The 1920s saw a big boom in the entertainment industry. With the post-war economic hike after World War I, many Americans had extra money to blow, and they turned to entertainers to help them burn a hole in their pockets.

Broadway reached an all-time high in the 1920’s. With playwrights like Gershwin, Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein pumping out top-notch showcases like "An American in Paris" and "Show Boat," it’s no wonder that a whopping 268 plays were offered in New York City in 1927 alone! Big-time stars like Helen Morgan and Fred and Adele Astaire helped bring in the crowds. The Astaires’ hit it big in "Funny Face".

The radio airwaves saw a big increase in popularity as well. By the end of the decade, nearly half of all homes contained a radio. The National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) and Columbia Broadcast System (CBS) both transmitted signals nationwide, reaching nearly every area in the US. This made it possible for the public to all hear the same programs, music and news stories, allowing nearly everyone in the country to share the same experiences. The nation-wide broadcasting also enabled national brands of products to aired, exposing everyone to their advertising. This exposure was the beginning of the takeover over nationwide products taking hold over the public, and the end for smaller, regional products. The 1920’s also saw the introduction of the Billboard music charts, with popular singers like Bing Crosby being able to be heard nationally over the radio.

The movie industry was not about to be left out of the entertainment surge either! Silent films, that had been around since the beginning of the century, became more popular in the 20’s. The beginning of the decade saw the founding of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (M-G-M) and the popularity of silent film stars such as Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Clara Bow and Rudolph Valentino. Midway through the decade, film became the US’ fourth largest industry, and it was about this time that the first movies with sound were released. The 1920’s also saw the first appearance of Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie. The movies were more than just an entertainment medium though. Shows also had newsreels, which allowed the audience to see the going’s on in the news and view political leaders and other movers and shakers in action.