The Movies

The Jazz Singer becomes the first film with sound and movies like King Kong and Dracula, help buoy Americans during the Depression. Walt Disney creates the first cartoon feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Audiences fall in love with comedies like It Happened One Night, Bringing Up Baby, and Westerns starring John Wayne and Gary Cooper. Arguably the greatest year in film history, 1939, is highlighted by The Wizard of Oz, and Gone With the Wind. In the decade to follow, beloved titles such as Casablanca, Citizen Kane, and It’s a Wonderful Life are released.

The 1950s showcase iconic performances from Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard and Bette Davis in All About Eve. A new style of screen acting begins to emerge from performances by Marlon Brando, James Dean and Eva Marie Saint. Legendary musicals are released, including Singin’ in the Rain, Meet Me in St. Louis and A Star is Born. Hollywood’s golden era comes to a close with directors working at the height of their careers: Billy Wilder makes Some Like it Hot, Hitchcock creates Vertigo and North By Northwest, and John Ford casts John Wayne in perhaps his deepest role in The Searchers.

The 1990s begin with controversial characters who dominate the cultural conversation: Hannibal Lecter of The Silence of the Lambs, the mafiosos of Goodfellas, and the ladies of Thelma and Louise. Steven Spielberg focuses America’s attention on evil in Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan. Romantic comedies become popular, helmed by Nora Ephron, Amy Heckerling and Cameron Crowe, starring Meg Ryan, Sandra Bullock, and Julia Roberts. Will Smith emerges as one of the biggest stars in America with sci-fi smashes like Men In Black and Independence Day. Boyz N The Hood helps usher in a black film movement starring and directed by African-Americans. Independent filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson with Boogie Nights, Wes Anderson with Rushmore and Richard Linklater with Dazed and Confused make the jump from film festivals to multiplexes.

Advancements in digital effects lead to blockbusters such as Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, The Matrix and Titanic. Comedies such as Groundhog Day and There’s Something About Mary attract wide audiences, while new comedy stars such as Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler start their film careers. Quentin Tarantino becomes a household name with Pulp Fiction. The decade ends on a high note, with critically-lauded films such as Magnolia, Fight Club, Boys Don’t Cry, The Insider and Being John Malkovich making 1999 one of the best years in the history of American movies.

The 1980s begin with big names starring in landmark movies: Robert De Niro in Raging Bull, Jack Nicholson in The Shining, and Robert Redford directing a stellar cast in Ordinary People. The Empire Strikes Back becomes the biggest movie of the year and sets the tone for the rest of the decade, where filmmakers like George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis set box-office records with spectacular crowd-pleasers. Directors like Martin Scorsese, Mike Nichols and Woody Allen make some of their best films and new voices emerge to speak to a new generation.

In the 1980s new voices emerge: Tim Burton, Rob Reiner, Nora Ephron, George Miller, Amy Heckerling and the Coen Brothers. Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise catapult to superstardom while Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis put a new spin on action movies. Teenagers find relatable stories in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Say Anything and The Breakfast Club. At the end of the decade, Sex, Lies and Videotape moves indie filmmaking into the mainstream, Tim Burton revitalizes the superhero genre with Batman, and Spike Lee sets the cinema ablaze with his controversial masterpiece, Do the Right Thing.