Films and documentaries on the 1920s/ 1930s USA

[MerylSqueak]

DD is really interested in her history topic and I'm looking for things we can watch together. We've watched The Untouchables and Of Mice And Men.

Any ideas gratefully received.

Weirdly was reading an old-ish thread on here yesterday about documentaries - sent me to Amazon to look for Ken Burns documentaries as I really wanted to watch the West one (not available, booo) and the Civil War one. But I also noticed he did one about the Dust Bowl of the 1930s - on the PBS section of Amazon. Just googled and he also did one about Prohibition and one about the Roosevelts (which covers FDR and therefore probably the 1930s?)

The Highwaymen is a film starring Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson as the retired Texas Rangers who finally arrested Bonnie and Clyde. Contains a tour de force cameo by Kathy Bates too. It isn't a documentary but its so beautifully filmed and is probably the best depiction of that story I've ever seen.

It's fantastic entertainment and full of period detail. Enjoy :)

There's also Boardwalk Empire as a drama series but only really suitable for mid teens at the youngest iirc!

The USA and the Holocaust is brilliant. Lots of interviews and clear explanations of immigration policies. It’s on iplayer. I highly recommend it.

Thank you very much for those ideas. I should think we'd watch them all.

PBS on freeview (84) regularly shows really good history documentaries on American history, also good on the history of American music.

www.freeview.co.uk/get-freeview-play/channels/pbs-america

YYY to all the PBS recommendations.

I think there's an American Experience documentary or two on the building of the massive dams under FDR (Hoover dam, Grand Coulee dam).

Ken Burns' The Roosevelts documentary is very interesting, as is the one on Jazz and another on Country Music.

Depending on how old DD is, The Road to Perdition is an interesting movie.

Also, watch some old Shirley Temple films, to see what people flocked to the cinema to see back then.

I greatly enjoyed reading The Boys in the Boat, a book centered around the hard life and experiences of one member of the University of Washington crew team in the 20s and 30s and beyond. I really liked this book.

Thanks. I've just downloaded the app and I'm
finding the other films

Places in the Heart is a movie set in the 1930s. Sally Field won an Oscar for her role.

The 1973 film Paper Moon is good. Some adult themes including prostitution, so it depends on how old your dd is.

Hyde Park on Hudson about the visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) to President Roosevelt's country home.

1923

DD is 15. They've at least mentioned prostitution but I'm not sure how clued up dd is. She's quite an innocent

I was younger than that when I watched it and a quick look at Common Sense Media says no Sex, Romance or Nudity. It’s quite a romanticized account of the times, but gorgeously shot in b/w and Tatum O’Neal is astounding.
It’s an interesting contrast to the real life depictions of the era - I remember saying to my Mum that I would have loved to live in the 20s. She said it wasn’t all riding around in fancy cars cracking wise and maybe I should talk to my Granny about the reality (in the UK).

I watched Paper Moon when I was about 8 and absolutely loved it! I probably just didn't understand the darker themes.

'she must have a bladder the size of a peanut' 🤣

She's doing the depression in the UK next!

I've got the PBS app now and found the Ken Burns documentaries. Thanks very much. I remember my Dad watching them and loving them.

I'm tracking down the other things. Thank you all.

The Great Gatsby as a cautionary tale of the roaring twenties

Annie ☺️ set in the early 30s and President FDR features

Annie we've seen!

The work of photographer, Dorothea Lange would be worth looking at for that period. She was employed by the administration to record the conditions of the dust bowl migrants. She’s famous for the well-known photograph entitled “Migrant Mother”. There’s a number of documentaries on YouTube about her work.

Thank you

Some Like it Hot? :)

Modern times by Charlie Chaplin would be good

Brilliant film

"The Waltons" series is good, starts off in 1933. It might be a bit cheesy but gives you a feeling for the time, large family, most of them not wearing shoes most of the time. All clustering round to listen to the radio in the evening.

Ah yes! We did watch Some Like it Hot. I'd forgotten. Modern times is a great suggestion. Thank you