The ‘20s: Culture, Consumption, and Crash 141became the most popular show of the era. Americans began to rearrange
their lives just to hear the troubles of two Black men in Harlem, Amos Jones
and Andy Brown—who were voiced by white actors—for 15 minutes, five
times a week. Louisiana political leader Huey Long eventually came to calling
himself the “Kingfish” after a character in the show. President Hoover loved
the show, even inviting its stars to the White House. The show’s primary
sponsor, Pepsodent toothpaste gained millions in sales from its advertisements
on the show. By the end of the decade, nearly half of Americans owned
radios. Advertisers as much as anyone understood how important the airwaves
had become and started sponsoring radio shows while playing their commer-
cials time after time. Corporations began sponsoring series like “The Green
Hornet” and numerous “soap operas,” so named because soap companies
tended to sponsor those shows.
More Americans than ever went to the movies too, over 100 million by the
late 1920s—more than church attendance! The theaters themselves made the
typical moviegoer feel like royalty, with plush velvet seats, fancy chandeliers,
live organ music, and ushers in uniform to welcome the crowd. In smaller
towns, with little else to do, some theaters were big enough to seat half the
population, since the locals attended movies at least once a week, or even
more. In 1920, most films were still silent, with the dialogue coming up in
frames on the screen in between the action, and accompanied by a live organ-
ist who added to the mood with appropriate music which could be frantic,
frightening, or romantic. Charlie Chaplin was the most popular and most
famous star of the era, but other slapstick comedians such as Harold Lloyd,
Buster Keaton, and Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle also played to large crowds.
Arbuckle also became famous for Hollywood’s first sex scandal. He had
risen to the top of Hollywood’s “A-List,” signing a 3-year contract for $1 mil-
lion. And he had a reputation for enjoying the high life. After a wild 3-day
party in 1921, a young actress, Virginia Rappe, became ill and died a few days
later. The media immediately reported that Arbuckle, an extremely large man,
had raped her and crushed her with his weight. At trial, however, little evi-
dence existed that Arbuckle had any connection to her death, and he was
found not guilty; still, his film career was over. But sexuality on the screen
was becoming more common. Clara Bow was known as the “it girl,” because
she had “it”—sexuality. She was the leading sex symbol in films and highest-
paid personality in Hollywood. Investors could be sure of a return of at least