Influence of 1950's Entertainment on Modern Day America

The 1950’s were a time of fun entertainment and prosperity. Many famous musicians and actors were taking the stage to change the way people thought of music and films in America, and even change their racial views somewhat. Stars like Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, and Nat King Cole with their “rock n’ roll” music changed the way people viewed music and viewed other races. The film industry of the fifties set precedence for future American filmmakers and set the standard of the industry higher than ever before. Rock and roll, the film industry, and the changed culture of American youth in the 1950’s all had major consequences for the future of America. In the 1950’s rock and roll became very popular. However, this popularity was shared between African Americans and white people, and this had many white people worried. African Americans liked the music of artists such as Nat King Cole and Chuck Berry, but so did the white people. This occurrence had never happened before and, as a consequence, white people were worried. Soon after this worry in white people arose, it was put to ease by white stars such as Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, and Buddy Holly. People were not worried about tensions being created by listening to the same music as another race any more. However, Alan Freed held a rock concert called “The Moondog Coronation Ball” in 1952, where black and white teens were both present with no segregation. “Rock n’ Roll” had taken steps toward desegregating America in the 1950’s. The creation of film and television shows in America was steadily growing with the creation of color TV sets. The color TV was limited in the fifties because of how expensive a color TV set cost, and because of how few programs were broadcast in color. The number of drive-in movie theatres reached an all time high on the late 1950’s. The 1950’s also gave rise to the anti-hero with stars such as Paul Newman and James Dean. These actors set a precedence followed by modern-day stars such as