Golden Age and television

This chapter provides a historical overview of the period of short theatrical animation commonly referred to as ‘the Golden Age of Hollywood cartoons’. From approximately the 1930s to the 1950s, this period saw high volumes of cartoons from what would be known as the biggest and most influential studios in the world including Warner Bros, MGM and Disney. As well as the number of films being made and screened, there were various developments in the technology and production methods of these Hollywood cartoons, which established the region as the centre for animation production in the decades which followed. This chapter then looks at the end of this period and the transition in content and production which came with the advent and uptake of televisions in US homes and the new way audiences consumed their entertainment.