The 1930s was a decade in which many people in the United States lived in poverty. The Great Depression was in full effect, but still there were those who wouldn’t let the Depression get them down.
Art Deco was pretty popular in the 1930s among the rich and famous.Silver, gold, black, red, and green are all wonderful colors to use in your 1930s theme party. Some famous stars from the 1930s include: Jean Harlow, Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, Ginger Rogers, and Fred Astaire.
Blues, jazz and big band swing were all keen in the 1930s
in Ricky
Take some gin, add a bit of lime and some seltzer fizz and you have the Gin Rickey, made famous in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’. The cocktail had been around awhile, but gained fame during the 1930’s.
French 75
The French 75 was originally found in the book: The Savoy Cocktail Book. To make this one, take some champagne, lemon, gin and a splash or two of syrup.
Sidecar
To make the Sidecar, grab some Cognac, Cointreau and lemon juice. Supposedly, the origin for this drink is based on an army captain who enjoyed a ride in a sidecar on his way to the bar.
Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford was a lovely, famous A-lister of the 1930’s. Bartender Eddie Woelke created this drink in her honor. To make it take some white rum, grenadine, maraschino, and pineapple juice.
Music
Music is a must for a party like this, and the perfect music was Swing. Swing was the popular music of the day, it was bright, buoyant and dance-able. So, create a playlist from the top swing bands of the day, such as Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller and Count Basie. Below is a sample play list of some real, hip Swing to get you started:
Sing, Sing, Sing: Benny Goodman •Stompin’ At the Savoy: Benny Goodman •Moonlight Serenade: Glenn Miller •Boogie Woogie: Tommy Dorsey •Mood Indigo: Duke Ellington •Minnie the Moocher: Cab Calloway •Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday