s sins. Each day more and more people would enter the cities making it more impersonal and frightening. The streets were now filled with strangers, where as before they were filled with friends and neighbors. Social standards, the business climate and foreign cultures were very hard to accept because of their objectives of wealth and gratification.During the Twenties, American women changed greatly from long hair and dark prudish ankle-length dresses, to short bobbed hair and bright waistless dresses. Many young Twenties women became more confident with themselves. Some began smoking cigarettes and drinking in public, which was not acceptable before and would have ruined reputations. Many rebellious women became flappers, which were liberated young women who embraced the new urban attitudes and fashions. After World War I, many Americans had money to spare and the time to enjoy it. In 1929, Americans spent $4.5 billion on entertainment, which was mostly on changing fads. By 1925, filmmaking had become the fourth largest industry in America. More than 20,000 movie houses did business nationwide. Before World War I, silent films were shown in small nickelodeons, which only cost a nickel. After the war, entrepreneurs began to build luxurious movie houses, known as picture palaces since they were plentifully decorated with velvet curtains and gilt trim. Americans delighted over the achievements of stars such as Rudolph Valentino, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, and Clara Bow. The silent film era ended in 1927 with the release of the first talking picture, The Jazz Singer. For entertainment, some Americans went to movies and plays, which was a romantic escape for couples. Before movies, most plays in America were made similar to emotional European dramas. Americans were tired of boring dramas, what they really wanted to see were exciting and romantic plays. Eugene O’Neill, the first American playwrigh...
