1920s Books, Films And TV: The Decade Guide
Silent cinema, the first BBC broadcasts and a decade of detective novels and modernist landmarks.
Below: the books worth reading from the 1920s, then the films and television year by year from 1920 to 1929.
Useful for a themed night, a reading list, a reminiscence session or working out what someone grew up with.
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Years covered in the 1920s
- 1920 - The first Remembrance at the Cenotaph and a country still counting its losses. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1920
- 1921 - A miners' lockout, mass unemployment and the first British Legion poppy appeal. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1921
- 1922 - The BBC's first broadcast, the Austin Seven and Tutankhamun's tomb. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1922
- 1923 - The White Horse Final at Wembley and the first Radio Times. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1923
- 1924 - The first Labour government, the Empire Exhibition and the Chariots of Fire Olympics. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1924
- 1925 - The Charleston, the return to the gold standard and a summer of dance halls. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1925
- 1926 - The General Strike, the birth of Elizabeth II and Baird's public television demonstration. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1926
- 1927 - The BBC became a corporation, talking pictures arrived and the FA Cup went to Wales. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1927
- 1928 - Votes for all women, penicillin discovered and the Thames flood. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1928
- 1929 - Britain's first talkie, a second Labour government and the Wall Street Crash. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1929
- That is every 1920s year we have written up so far: 1920 to 1929.
Books of the 1920s
- Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920) - the first Poirot novel.
- Agatha Christie, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926).
- Virginia Woolf, Mrs Dalloway (1925) and To the Lighthouse (1927).
- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925).
- A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928).
- D. H. Lawrence, Women in Love (1920, UK edition 1921).
- E. M. Forster, A Passage to India (1924).
- P. G. Wodehouse, The Inimitable Jeeves (1923).
- Hugh Lofting, The Story of Doctor Dolittle (1920).
Film and television, year by year
- 1920 - Cinema was silent, with live piano or organ accompaniment.
- 1921 - The Kid, Chaplin's first full-length film, was released.
- 1922 - Nosferatu was released in Germany.
- 1923 - Safety Last!, with Harold Lloyd hanging from a clock, was released.
- 1924 - Sherlock Jr. and The Thief of Bagdad were released.
- 1925 - The Gold Rush and Battleship Potemkin were released.
- 1926 - John Logie Baird gave the first public demonstration of television in January.
- 1927 - The Jazz Singer effectively ended the silent era.
- 1928 - Steamboat Willie introduced Mickey Mouse with synchronised sound in November.
- 1929 - Blackmail, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, became Britain's first full talking picture.
More from the screen
- 1920 - Charlie Chaplin was already the most famous performer in the world.
- 1921 - Cinema tickets were cheap and audiences huge.
- 1922 - Cinema organs were installed in the larger picture palaces.
- 1923 - Cinema audiences were growing every year.
- 1924 - Cinemas were the biggest buildings going up in most high streets.
- 1925 - Picture palaces with organs and orchestras were the height of a night out.
- 1926 - Metropolis was being made in Germany.
- 1927 - Hitchcock's The Lodger was released in Britain.
- 1928 - British cinemas began converting to sound.
- 1929 - Cinemas across the country were wired for sound during the year.
How to use this
- Themed night: one film from the decade, the matching party playlist, and a quiz round from the trivia page.
- Reading list: pick one book from the decade someone was born in and one from the decade they turned eighteen.
- Reminiscence session: read the television lines out and let people finish the theme tunes.
- Anyone born in 1920 turns 50 in 1970, 60 in 1980 and 70 in 1990.
Found your words? Now find the card
Shop cards Look back to 1920 Look back to 1921 Look back to 1922
How to write it so it lands
- Pair one film and one playlist from the same decade for an easy themed night.
- For a card, name the book or programme they grew up with rather than the decade.
- Charity shops are still the cheapest place to find the older titles on this list.
Where to shop next
- Look back to 1920
- Look back to 1921
- Look back to 1922
- Look back to 1923
- Look back to 1924
- Look back to 1925
- Look back to 1926
- Look back to 1927
- Look back to 1928
- Look back to 1929
- 1920s history: events, politics and culture
- 1920s calendar: year by year
- 1920s music: songs, genres and trends
- 1920s films and directors
- 1920s books: novels and authors
- 1920s art: artists and styles
- 1920s fashion: styles, designers and trends
- 1920s food: dishes, restaurants and trends
- 1920s travel: destinations and holidays
- 1920s technology: gadgets and computers
- 1920s shopping guide: what to buy
- 1920s games: board, card and video
- 1920s trivia: fun facts
- 1920s quiz: questions and answers
- The 1920s: the whole decade
- The decade after: the 1930s
- All decade guides in one place
- Card messages by occasion: every guide in one place
- Card hub: cards, badges and messages by occasion
- Decade history by era
- Decade calendars: every year from 1920
- Decade music: songs, genres and trends
- Decade films: best movies and directors
- Decade books: novels, authors and reading trends
- Decade art: artists, styles and trends
- Decade fashion: styles, designers and trends
- Decade food: dishes, restaurants and eating trends
- Decade travel: destinations and holidays
- Decade technology: gadgets and computers
- Decade shopping guides
- Decade games: board, card and video games by era
- Decade trivia: fun facts by era
- Decade quizzes: questions and answers by era
- Decade trivia game: play for points
- Decade quiz: test your memory
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best books of the 1920s?
The list above names real titles published between 1920 and 1929, with their years - a mix of the novels that defined the decade and the children's books that have stayed in print since.
What films and TV shows were popular in the 1920s?
The year-by-year list above gives the screen highlights for each year of the decade. For the full picture of any single year, open that year's page.
Where do these come from?
The film and television lines use the same checked facts as our year pages. The book lists are our own picks - real titles with real publication years, nothing invented.
Do you sell books or films?
No. We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK. This page is free to read and free to copy.