  The Algonquin Round Table, also called THE ROUND TABLE, informal group of American literary men and women who met daily for lunch on weekdays at a large round table in the Algonquin Hotel in New York City during the 1920s and '30s. Many of the best-known writers, journalists, and artists in New York City were in this group. Among them   were Dorothy Parker, Alexander Woollcott (author of the quote "All the things I really like are immoral, illegal, or fattening", Heywood Broun, Robert Benchley, Robert Sherwood, George S. Kaufman, Franklin P. Adams, Marc Connelly, Harold Ross, Harpo Marx , and Russell Crouse.

12. The Age of Innocence (1920): • a 1920 novel by Edith Wharton, which won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize. The novel takes place among New York City's upper class during the 1870s, before the advent of electric lights, telephones or motor vehicles; when there was a small cluster of aristocratic "old revolutionary stock" families that ruled New York's social life; when "being things" was better than "doing things" -- one's occupation or abilities were secondary to heredity and family connections, when reputation and outward appearances came at the exclusion of everything and everyone else, and when Fifth Avenue was so deserted by nightfall that it was possible to follow the comings and goings of society by watching who went to which household. First published in four parts during July to October 1920 in the Pictorial Review and then in the same year by D. Appleton and Company in New York and in London.

13. The Sheik (1920): • Edith M. Hull’s romance novel about a sheik that abducts and later falls in love with an English girl. • The book dealt with difficult subjects as well as controversial subjects. • Much was left to the imagination of the reader. • This book has attracted some controversy due to its depiction of a strong, self-sufficient woman being tamed and subdued by a man who rapes her repeatedly. This is exacerbated by the fact that she falls in love with her rapist. The plot has been compared to the Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare.

14. The Outline of History (1920): • The Outline of History (1920): H.G. Wells’ non-fiction book that traces human history and attempts to show that education is the savior of society, not revolution.

15. Main Street (1921): • Main Street (1921): Sinclair Lewis’s first major novel. Main Street satirizes life in the American Middle West, criticizing Americans’ frivolous purchasing habits and desires to conform.

16. Black Oxen (1923): • Black Oxen (1923): Gertrude Atherton’s novel about female sexuality.

17. Etiquette (1923): • Emily Post’s nonfiction manual that describes proper behavior.

18. When We Were Very Young (1925): • A.A. Milne’s children’s book which contained forty-four poems. • The book begins with an introduction entitled Just Before We Begin which in part tells the reader to imagine for themselves who the narrator is, and that it might be Christopher Robin. The thirty-eighth poem in the book, Teddy Bear, that originally appeared in the Punch magazine in 1923, was the first appearance of the famous character Winnie-the-Pooh. In one of the illustrations of Teddy Bear, Winnie-the-Pooh is shown wearing a shirt which was later colored red when reproduced on a recording produced by Stephen Slesinger. This has become his standard appearance in the Disney adaptations.

19. Gentleman Prefer Blondes (1926): • Anita Loos’ comic novel about a young blonde flapper who charms men into giving her expensive gifts.

20. The Plutocrat (1927): • Booth Tarkington’s novel about the adventures of a wealthy razor blade “king”.

21. All Quiet On The Western Front (1929): • A novel by German writer Erich Maria Remarque that fictionalizes his experiences during WWI.

22. What we Listened To—Radio and Music • Radio's emergence • Radio dominated the Twenties, with roughly 3 million Americans owning radios by 1923. Most listeners still used crystal sets with earphones to receive news and bulletins, advertising and music. The appeal of the spoken word attracted audiences and advertisers, while publishers were forced to improve upon its image to retain profits. Television, capable of wireless transmission of moving pictures, was first demonstrated in 1926, combining sight and sound to rival radio.

23. The first radio broadcast (1921) • The boxing match between Johnny Ray and Johnny Dundee aired over KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

24. The first World Series was broadcast in 1921 • The fall classic between the New York Yankees and the New York Giants was broadcast on WJZ in Newark, New Jersey. • the New York Giants beat the New York Yankees five games to three. This was the last of the experimental best-five-of-nine series.

25. The first radio broadcast of a full-length play. • Broadcast 1922. WGY in Schenectady New York, The Wolf, a two and one half hour play.

26. 1922-The first football game was broadcast. • In the first football game ever broadcast on the radio Princeton (4-0-0) traveled to the University of Chicago (3-0-0) for a rematch of Chicago's 1921 win. The game was witnessed by 32,000 fans, and listened to on New York's WEAF radio station. John Thomas ran for three touchdowns and Chicago's Maroons led 18-7 as the fourth quarter began, but a 40 yard interception return closed the gap. In the closing minutes, and Harry Crum was buried under a pile of players as he plunged toward the goal line, and when the mass was untangled, it was a touchdown. With the help of a better kicking game, Princeton won 21-18.

27. First Presidential political convention broadcast 1924 • The conventions that led to the nominations of Republican Calvin Coolidge and Democrat John W. Davis were the first of their kind on radio.

28. WSM National Barn Dance 1924 • National Barn Dance, an early American country music radio program first heard on WLS-AM in Chicago, Illinois, was a direct precursor of the Grand Ole Opry. • It also set the stage for similar programs, in part because the clear-channel signal of WLS could be received throughout most of the Midwest and even beyond in the late evening and nighttime hours, making much of the United States (and Canada) a potential audience. The program was well-received and thus widely imitated. • Renamed the Grand Ole Opry in 1927 • The show was founded by broadcaster George D. Hay, aired from 1924 to 1968 and was once sponsored by Alka-Seltzer.

29. Sam ‘n’ Henry • was a radio series by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll which aired in 1926 and 1927. Although primarily a dramatic serial with occasional comic elements, it is often considered to be the first situation comedy. • Gosden and Correll reworked the premise on a more ambitious scale to create their long-run radio show Amos 'n' Andy in 1928.

30. Car Radios • "Transitone TH-1" from 1927 are the first mass-produced car radios. The year and date for the first production run of a "real car radio" remains still a bit of a mystery considering what's known about the subject at this time. However, it's safe to claim that the product "car radio" came into existence latest in 1927.

31. The Rose Bowl • The 1927 Rose Bowl Game was a college football bowl game held on January 1, 1927 in Pasadena, California. The game featured the Alabama Crimson Tide, of the Southern Conference, and Stanford, of the Pacific-10 Conference. The game ended in a 7–7, and was the last Rose Bowl game to end in a tie.

32. Pop Icons-Who We Knew • Charles Atlas: Dubbed “America’s Most Perfectly Developed Man” in a body-building contest held at Madison Square Garden in 1922.

33. Al Capone • Nicknamed “Scarface Al,” he became a wealthy and powerful bootlegger in Chicago. He was the most notorious criminal of this decade.

34. Coco (Gabrielle) Chanel • French fashion designer who provided a personal example to women around the world of “the new woman”: independent, business-savvy, and free. Her designs and fragrances continue to be fashionable. Chanel Number Five has been in production since 1921.

35. Clarence Darrow • A powerful and eloquent defense attorney who represented John T. Scopes in the highly publicized Scopes “Monkey” Trial of 1925.

36. Jack Dempsey • Heavyweight boxing champion who symbolized the 1920s pursuit of success by winning the first million dollar boxing prize and four more throughout the decade.

37. Harry Houdini • Magician well known in the 1920s for his elaborate tricks and his crusade to denounce believers in the occult. In 1926, he successfully completed his most dangerous trick when he escaped after ninety minutes from a submerged coffin. He died later that year from complications of appendicitis.

38. Hans von Kaltenborn • Became the first radio news commentator in 1922 when is analysis of a coal strike was broadcast. His comments were regularly broadcast nationally on the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) in the 1930s.

39. Charles Lindbergh • Aviator Lindbergh captivated the world with his solo cross-Atlantic flight in 1927. He flew his Spirit of St. Louis monoplane 33.5 hours from New York to Paris.

40. Maud Wood Park • First president of the League of Women Voters, which was formed in 1920 to educate new voters.

41. Babe Ruth • Home run hitter who thrilled crowds in his games with the New York Yankees, making baseball a tremendously profitable venture. When he hit a home run on the opening day of Yankee Stadium in 1923, the place was dubbed “The House That Ruth Built.”

42. David C. Stephenson • Ku Klux Klan leader convicted of second-degree murder in the 1920s. Upon his conviction, evidence of corruption in the Klan was publicized. The group had reformed after World War I to guard against not only blacks but Jews, Catholics, socialists and communists as well. In the 1920s, the group hired a public relations firm to recruit members and by 1925 membership swelled to four million and had elected several members to political positions in Texas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Oregon and Maine.

43. Billy Sunday • The most well-known evangelist in the country since 1917. He found his quest for a “totally dry America” difficult as the decade wore on and Americans began to question the Eighteenth Amendment and its supporters.

44. Walter Winchell • The most well known “gossip” columnist and perhaps the first. His columns and radio broadcasts were read or listened to by between twenty-five and fifty million people at the height of his popularity during this decade.

45. What We Watched • Movies and Plays

46. Pollyanna (1920) • Pollyanna is a 1920 melodrama/comedy starring Mary Pickford, directed by Paul Powell, and based upon a Eleanor H. Porter novel. It was Pickford's first motion picture for United Artists. It became a major success and would be regarded as one of Pickford's most defining pictures. The film grossed $1.1 million (the equivalent of more than $10 million in 2008) • The film was first released in 1920. It had a budget of $300,000 and grossed $1,160,962 Worldwide on its first theatrical run. It was extremely popular, becoming the role that defined Pickford's 'little girl' movies. Pickford was 27 and had to play a 12 year old (albeit convincingly).

48. Pollyanna

49. The Mark of Zorro (1920) • The Mark of Zorro is a silent motion picture released in 1920 starring Douglas Fairbanks and Noah Beery. This genre-defining swashbuckler adventure was the first movie version of The Mark of Zorro. Based on the 1919 story "The Curse of Capistrano" by Johnston McCulley, which introduced the masked hero, Zorro, the screenplay was adapted by Fairbanks (as "Elton Thomas") and Eugene Miller. • The Mark of Zorro tells the story of Don Diego Vega, the outwardly foppish son of a wealthy ranchero Don Alejandro in the old Spanish California of the early 19th century. Seeing the mistreatment of the peons by rich landowners and the oppressive colonial government, Don Diego, who is not as effete as he pretends, has taken the identity of the masked Robin Hood-like rogue Señor Zorro ("Mr. Fox"), champion of the people, who appears out of nowhere to protect them from the corrupt administration of Governor Alvarado, his henchman the villainous Captain Juan Ramon and the brutish Sergeant Pedro Gonzales (Noah Beery, Wallace Beery's older half-brother, in an amazingly energetic performance). With his sword flashing and an athletic sense of humor, Zorro scars the faces of evildoers with his mark, "Z."

50. The Mark of Zorro