The Leisure Industry, 1917-45

Question 1

When was leisure time unpopular?

Answer 1

During the 1930s and 20s

Question 2

Why was leisure time seen as a luxury in the 1920s?

Answer 2

A benefit for the M/C and better off working classes

Question 3

Why did people used to have little money to spare for leisure pursuits?

Answer 3

Looking for a job or working long hours

Question 4

When was leisure time very unpopular?

Answer 4

Great Depression

Question 5

Why was leisure time in Great Depression unpopular?

Answer 5

People lost jobs and homes
Boy teens left home to country looking for work

Question 6

What sprang up around cities and towns?

Answer 6

Movie theatres, sports stadiums

Question 7

What became a popular leisure activity?

Answer 7

Eating out and illegal speakeasies

Question 8

What did New York have by the 1930s?

Answer 8

Hundreds of cinemas

Question 9

What did cinemas range from?

Answer 9

Tiny 50 seaters in black areas to the luxurious Roxy, built to hold over 5,000 people

Question 10

What were the cons of cinemas?

Answer 10

Movie theatres were segregated in the South
In North, unofficial segregation applied

Question 11

What did the popularity of movies lead to?

Answer 11

Employment boom for movie, building
And service industries that fed and housed the workers

Question 12

Why was growing car ownership important?

Answer 12

Increased vacation, leisure time, tourist attractions

Question 13

What improved with the road?

Answer 13

Better road systems

Question 14

What happened in National Parks?

Answer 14

Hiking and camping
Provided a ‘back to nature’ experience

Question 15

What events did National Parks hold?

Answer 15

Camping grounds, hiking trails, Park Rangers

Question 16

What types of amusement parks grew?

Answer 16

Fun and scary rollercoasters

Question 17

How did the amusement parks appeal to younger audiences?

Answer 17

Via ‘Kiddie parks’

Question 18

What happened in Kiddie Parks?

Answer 18

Provided gentler rides

Question 19

What industry also grew, alongside radio?

Answer 19

Book industry to $117 million

Question 20

How did Spectator sports become a popular leisure activity?

Answer 20

Through coverage in newspapers and radio

Question 21

What was the most popular spectator sport?

Answer 21

Baseball

Question 22

What did radio broadcasts of upcoming baseball games lead to?

Answer 22

More ppl wanting to watch a game, not just listen to it

Question 23

Who was the prominent star figure of Baseball?

Answer 23

Babe Ruth, representing the Yankees

Question 24

What was the Yankees attendance in 1920s games?

Answer 24

Just over 1.2M a year

Question 25

What was Babe Ruth an example of?

Answer 25

The way success in sport could change lives, like the movie industry

Question 26

What did Babe Ruth's salary increase to?

Answer 26

From $20,000 a year in 1920 to $80,000 a year in 1930

Question 27

How was sports promoted during WW2?

Answer 27

Roosevelt wanted to boost public morale

Question 28

How did the quality of the games suffer during WW2?

Answer 28

Players went off to fight, travelling to games was hard due to wartime restrictions

Question 29

Who took over men's football and baseball teams?

Answer 29

Women sporting teams

Question 30

What was an example of a Women's sporting team?

Answer 30

The All American Girls Professional Baseball League

Question 31

How long did The All American Girls Professional Baseball League play from?

Answer 31

1943 to 1954

Question 32

How many audiences did women sporting teams draw?

Answer 32

1,600 a game

Question 33

What happened after men returned back?

Answer 33

Old sports teams started to play again and the women's teams collapsed