Depictions of Life in Movies During the Great Depression

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Movies in the Great Depression were outlets that the American people used to escape the daily hardships and struggles of their lives. Three genres emerged and flourished during this time period: comedy, musicals, and gangster films. Each genre depicted life in the Great Depression in different yet similar ways. While watching the movies, you can see that money played a large part in the plot. Justice and the law are also reoccurring themes. The treatment and depiction of women in these films is one aspect that is interesting to study and look at, as well. Women’s rights was still a hot button issue, and it is plain to see that by viewing such films as “Room Service”, “The Public Enemy”, and “Gold Diggers of 1937”. The movie “Room Service” is a comedic movie directed by William Seiter starring the Marx Brothers, Lucille Ball, and Ann Miller. The movie is based around men who wish to put on a play, but they do not have anybody willing to give them money and back their play. Their living arrangements are a hotel that believes they will get paid back for all of the money the men are charging. Unbeknownst to the hotel manager, the men are completely broke. The hotel manager tries to kick them out when he realizes that he will never see the money that they owe, but shenanigans ensue to the point where they fake illness and towards the end death. The play goes off with only a few hitches, and the hotel manager passes out due to the stress of these men. Lucille Ball’s character, Christine Marlowe, helps the men, and in the end, she actually is the one to get them a backer. It is interesting to note that Christine is the only one in the movie that has a steady job, and she has one of the bigger roles. In contrast to Christine, Ann Miller’s... ... middle of paper ... ... charm in order to get the benefits of their boyfriend or husband’s riches. This makes women seem conniving yet also powerless without a man. The Depression Era was chaotic and detrimental to most Americans, but it was also a time of growth in some ways. Women playing major roles in movies during this time period was becoming more and more common. Women were viewed in many different ways though. In “Room Service”, women were viewed as hard-working, influential individuals, but they were also very invested and dependent on love. In “The Public Enemy”, women were viewed as something that could be thrown away when they were of no more use, and finally in “Gold Diggers of 1937”, women were viewed as sneaky, smart people who would to whatever they had to do to accomplish their goals. These conflicting views of women show depth and diversity in a dark, dreary time period.

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