Thomas S. Hischak - 1927: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of the Jazz Ages Greatest Year

1927

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1927

A Day-by-Day Chronicle of the Jazz Ages Greatest Year

Thomas S. Hischak

Rowman & Littlefield

Lanham Boulder New York London

Published by Rowman & Littlefield

An imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.

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Copyright 2019 by The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.

All rights reserved . No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Hischak, Thomas S., author.

Title: 1927 : a day-by-day chronicle of the Jazz Ages greatest year / Thomas S. Hischak.

Other titles: Nineteen twenty-seven | Day-by-day chronicle of the Jazz Ages greatest year

Description: Lanham, MD : Rowman & Littlefield, [2019] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018050158 (print) | LCCN 2018051205 (ebook) | ISBN 9781538112786 (electronic) | ISBN 9781538112779 (cloth : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: United StatesHistory19191933Chronology. | United StatesSocial conditions19181932. | Nineteen twenty-seven, A.D.

Classification: LCC E791 (ebook) | LCC E791 .H57 2019 (print) | DDC 973.91dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018050158

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

For Jamie Duncan,

who loves music and baseball

A ticker-tape parade down Wall Street was the sign of ultimate fame as stockbrokers tossed rolls of ticker tape out the windows like confetti. The parade for Charles Lindbergh on June 13 might serve as the iconic image of 1927 at its most optimistic. Everett Collection Historical / Alamy Stock Photos

Preface

M any historians point out that the year 1927 was the high point of the Roaring Twenties. The economy was booming, the Jazz Age was in full swing, social mores were looser than ever, and the nation was celebrating heroes, new dances and music, movie stars, original gadgets and inventions, and a sense of power that Americans felt about themselves. That year saw hundreds of silent films released and movie attendance was at record levels. On Broadway, more plays and musicals opened than in any year before or since. Many of Americas greatest novelists, poets, artists, composers, and playwrights were busy producing classic works. In sports, records were broken and several champions in different fields thrilled fans with outstanding feats. It was the year of Charles Lindberghs famous transatlantic flight; the first talking picture, The Jazz Singer ; the musical classic Show Boat ; the discovery of Peking Man; the invention of the jukebox; and the birth of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Laurel and Hardy, and the music business genre of country music. There were many somber events as well, such as the execution of Sacco and Vanzetti, coal mining strikes and accidents, the Shanghai massacre and civil wars in China as well as in Nicaragua, the ongoing debacle of Prohibition and the power of organized crime, and the Great Mississippi River Flood and other natural disasters. All in all, a diverse and complicated year.

The aim of 1927: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of the Jazz Ages Greatest Year is to let the reader experience this important year day by day, describing events and accomplishments as they happened. Each day, from January 1 to December 31, 1927, is explored. Major news events, national and international, are described, as well as minor curiosities or news items that would prove to be more important in the future. Activities in music, literature, film, theatre, sports, inventions, politics, business, science, and other areas are included, as are the births and deaths of notable people. Throughout the chronology a series of boxes provide statistics and general information regarding the year 1927. While no one event can be discussed at great length, the hope is that the reader gets a feel for what it was like to live through this complex and fascinating year. For those looking for more depth and detailed information on these events and people, the bibliography suggests many books that focus on specific topics. In 1927: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of the Jazz Ages Greatest Year , the reader will take an informative tour through the greatest year of the Roaring Twenties. We point out the sights, describe the highlights, and meet the many famous people. In so doing, we hope to capture one outstanding year during that dizzy time known as the Jazz Age.

Acknowledgments

I wish to express my thanks to my wife and proofreader, Cathy; my editor, Stephen Ryan; my production editor, Jessica McCleary; and Jamie Duncan and Robert Spitzer for their knowledge and help in making this book as accurate as possible.

Prologue

New Years Eve, 1926

P rohibition, now in its sixth year, barred the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating beverages; it did not outlaw the possession or consumption of alcohol. Thus, many people celebrated New Years Eve with parties serving alcoholic drinks. In fact, the consumption of alcohol was higher during Prohibition (1920 to 1933) than in the years preceding it. For the arrival of 1927, Times Square in Manhattan was filled with people celebrating, even though it was raining and one thousand policemen were on duty to control the crowd. By dawn, eight of the partygoers had died of alcohol poisoning. And so began a year of contradictions. While 1927 has often been depicted as one long party, it was also a year of crisis, disaster, and injustice. Those revelers on New Years Eve were more concerned with the optimistic side of life. Under the administration of Calvin Coolidge, president of the United States since 1923, business was booming (the gross national product was $93.8 billion), unemployment was low (4.1 percent of the labor force), and spending was high (the consumer price index was 17.4). But these numbers cannot measure the level of optimism most Americans felt as 1927 began. For many, life was good and promised to get better. There was a feeling that anything was possible, particularly in the areas of aviation, science, medicine, communications, and newfangled inventions not yet imagined. At the same time, there was a feeling of frustration and injustice, particularly among minority groups, immigrant laborers, and farmers. And if one looked beyond the borders of the United States, there was much to be concerned about on the international scene. Americans may have been celebrating, but elsewhere there were wars, revolutions, and the rise of Fascism, Communism, and other ideologies that would eventually affect just about every person in the forty-eight states. So as the New Years parties come to an end, let us start our day-by-day journey through a remarkable year.