4.3 To what extent did American culture change 1945-55?

Question 1

which directors made films about the US Navy and Air force during ww2

Answer 1

John Ford and William Wyler

Question 2

what did labour problems in Hollywood after 1945 lead to

Answer 2

-strikes while the Hollywood branch of the Communist party openly supported soviet policy in eastern Europe

Question 3

what did the HUAC do in 1947

Answer 3

-investigated America’s film industry
-most dramatic part of the investigation included screenwriters known as the Hollywood Ten, who refused to cooperate with the HUAC, which split Hollywood

Question 4

which film stars actively supported the Hollywood Ten and what did they join

Answer 4

-Frank Sinatra
-Gene Kelly
-joined the committee for the first amendment, the amendment that guaranteed freedom of speech
-disliked the HUAC tactic of expecting witnesses to name supposed communists

Question 5

who supported the purge of communists from the film industry

Answer 5

-Walt Disney
-Ronald Raegan
-John Wayne

Question 6

who did the public support, The Hollywood Ten or the HUAC

Answer 6

-initially supported the Hollywood workers
-however when many refused to answer questions about whether or not they were or had been members of the communist party, opinion began to change

Question 7

what was the Hollywood blacklist

Answer 7

-a list of Hollywood actors and writers who would not be employed in the film industry
-The Motion Picture Association of America declared that it would blacklist anyone who it regarded a communist
-they would be dismissed without compensation
-this blacklist lasted until the 1960s

Question 8

which names were included in the blacklist

Answer 8

-Charlie Chaplin
-Paul Robeson
-Orson Welles

Question 9

following the hearings and convctions, what did hollywood do

Answer 9

-tended to avoud controversial topics for its major films
-in the early 1950s, Gene Kelly’s An American in Paris won best picture oscar

Question 10

what controversial film did writer Arthur Miller produce in 1953

Answer 10

-the crucible
-about the salem witch trials in 1692
-was a veiled attack on the activities of HUAC
-out of respect, he cooperated with HUAC but refused to name any other supposed communists, so was not blacklisted

Question 11

in 1948, what percentage of american households owned a TV

Answer 11

-2.9%

Question 12

by 1955, what percentage of Americans households owned a TV

Answer 12

-76%

Question 13

The federal communication commission gave commercial licenses to 6 tv stations in 1946 - what had this risen to by 1956

Answer 13

-442

Question 14

for the first time, what did TV allow poorer income families to do

Answer 14

-could experience shows, sport and popular entertainment that had been the preserve of the middle class and the rich

Question 15

what did a survey in 1950 about TV reveal

Answer 15

-junior high school children with a TV watched an average of 27 hours per week

Question 16

what outsold all other magazines in 1960

Answer 16

-the TV guide

Question 17

how did TV lead to a change in eating habits

Answer 17

-in 1954, the first TV Dinner was marketed - people did nto have to leave theur sofas and they could eat and watch TV at the same time

Question 18

how did TV transform the advertising industry

Answer 18

-by 1955, TV had become the main media for advertising
-average weekly attendance at the cinema fell form 90million in 1946 to 47 million in 1956

Question 19

what kind of sporting events were broadcast on TV

Answer 19

-Major League Baseball’s premier event, The World Series
-in 1955, this was shown for the first time in colour by the NBC

Question 20

which popular TV shows in the late 1940s had been transferred from radio

Answer 20

-Jack Benny Show
-1948, The Goldbergs

Question 21

with the rise in living standards and growth of suburbia, what TV shows followed-

Answer 21

-1953 father knows best, focused on life in a new suburb Springfield and the Anderson family who lived in a large house. made no reference to politics , his wife kept perfect order in the home

Question 22

which was the most popular sitcom in the 1950,s which had a female star

Answer 22

-I Love Lucy, focused on the home life of a loyal wife to her musician husband
-when Lucy had a baby, 70% of the country’s tv sets were tuned in

Question 23

which game shows proved popular

Answer 23

-You bet your life
-the 64,000$ question

Question 24

how were most women portrayed in TV

Answer 24

-like Lucy Ball, and Mrs Anderson, most women were housewives who were always loyal, subordinate partners to their husbands

Question 25

how were ethnic minorites portrayed in TV

Answer 25

-almost always had service roles such as domestic servants -Jack Benny, always appeared with his black American servant and chauffeur

Question 26

when was the first black American in a starring role

Answer 26

-I Spy, with Bill Cosby

Question 27

which Tv shows provided high quality debate

Answer 27

-See it now, looked at ussies such as the McCarthy anti communist crusade in 1953

Question 28

what was TV criticised for

Answer 28

-offering low brow programmes and contributing to low scores for students who watched TV instead of doing school work

Question 29

-how did the 1950s see the rise of the teenager

Answer 29

-teens were rebellious and now had the financial power to buy -given more independence by their parents who wanted to offer them something different to the harsh economic conditions of the depression years and life during ww2 -benefited from the availability of cars and the development of fast food -business saw opportunities and introduced teenage fashion -music such as rock n roll

Question 30

how were teenagers often perceived

Answer 30

-as juvenille delinquents who disrespected adults and society -the media claimed gangs of youths roamed inner cities , engaging in violence -1953 film The Wild One captured this mood -adults were shocked by teens riding motorcycles, wearing leather jackets and greasing back their hair

Question 31

what did alfred kinsey discover in his 'sexual behavuour in the human male 1948' and 'sexual behaviour in the human female 1953'

Answer 31

-95% of males had been sexually active by the age of 15 and findings were similar for females -fuelled the idea that this generation of teenagers were hugely different than previous ones, who respected their parents

Question 32

in 1954, what did Frederick Wertham claim in 'seduction of the innocent'

Answer 32

-comic books helped to corrupt the young -by 1955, 13 states had passed laws regulating the content and places of sale of comic books to prevent overt references to sex and immoral behaviour

Question 33

what was different about rock n roll

Answer 33

-its origins were in black american culture but it only took off when performed by white artists -in 1955 Bill Haley and the Comets performed rock around the clock which appeared in the blackboard jungle, a fil, about teenage rebellion in high school -rock around the clock became a nationwide success

Question 34

which artist really gave rock n roll national appeal

Answer 34

-Elvis! -in 1955, he had his first number one, 'heartbreak hotel'