# Depression Hollywood (1930-1940): What Was It Like?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depression-hollywood-1930-1940-what-was-it-like/545708>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 6, 2010, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depression-hollywood-1930-1940-what-was-it-like/545708 "2010-07-06T13:32:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depression-hollywood-1930-1940-what-was-it-like/545708/1 "2010-07-06T13:32:06Z")

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I’d like some inputs on a good book dealing with this period.  
On the one hand, the USA was mired in the Great Depression-and war in europe was a source of angst.  
Yet, even in the depths of the depression, people managed to scrape up enough cash to go to the movies; some great films were made: Frankenstein, The Grapes of Wrath, The Wizard of Oz, etc.  
Clearly, Hollywood was still making money-and lots of it-in fact, the 1930’s were somthing of a “Golden Age” for Hollywood film making.  
As I said, I find this to be a very interesting period in film hsitory-what is a good book to read about it?

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depression-hollywood-1930-1940-what-was-it-like/545708/2 "2010-07-06T13:55:14Z")

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There was a book many years ago called **Hollywood in the 30s** by John Baxter that was quite good, but it’s probably been out of print for 25 years. You can pick up used copies at Amazon.

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**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2010, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/depression-hollywood-1930-1940-what-was-it-like/545708/3 "2010-07-06T13:59:00Z")

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David Niven’s memoir, _Bring on the Empty Horses_, is a view of exactly this time period. Well worth reading.