1930s Books, Films And TV: The Decade Guide
Talking pictures fill the cinemas, the BBC starts television, and the great crime and children's writers hit their stride.
Below: the books worth reading from the 1930s, then the films and television year by year from 1930 to 1939.
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 1930s
- 1930 - The R101 disaster, rising unemployment and Amy Johnson flying to Australia. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1930
- 1931 - The National Government, the gold standard abandoned and the means test. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1931
- 1932 - Broadcasting House opened, the Empire Service began and hunger marches reached London. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1932
- 1933 - Bodyline, the first Loch Ness photograph and the opening of the Tube map. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1933
- 1934 - Driving tests announced, Belisha beacons and the Queen Mary being built. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1934
- 1935 - The Silver Jubilee, the first driving tests and the 30mph limit. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1935
- 1936 - Three kings in one year, the Jarrow March, Butlin's and the first television service. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1936
- 1937 - The coronation of George VI, the Hindenburg and the first Billy Butlin summer. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1937
- 1938 - Munich, gas masks and the Holidays with Pay Act. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1938
- 1939 - Evacuation, the blackout, the declaration of war and television going off air. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1939
- That is every 1930s year we have written up so far: 1930 to 1939.
Books of the 1930s
- Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express (1934) and Death on the Nile (1937).
- J. R. R. Tolkien, The Hobbit (1937).
- Dorothy L. Sayers, Gaudy Night (1935).
- George Orwell, The Road to Wigan Pier (1937) and Homage to Catalonia (1938).
- Graham Greene, Brighton Rock (1938).
- Daphne du Maurier, Jamaica Inn (1936) and Rebecca (1938).
- Evelyn Waugh, Vile Bodies (1930) and Scoop (1938).
- Aldous Huxley, Brave New World (1932).
- Arthur Ransome, Swallows and Amazons (1930).
Film and television, year by year
- 1930 - Talking pictures had taken over the cinemas within two years of arriving.
- 1931 - Cinema was the cheapest night out and the most popular.
- 1932 - The BBC made experimental television broadcasts using the Baird system.
- 1933 - King Kong and The Private Life of Henry VIII were released.
- 1934 - The Man Who Knew Too Much and It Happened One Night were released.
- 1935 - The 39 Steps was released.
- 1936 - The BBC began the world's first regular high-definition television service on 2 November, from Alexandra Palace.
- 1937 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released in December in America and reached Britain the next year.
- 1938 - The Lady Vanishes was released.
- 1939 - BBC television closed at noon on 1 September and did not return until 1946.
More from the screen
- 1930 - Hitchcock's Murder! was released.
- 1931 - Dracula and Frankenstein were released in America and shown here.
- 1932 - Cinema audiences were enormous and new Art Deco picture palaces were being built.
- 1933 - Cinema organs, double bills and usherettes were standard.
- 1934 - Cinema-going peaked at close to twenty million admissions a week later in the decade.
- 1935 - Penguin Books launched in July and changed what people read on the bus.
- 1936 - The Crystal Palace burned down on 30 November.
- 1937 - Television was available only within about 25 miles of Alexandra Palace.
- 1938 - The FA Cup final was televised live for the first time in April.
- 1939 - The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind were released.
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 1930 turns 50 in 1980, 60 in 1990 and 70 in 2000.
Found your words? Now find the card
Shop cards Look back to 1930 Look back to 1931 Look back to 1932
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 1930
- Look back to 1931
- Look back to 1932
- Look back to 1933
- Look back to 1934
- Look back to 1935
- Look back to 1936
- Look back to 1937
- Look back to 1938
- Look back to 1939
- 1930s history: events, politics and culture
- 1930s calendar: year by year
- 1930s music: songs, genres and trends
- 1930s films and directors
- 1930s books: novels and authors
- 1930s art: artists and styles
- 1930s fashion: styles, designers and trends
- 1930s food: dishes, restaurants and trends
- 1930s travel: destinations and holidays
- 1930s technology: gadgets and computers
- 1930s shopping guide: what to buy
- 1930s games: board, card and video
- 1930s trivia: fun facts
- 1930s quiz: questions and answers
- The 1930s: the whole decade
- The decade before: the 1920s
- The decade after: the 1940s
- 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 1930s?
The list above names real titles published between 1930 and 1939, 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 1930s?
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.