Going Out: The Rise and Fall of Public Amusements

by Nasaw

David Nasaw has written a sparkling social history of twentieth-century show business and of the new American public that assembled in the city's pleasure palaces, parks, theaters, nickelodeons, world's fair midways, and dance halls.

The new amusement centers welcomed women, men, and children, native-born and immigrant, rich, poor and middling. Only African Americans were excluded or segregated in the audience, though they were overrepresented in parodic form on stage. This stigmatization of the African American, Nasaw argues, was the glue that cemented an otherwise disparate audience, muting social distinctions among "whites," and creating a common national culture.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have been five stars before the last two thirds was only about movie theaters

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got it on ILL from the Indianapolis-Marion County Library.

This book is a study of public amusements from the end of the 19th century through post WWII, primarily in urban culture and with a definite focus on the treatment of African-Americans. He discusses vaudeville, dime museums (the precursor to the carnival freak show), the phonograph as public entertainment and amusement parks; but not surprisingly, the majority of the book deals with the development of motion pictures. Nasaw considers the development of the white collar environment as the impetus for public amusements - more men and women were leaving the family farm and going to the city, and an office-type job left one with both a little extra money and the energy to enjoy some simple entertainment.

In each section, Nasaw looks at its impact on the African-American community; while other minorities (Irish, Italian, Eastern European) were eventually able to blend in and be accepted, black men and women were treated as objects of ridicule and caricature within the various entertainments, while at the same time excluded from enjoying them. Vaudeville's blackface tradition, the "coon songs" of the turn of the century and films like The Birth of a Nation are all discussed as tools of oppression.

He also examines more general class issues in public entertainment- with the upper classes enjoying theater and orchestras, and the lower class attending saloons and dance halls. Motion pictures, first in "peep-show" format, the progressing to short subject nickelodeons, then to multi-reel features, became an egalitarian entertainment, with both the rich and the poor attending and enjoying themselves. He cites the post war move to the suburbs as one of the main blows to the movie palaces, as they were located in urban centers. Radio and television also made a negative impact on the arena of public amusement.

An extensive notes section and index makes this a useful reference. Recommended to anyone interested in the history of media and related entertainment ventures in America over the first half of the twentieth century.

[MH · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great social history of urban public amusements in the changing America of the early 20th century, and how a new class of office and retail workers who had a little more time and money than their immigrant parents - and how they spent them on amusement parks, dance halls, vaudeville and, increasingly, the movies. Nasaw sticks to his themes of how this participatory leisure, as well as racial exclusion, constructed a new American identity, but he never lets his theories overwhelm his excellently well-reasearched historical writing - this is the rare book that can cite Adorno without bringing everything to a screeching halt.

[Kim Adamache · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author references a variety of locations and classes in his narrative describing amusements during the turn of the last century. He focuses on the changes to public amusements that were primarily linked to electricity and automation, which were an amazing variety of amusements including Coney Island, recorded music, the nickelodeons...the list goes on and on. Fascinating look at the times including a look at existing attitudes towards "The Other."

[Mike Medeiros · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 3 stars are not a reflection on the writing or presentation but simply the level of interest it held for me. It deals mostly with the early days of penny arcades and Nickelodeons, vaudeville and the evolution from short reel theaters to full length silent films in ornate places.
A very specific topic. But for what it is Mr Nasaw ( in one of his first few books) does a fine job with it and will eventually read his more recent deep dives, that I already have, into Carnegie and William Randolph Hearst.

[Matt Cantillon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent history of public entertainment in America in the 19th and early 20th century

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book filled with amazing information. My only issue is it was very monotonous. That being said it was still worth every page. Totally recommend this book.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot very interesting information and definitely readable, but occasionally it bogs down. This must be one of David Nasaw's first books because I really like his writing in other books of his I have read.

[Holly George]

coney island
vaudville
nickelodeons

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned about the 20th century entertainment revolution that changed forever the ways we work,live and live.

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Insightful analysis, and a pleasant mix of things I knew and things I didn't. Not a full 5 stars because of a bit of repetition that dragged it down.