Posts tagged "1940"

Top Indian Actress from 1940 to 2009

Top Actress

[ad name=”HTML-1″]

Year Actor Major Succeses Notes
2009 Kareena Kapoor Three Idiots Kareena Kapoor and Katrina Kaif dominate. Kareena Kapoor has a mega blockbuster with Three Idiots while Katrina Kaif has a big hit with Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and hit with New York. Deepika Padukone comes into top three with Love Aaj Kal. Priyanka Chopra has a moderate hit with Kaminey.
Katrina Kaif Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, New York
Deepika Padukone Love Aaj Kal
2008 Kareena Kapoor Golmaal Returns Kareena Kapoor remains on top and also has a big hit in Golmaal Returns. Katrina Kaif is a mass favourite with huge hits like Singh Is Kinng and Race. Aishwarya Rai has a good hit with Jodhaa Akbar. Priyanka Chopra has an average success in Fashion but the film is heroine orientated and it gives her career a boost after super duds like Drona and Love Story 2050.
Katrina Kaif Singh Is Kinng Race
Aishwarya Rai Jodhaa Akbar
2007 Kareena Kapoor Jab We Met Kareena Kapoor scores big as Jab We Met is a big hit and is the highest paid actress at more than 3 crore. Rani Mukherjee has Ta Ra Rum Pum which does decent business but flops like Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Saawariya dent her position. Vidya Balan and Katrina Kaif star in many hits. Deepika Padukone is a star with Om Shanti Om.
Rani Mukherjee Ta Ra Rum Pum
Aishwarya Rai Guru
2006 Rani Mukherjee Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna Rani Mukherjee and Preity Zinta swap places as earlier it was the latter getting the main lead starring the two but now its the former. Aishwarya Rai scores big with Dhoom 2 while Priyanka Chopra has Krrish and Don. Approx rumeration Aishwarya Rai-1.75 crore Preity Zinta/Rani Mukherjee-1.50 crore Kareena Kapoor/ Priyanka Chopra 1.25 crore
Preity Zinta Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna
Aishwarya Rai Dhoom 2
2005 Preity Zinta Salaam Namaste The Yashraj heroines Preity Zinta and Rani Mukherjee have the successes while Kareena Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai remain the highest paid. Priyanka Chopra is the only other heroine making a an impact with moderate successes like Waqt and Barsaat.
Rani Mukherjee Bunty Aur Babli
Kareena Kapoor
2004 Preity Zinta Veer Zaara Veer Zaara is Preity Zinta’s third big grosser in two years. Kareena Kapoor has only Hulchul but is still the highest paid actress. Approx rumeration Kareena Kapoor-1 crore Aishwarya Rai-80 lakhs Preity Zinta-80 lakhs Rani Mukerjee-60 lakhs.
Rani Mukherjee Veer Zaara, Hum Tum
Kareena Kapoor Hulchul
2003 Preity Zinta Koi Mil Gaya, Kal Ho Na Ho Preity Zinta goes to the top with the superhit Koi Mil Gaya and hit Kal ho Na Ho. Rani Mukherjee makes a comeback with Chalte Chalte.
Kareena Kapoor
Rani Mukherjee Chalte Chalte
2002 Kareena Kapoor Aishwarya Rai has a hit in Devdas. Madhuri Dixit also has a outright hit in Devdas after 5 years. Approx rumeration Kareena Kapoor-1 crore Aishwarya Rai-80 lakhs Preity Zinta-50 lakhs Rani Mukerjee-40 lakhs.
Aishwarya Rai Devdas
Preity Zinta
2001 Kareena Kapoor Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai, Ajnabee Kareena Kapoor goes to the top with the hit Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai and superhit Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.She also has the moderate success Ajnabee. Back to back mega blockbusters Gadar Ek Prem Katha and Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai make Amisha Patel a star.
Aishwarya Rai
Preity Zinta Chori Chori Chupke Chupke
2000 Aishwarya Rai Mohabbatein, Josh, Hamaara Dil Aapke Paas Hai Aishwarya Rai hits the top as Karisma Kapoor’s films fail and Kajol stops signing films.She has good successes in Mohabbatein and Josh while Hamaara Dil Aapke Paas Hai is a moderate success. Preity Zinta becomes a star with the success of Kya Kehna.
Karisma Kapoor
Preity Zinta Kya Kehna, Mission Kashmir
1999 Karisma Kapoor Hum Saath Saath Hain, Biwi No1, Haseena Maan Jayegi, Jaanwar Karisma Kapoor delivers 4 successes including big hit Biwi No1. Aishwarya Rai becomes a star with Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Taal. Approx rumeration Karisma Kapoor-50 lakhs Kajol-50 lakhs Aishwarya Rai-40 lakhs Rani Mukerjee-25 lakhs.
Kajol Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain
Aishwarya Rai Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Taal
1998 Kajol Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya Kajol reigns supreme with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai,Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha and Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya. Rani Mukherjee becomes a star with the all time blockbuster Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. She also has a more moderate success in Ghulam.
Karisma Kapoor
Rani Mukherjee Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Ghulam
1997 Karisma Kapoor Dil To Pagal Hai, Hero No1, Judwaa Karisma Kapoor continues with he run of hits. Madhuri Dixit has a big hit in Dil To Pagal Hai after many flops. Sridevi has a major success after 8 years in Judaai.
Madhuri Dixit Dil To Pagal Hai
Kajol Gupt, Ishq
1996 Karisma Kapoor Raja Hindustani, Saajan Chale Sasural, Jeet Karisma Kapoor’s big success with Raja Hindustani, Saajan Chale Sasural and Jeet coupled with Madhuri Dixit’s big failures like Prem Granth and Rajkumar put Karisma Kapoor on top.
Madhuri Dixit
Kajol
1995 Madhuri Dixit Raja Kajol is in top league with the all time blockbuster Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and blockbuster Karan Arjun. Approx rumeration  Madhuri Dixit-50 lakhs Sridevi-25 lakhs Juhi Chawla-25 lakhs Kajol-20 lakhs
Kajol Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Karan Arjun
Juhi Chawla
1994 Madhuri Dixit Hum Aapke Hain Kaun Madhuri Dixit hits her peak with box office record breaker Hum Aapke Hain Kaun. Raveena Tandon is a star with hits like Mohra and Dilwale
Juhi Chawla
Raveena Tandon Mohra, Dilwale
1993 Madhuri Dixit Khalnayak Juhi Chawla hits the big league with films like Darr,Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke and Lootere. Anari makes Karisma Kapoor a star. Approx rumeration Madhuri Dixit-30 lakhs Sridevi-25 lakhs Juhi Chawla-20 lakhs
Juhi Chawla Darr, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Lootere
Sridevi
1992 Madhuri Dixit Beta Beta is a huge superhit for Madhuri Dixit Divya Bharti emerges a star with Deewana and Shola Aur Shabnam. Sridevi’s Khuda Gawah is another box office disappointment for her while her other release Heer Ranjha is a commercial disaster.
Sridevi
Divya Bharti Deewana, Shola Aur Shabnam
1991 Madhuri Dixit Saajan The failure of Sridevi starrer Lamhe coupled with the super success of Saajan takes Madhuri Dixit to the top. Manisha Koirala emerges a star with Saudagar.
Sridevi
Meenakshi Sheshadari
1990 Sridevi   Madhuri Dixit has another great year which includes the superhit Dil. Meenakshi Sheshadari also has a good year with Ghayal and Ghar Ho To Aisa. Approx rumeration Sridevi-30 lakhs Madhuri Dixit-25 lakhs Meenakshi Sheshadari-12 lakhs Juhi Chawla-8 lakhs
Madhuri Dixit Dil, Kishen Kanhaiya, Thaanedaar
Meenakshi Sheshadari Ghayal, Ghar Ho To Aisa
1989 Sridevi Chandni, Chaalbaaz Sridevi hits her peak with films like Chandni and Chaalbaaz. Madhuri Dixit follows up her 1988 mega hit Tezaab with two more superhits in Ram Lakhan and Tridev.
Madhuri Dixit Ram Lakhan, Tridev, Kanoon Apna Apna
Meenakshi Sheshadari
1988 Sridevi Waqt Ki Awaaz The blockbuster Tezaab makes Madhuri Dixit a star. Rekha also sees success in Khoon Bhari Maang. Juhi Chawla becomes a star with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak
Meenakshi Sheshadari Shahenshah
Madhuri Dixit Tezaab
1987 Sridevi Mr India, Watan Ke Rakhwale, Jawab Hum Denge Sridevi continues her domination with Mr India.Watan Ke Rakhwale and Jawab Hum Denge also do well. Approx rumeration Sridevi-15 lakhs Meenakshi Sheshadari-8 lakhs Dimple Kapadia-8 lakhs Jaya Prada-6 lakhs.
Meenakshi Sheshadari Inaam Dus Hazaar
Dimple Kapadia Insaaniyat Ke Dushman, Insaaf
1986 Sridevi Karma, Nagina, Ghar Sansar Sridevi becomes the undisputed No1 with Nagina and Karma, Ghar Sansar also do well. Rekha makes a comeback with Insaaf Ki Awaaz.
Meenakshi Sheshadari Dilwaala
Rekha Insaaf Ki Awaaz
1985 Sridevi Meenakshi Sheshadari becomes a big star with films like Meri Jung and Aandhi Toofan. Dimple Kapadia has a hit in Arjun but the film she signed first as her comeback Saagar does not do too well.
Meenakshi Sheshadari Meri Jung, Aandhi Toofan
Hema Malini Ramkali, Aandhi Toofan
1984 Sridevi Maqsad, Tohfa, New actresses like Sridevi and Jaya Prada make an impact as the older heroines age. Dimple Kapadia makes a comeback after 11 years but her first release Zakhmi Sher does not do well.
Jaya Prada Shraaabi, Maqsad, Tohfa
Hema Malini
1983 Hema Malini Andhaa Kanoon, Justice Chaudhary Sridevi emerges a star with Himmatwala and other successes like Mawaali,Justice Chaudhury and Jaanidost. Meenakshi Sheshadri is a star with Hero. Hema Malini has Andhaa Kanoon and Justice Chaudhury but the ambitious Razia Sultan is a big loser.
Rekha Agar Tum Na Hote
Sridevi Himmatwala, Mawaali, Justice Chaudhury, Jaanidost
1982 Hema Malini Farz Aur Kanoon, Satte Pe Satta, Bhagavat Hema Malini has a big hit in Farz Aur Kanoon while Saate Pe Saata and Bhgavat do well. Ghazab and Jeevan Dhaara do well for Rekha but Umrao Jaan is a only a critical success, not a box office one. Reena Roy is a mass favourite with many successes. Padmini Kolhapure is a star with Prem Rog.
Rekha Ghazab, Jeevan Dhaara
Reena Roy Bhagavat, Jeeo Aur Jeene Do, Hathkadi, Sanam Teri Kasam, Dharam Kanta
1981 Hema Malini Kranti, Naseeb, Meri Awaaz Suno, Hema Malini delivers mega grossers in Kranti,Naseeb and Meri Awaaz Suno after 2 years with no big hits. Approx rumeration Hema Malini-15 lakhs Rekha-12 lakhs Zeenat Aman-10 lakhs Parveen Babi-8 lakhs Reena Roy-8 lakhs.
Rekha Ek Hi Bhool
Zeenat Aman Lawaaris, Kaatilon Ke Kaatil
1980 Rekha Judaai, Ram Balram, Maang Bharo Sajna, Khoobsurat Rekha goes to the top with hits like Maang Bharo Sajna,Judaai,Khoobsurat and Ram Balram. Zeenat Aman has a good year with the blockbuster Qurbani and hit Ram Balram Reena Roy delivers a mega blockbuster in Aasha.
Hema Malini Ali Baba Aur 40 Chor
Zeenat Aman Qurbani, Ram Balram, Ali Baba Aur 40 Chor, Insaaf Ka Tarazu
1979 Hema Malini Rekha has great commercial success with Jaani Dushman,Suhaag,Mr Natwarlal and Kartavya. Jaya Prada is a star with the megahit Sargam. Noorie is a superhit and makes Poonam Dhillon a star.
Rekha Suhaag, Jaani Dushman, Mr Natwarlal, Kartavya
Zeenat Aman
1978 Hema Malini Trishul, Azaad Muqaddar Ka Sikander takes Rekha into the top league.nNutan and Asha Parekh co star in the heroine orientated Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki which is a huge hit
Zeenat Aman Don
Rekha Muqaddar Ka Sikander, Ganga Ki Saugandh
1977 Hema Malini Chacha Bhatija, Dream Girl Hema Malini is at her peak as the very average film Dream G irl becomes a success.Approx rumeration Hema Malini-12 lakhs Zeenat Aman-7 lakhs Rekha-5 lakhs Neetu Singh-5 lakhs Parveen Babi-5 lakhs Reena Roy-5 lakhs.
Zeenat Aman Dharam Veer, Hum Kisise Kum Nahin
Neetu Singh Amar Akbar Anthony, Dharam Veer, Parvarish, Adaalat
1976 Hema Malini Dus Numbri, Charas, Aap Beati, Maa, Jaaneman Hema Malini continues her domination. Her record with Dharmendra sees 9 hits out of 12 films.The other 3 films are semi hits or above average. Reena Roy becomes a star with hits like Nagin and Kaalicharan.
Zeenat Aman
Reena Roy Nagin, Kaalicharan
1975 Hema Malini Sholay, Sanyasi, Pratiggya, Dharmatma, Khushboo, Do Thug Hema Malini has the best year of her career with record breaker Sholay,superhit Sanyasi and other hits in Pratiggya and Dharmatma. Neetu Singh is a star with the success of Khel Khel Mein and Rafoo Chakkar. Parveen Babi is a star with Deewaar.
Zeenat Aman Warrant, Chori Mera Kaam
Neetu Singh Deewaar, Khel Khel Mein, Rafoo Chakkar
1974 Hema Malini Dost, Prem Nagar, Amir Garib, Patthar Aur Payal Haath Ki Safaai, Kasauti Hema Malini reigns supreme with many hits. Mumtaz has a hat trick of successes but decides to quit due to marriage. Approx rumeration Hema Malini-6 lakhs Mumtaz-4 lakhs Zeenat Aman-3 lakhs.
Mumtaz Chor Machaye Shor, Roti, Aap Ki Kasam
Zeenat Aman Roti Kapada Aur Makaan
1973 Hema Malini Jugnu Zeenat Aman becomes a star with Yaadon Ki Baraat. Dimple Kapadia creates a sensation with Bobby but she stops working due to marriage. Rekha becomes a star with films like Dharma and Kahani Kismet Ki.
Mumtaz Loafer. Jheel Ke Us Paar
Zeenat Aman Yaadon Ki Baraat. Dhund
1972 Hema Malini Seeta Aur Geeta, Raja Jani, Gora Aur Kala, Bhai Ho To Aisa Seeta aur Geeta takes Hema Malini to the top.She also has other hits like Raja Jani and Gora Aur Kala. Pakeezah is declared a flop but eventually goes on to be a superhit after Meena Kumari’s death.
Mumtaz Apna Desh, Apradh, Sharaarat
Asha Parekh Samadhi
1971 Mumtaz Dushman, Hare Rama Hare Krishna Mumtaz reigns with hits like Dushman and Hare Rama Hare Krishna while Mala Sinha also has a major hit after three years with Maryada. Approx rumeration Mumtaz-4 lakhs Hema Malini-3 lakhs Asha Parekh-3 lakhs Sharmila Tagore-2.5 lakhs.
Hema Malini Andaz, Naya Zamaana
Asha Parekh Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Caravan
1970 Mumtaz Sachaa Jhutha, Khilona Mumtaz hits the top with the superhit Sachaa Jhutha and hit Khilona. Hema Malini becomes a star with the blockbuster Johny Mera Naam.She has two other hits in Sharafat and Tum Haseen Main Jawan. Rakhee is a star with Jeevan Mrityu.
Hema Malini Johny Mera Naam, Sharafat, Tum Haseen Main Jawan
Asha Parekh Kati Patang, Aan Milo Sajna
1969 Asha Parekh Aaya Sawan Jhoom Ke, Sajan, Chirag Asha Parekh continues to reign with the hit Aaya Sawan Jhoom Ke and the moderate success Chirag. Sadhana returns with the superhit Ek Phool Do Mali and hit Inteqaam. Mumtaz becomes a star with the blockbuster Do Raaste and she also has other successes.
Sadhana Ek Phool Do Mali, Inteqaam
Mumtaz Do Raaste, Bandhan, Jigri Dost
1968 Asha Parekh Shikar, Kanyadaan Mala Sinha makes a comeback with two superhits in Aankhen and Do Kaliyan. Asha Parekh has two solid hits in Shikar and Kanyadaan. Waheeda Rehman has her best period commercially with Neel Kamal following Ram Aur Shyam and Patthar Ke Sanam.
Mala Sinha Aankhen, Do Kaliyan
Waheeda Rehman Neel Kamal, Aadmi
1967 Asha Parekh Upkar Sadhana leaves the industry. Asha Parekh takes the vacant top spot after Sadhana leaves.She has a mega  blockbuster in Upkar. After the hit Guide in 1966 Waheeda Rehman has the superhit Ram aur Shyam and hit Patthar Ke Sanam.
Vyjayanthimala Jewel Thief
Waheeda Rahman Ram Aur Shyam, Patthar Ke Sanam
1966 Sadhana Mera Saaya Asha Parekh has an excellent year with the superhit Teesri Manzil and hits like Love In Tokyo,Do Badan and Aaye Din Bahar Ke. Vyjayanthimala has a blockbuster in Suraj but her big budget costume drama Amrapali is a big flop
Asha Parekh Teesri Manzil, Love In Tokyo, Do Badan, Aaye Din Bahar Ke
Vyjayanthimala Suraj
1965 Sadhana Waqt, Aarzoo The blockbusters Waqt and Arzoo take Sadhana to the top. The superhit Jab Jab Phool Kile and hit Gumnaam put Nanda into the top league. Meena Kumari makes a comeback with Kaajal while Himalay Ki God Mein is a huge hit for Mala Sinha
Vyjayanthimala
Mala Sinha Himalay Ki God Mein
1964 Vyjayanthimala Sangam, Zindagi Vyjayanthimala hits her peak with mega blockbuster Sangam. Sadhana continues her run of hits with Rajkumar and Woh Kaun Thi while Asha Parekh has another big hit in Ziddi. Sharmila Tagore becomes a star with Kashmir Ki Kali.
Sadhana Rajkumar, Woh Kaun Thi
Mala Sinha
1963 Vyjayanthimala Sadhana becomes a rage with the huge megahit Mere Mehboob. Mala Sinha has another good year with many successes. Asha Parekh has a huge hit in Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon and hits the top league.
Sadhana Mere Mehboob
Mala Sinha Gumrah, Gehra Daag, Bahurani, Phool Bane Angaarey
1962 Vyjayanthimala Mala Sinha has a great year with Hariyali aur Raasta,Dil Tera Deewana and Anpadh Sadhana hits the top league with hits Ek Musafir Ek Hasina and Asli Naqli. Waheeda Rehman sees tremendous commercial success in Bees Saal Baad.
Mala Sinha Hariyali Aur Raasta, Dil Tera Deewana, Anpadh
Sadhana Ek Musafir Ek Hasina, Asli Naqli
1961 Vyjayanthimala Ganga Jamuna, Aas Ka Panchi Hits like Gharana and Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai make Asha Parekh a star. Saira Bano is a star with superhit Junglee Madhubala is unable take advantage of her super success due to ill health. Vyjayanthimala reigns supreme with Ganga Jamuna and Aas Ka Panchi.
Madhubala Jhumroo
Meena Kumari Zindagi Aur Khwab
1960 Madhubala Mughal E Azam, Barsaat Ki Raat Mudhubala hits her peak with back to back blockbusters Mughal E Azam and Barsaat Ki Raat. Meena Kumari has two solid hits in Kohinoor and Dil Apna Preet Paraya. Sadhana is a star with the hit Love in Simla.
Vyjayanthimala
Meena Kumari Kohinoor, Dil Apna Aur Preet Paraya
1959 Vyjayanthimala Paigham Mala Sinha hits the big league with Dhool Ka Phool following her 1958 hits in Phir Subah Hogi and Parvarish. Anari and Sujata also put Nutan into the top league. Nanda becomes a star as she plays the tiltle role in Chhoti Bahen
Madhubala
Meena Kumari Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan
1958 Vyjayanthimala Madhumati, Sadhana Vyjayanthimala goes to the top with the blockbuster Madhumati and hit Sadhana. Madhubala makes a grand comeback with the superhit Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi and has other successes like Phagun,Kala Pani and Howrah Bridge.
Madhubala Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, Phagun, Kala Pani, Howrah Bridge
Meena Kumari Yahudi
1957 Nargis Mother India Nargis delivers Mother India which is the highest grossing film ever but also stops signing films. Vyjayanthimala has the blockbuster Naya Daur and hit Asha. Pyaasa takes Waheeda Rehman into the top league.
Vyjayantimala Naya Daur, Asha
Meena Kumari Sharada
1956 Nargis Chori Chori Nargis has a hit in Chori Chori as do Vyjayanthimala and Meena Kumari in New Delhi and Ek Hi Raasta respectively. The super success of CID makes Waheeda Rehman a star.
Vyjayanthimala New Delhi
Meena Kumari Ek Hi Raasta, Halaaku
1955 Nargis Shree 420 Shree 420 is a huge blockbuster for Nargis while Azaad is a superhit for Meena Kumari. Seema is a hit and it makes Nutan a star.
Vyjayanthimala
Meena Kumari Azaad
1954 Nargis Vyjayanthimala hits the big league with the blockbuster Nagin. Nalini Jaywant sees huge commercial success in Nastik.
Vyjayanthimala Nagin
Meena Kumari
1953 Nargis Vyjayanthimala becomes a star with the hit Ladki. Meena Kumari has critical and commercial success in Parineeta. Foothpath also does well.
Meena Kumari Parineeta, Footpath
Geeta Bali Jhamela
1952 Nargis Anhonee Anhonee is a hit for Nargis. Meena Kumari becomes a big star with the golden jubilee superhit Baiju Bawra. Geeta Bali has another superhit in Jaal after Baazi and Albela.
Geeta Bali Jaal
Meena Kumari Baiju Bawra
1951 Nargis Awaara, Deedar Nargis hits the top with the blockbuster Awaara and hit Deedar as Suraiya fades as films like Sanam and Do Sitare flop. Geeta Bali hits the big league with superhits Baazi and Albela. Anand Math is also a success for her.
Geeta Bali Baazi, Albela, Anand Math
Madhubala Baadal
1950 Suraiya Dastaan Suraiya scores with Dastaan but her other films do not fare that well. Samadhi and Sangram make Nalini Jaywant a star.
Nargis Babu,l Jogan
Madhubala Beqasoor
1949 Suraiya Dillagi, Badi Bahen Suraiya is a craze and hits her peak with hits like Diilagi and Badi Bahen. Nargis hits the big league with big superhits Andaz and Barsaat. Madhubala becomes a star with the superhit Mahal. Barsaat makes Nimmi a star.
Nargis Andaz, Barsaat
Madhubala Mahal
1948 Suraiya Pyar Ki Jeet Suraiya is on top after Noorjehan leaves. Kamini Kaushal hits the big league with the superhit Shaheed and hits Ziddi and Nadiya Ke Paar. Nargis becomes a star with the hit Mela. Geeta Bali becomes a star with the successful Suhaag Raat.
Kamini Kaushal Shaheed, Ziddi, Nadiya Ke Paar
Nargis Mela
1947 Noorjehan Jugnu, Mirza Sahibaan Noorjehan moves to Pakistan after independence. Kamini Kaushal becomes a star with the surprise hit Do Bhai.
Suraiya Dard, Parwana
Kamini Kaushal Do Bhai
1946 Noorjehan Anmol Ghadi Anmol Ghadi is the biggest blockbuster of Noorjehan’s career and it also makes Suraiya a major star.
Suraiya Anmol Ghadi, 1857
Mumtaz Shanti
1945 Noorjehan Zeenat, Gaon Ki Gori, Badi Maa Zeenat is a superhit for Noorjehan,Gaon Ki Gori and Badi Maa are hits. Suraiya has a success in Tadbir opposite K L Saigal.
Mumtaz Shanti Chand Chakori
Suraiya Tadbir
1944 Noorjehan Dost, Lal Haveli More hits for Noorjehan in Dost and Lal Haveli. Leela Chitnis teams up with Ashok Kumar again in Kiran but is not as successful as the likes of Kangan,Bandhan and Jhoola.
Mumtaz Shanti Bharthari
Suraiya Phool
1943 Noorjehan Nadaan, Nauker, Duhai Mumtaz Shanti delivers an all time blockbuster in Kismet but singing sensation Noorjehan gives hit after hit to become a craze.
Mumtaz Shanti Kismet
Leela Chitnis
1942 Mumtaz Shanti Basant The blockbuster Basant makes Mumtaz Shanti a big star. Khandaan sees the emergence of Noorjehan from punjabi films. Kanan Devi has Jawab which is a big hit.
Noorjehan Khandaan
Leela Chitnis
1941 Leela Chitnis Jhoola Leela Chitnis completes a hat trick of hits with Ashok Kumar as Jhoola follows Bandhan and Kangan(1939). Lagan with singing sensation K L Saigal is a hit for Kanan Devi
Kanan Devi Lagan
Devika Rani
1940 Leela Chitnis Bandhan Leela Chitnis remains the top actress with Bandhan.She had reached the top with hits like Kangan and Sant Tulsidaas in 1939.
Kanan Devi
Devika Rani

 

 [ad name=”HTML-1″]

[ad name=”HTML-1″]

 [ad name=”HTML-2″]

Be the first to comment - What do you think?
Posted by admin - February 24, 2015 at 12:12 pm

Categories: Article   Tags: , 2009, , ,

American Cultural History 1940 – 1949

The 1940’s were dominated by World War II. European artists and intellectuals fled to the United States from Hitler and the Holocaust, bringing new ideas created in disillusionment. War production pulled us out of the Great Depression. Women were needed to replace men who had gone off to war, and so the first great exodus of women from the home to the workplace began. Rationing affected the food we ate, the clothes we wore, the toys with which children played.

[ad name=”HTML”]

After the war, the men returned, having seen the rest of the world. No longer was the family farm an ideal; no longer would blacks accept lesser status. The GI Bill allowed more men than ever before to get a college education. Women had to give up their jobs to the returning men, but they had tasted independence.

The purpose of this web / library guide is to help the user gain a broad understanding and appreciation for the culture and history of the 1940-1949 period in American history. In a very small way, this is a bibliographic essay.   To see the whole picture, we encourage users to browse all the way through this page (and the other decades as they come online) and then visit the suggested links for more information on the decade.  As you can see, the best way to immerse oneself in a topic is to use both Internet and the library.  Some information is best viewed or read in books. This is where the real depth of information can be found.  Then there is information that will be found only on the Internet.  If you can add a valuable site or information to this page, we invite you to write.   Thanks for the visit.  ENJOY!

[ad name=”HTML”]

Art & Architecture | Books & Literature | Fashion | Fads | Historic Events | Music & Radio | Sports |  Television | Theater &  Film


Albert City (Iowa) High School senior class 1941

HISTORIC EVENTS

War ration coupons The forties are pretty well defined by World War II. US isolationism was shattered by the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. As President Franklin D. Roosevelt guided the country on the homefront, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower commanded the troops in Europe. Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Adm. Chester Nimitz led them in the Pacific. The successful use of an antibiotic, penicillin, by 1941 revolutionized medicine. Developed first to help the military personnel survive war wounds, it also helped increase survival rates for surgery. The first eye bank was established at New York Hospital in 1944.  Unemployment almost disappeared, as most men were drafted and sent off to war. Shopping downtown Houston in 1940's, Rice Hotel in background The government reclassified 55% of their jobs, allowing women and blacks to fill them. First, single women were actively recruited to the workforce. In 1943, with virtually all the single women employed, married women were allowed to work. Japanese immigrants and their descendants, suspected of loyalty to their homelands, were sent to internment camps.

Sailor with cow - There were scrap drives for steel, tin, paper and rubber.  These were a source of supplies and gave people a means of supporting the war effort. Automobile production ceased in 1942, and rationing of food supplies began in 1943. Victory gardens were re-instituted and supplied 40% of the vegetables consumed on the home front. In April, 1945, FDR died, and President Harry Truman celebrated V-E Day on May 8, 1945. Japan surrendered only after two atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The United States emerged from World War II as a world superpower, challenged only by the USSR. While the USSR subjugated the defeated countries, the US implemented the Marshall Plan, helping war-torn countries to rebuild and rejoin the world economy. Disputes over ideology and control led to the Cold War. Communism was treated as a contagious disease, and anyone who had contact with it was under suspicion. Alger Hiss, a former hero of the New Deal, was indicted as a traitor and the House Un-American Activities Committee began its infamous hearings.

[ad name=”HTML”]

Returning GI’s created the baby boom, which is still having repercussions on American society today. Although there were rumors, it was only after the war ended that Americans learned the extent of the Holocaust. Realization of the power of prejudice helped lead to Civil Rights reforms over the next three decades. Nurse in front of typical 40s car. The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, commonly known as the GI Bill of Rights, entitled returning soldiers to a college education. In 1949, three times as many college degrees were conferred as in 1940.  College became available to the capable rather than the privileged few.

Television made its debut at the 1939 World Fair, but the war interrupted further development. In 1947, commercial television with 13 stations became available to the public. Computers were developed during the early forties. The digital computer, named ENIAC, weighing 30 tons and standing two stories high, was completed in 1945.

WEB SITES

  • American History 1860 to the present   |  Lone Star College – Kingwood Library history page for this period.
  • World War II   |  Historical text archive.
  • Women and the Home Front during World War II | Rosie the Riveter, WASPS, WAVES and nurses.
  • Historical Atlas of the 20th Century   |  Collection of maps and stats of the 20th century.
  • Biography Index   |  Biographies of over 25,000 famous persons, from the History Channel.
  • Genealogy Guide   |  Helpful in locating past people, places and events.
  • The 1940’s | Film, fashion, radio and music, with video clips.

BOOKS

REF E169.12 .A419   American Decades 1940-1949
Business, government, education, arts, science and sports .
REF E178.5.A48  Album of American History  Vol V and VI
This is a great book to give the reader the real flavor of the decade because it is made up of photographs, captions, and brief entries.
REF E174.D62  Dictionary of American History
From very brief to multi-page signed entries on topics in American history. Also available through NetLibrary.
 REF E740.7 .E53  Encyclopedia of the United States in the Twentieth Century
Articles evaluating the trends in American politics, people, economics, culture.
REF E169.1 A471872  America in the 20th Century 
1940-1949 is covered in volume 5.  Information is readable and concise, covering the War, the homefront, labor and the arts. 
REF E173.A793 The Annals of America
Use volume 16.  Set contains essays and excepts from important writers and on important topics of the time.  Most valuable for this research.

ART & ARCHITECTURETypical early ranch style house during the 40s

 

As Adolf Hitler systematically eliminated artists whose ideals didn’t agree with his own, many emigrated to the United States, where they had a profound effect on American artists. The center of the western art world shifted from Paris to New York. To show the raw emotions, art became more abstract. Abstract Expressionism, also known as the New York School, was chaotic and shocking in an attempt to maintain humanity in the face of insanity. Jackson Pollock was the leading force in abstract expressionism, but many others were also influential, including Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Ad Reinhardt, Robert Motherwell, Lee Krasner, Franz Kline, Piet Mondrian, Arshile Gorky, Adolf Gottlieb, and Hans Hofmann. Andrew Wyeth, the most popular of American artists, didn’t fit in any movement. His most popular work, Christina’s World, was painted in 1948. Sculpture, too, became abstract and primitive, utilizing motion in Alexander Calder’s mobiles, and modern materials such as steel and “found objects” rather than the traditional marble and bronze.

In architecture, nonessentials were eliminated, and simplicity became the key element. In some cases, such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s famous glass house, even practicality was ignored. Modern glass-and-steel office buildings began to rise after the war ended. Pietro Belluschi designed the prototype Equitable Savings and Loan building, a “skyscraper” of twelve stories. Eliel Saarinen utilized contemporary design, particularly in churches. The dream home remained a Cape Cod. After the war, suburbs, typified by Levittown, with their tract homes and uniformity, sprang up to house returning GI’s and their new families. The average home was a one level Ranch House, a collection of previously unaffordable appliances surrounded by minimal living space. The family lawn became the crowning glory and symbol of pride in ownership.

WEB SITES

  • Skyscrapers  |   A look at some of the skyscrapers in New York City.  While not necessarily designed in the 1940’s, they are a result of the 1940’s innovations. Twentieth Century Art Links    |    Worldwide
  • Great Buildings Online | Important architecture of the 1940s. Descriptions included.
  • Library of Congress. American Memories | Interiors and exteriors of American homes, stores, offices, factories and historic buildings; photographs taken from 1935-1955

BOOKS

NA712 .L 20th Century American Archicture
Photographs and descriptions of the key buildings of the era.
REF NA6512 .A578 American Artists
Brief entries and representational pictures of the artists’ work.
ND213.5 .R4 W36 American Realist Painting 1945-1980
Post-war trends
REF N6490 .O94 Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Art
Medium length entries on the major artists of the century, worldwide.
REF NA680 .E495 Encyclopedia of 20th Century Architecture
People, places and trends, worldwide.

 


MUSIC & RADIO

Like art, music reflected American enthusiasm tempered with European disillusionment. While the European émigrés George Szell, Bela Bartok, Arnold Schoenberg, Paul Hindemith, Kurt Weill, and Nadia Boulanger introduced classical dissonance, American born composers remained more traditional, with Aaron Copland’s Rodeo (1942) and Appalachian Spring (1944). William Schuman wrote his symphonies #3(1941) through #7(1949).

At the beginning of the decade, Big Bands dominated popular music. Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman led some of the more famous bands. Eventually, many of the singers with the Big Bands struck out on their own. Bing Crosby’s smooth voice made him one of the most popular singers, vying with Frank Sinatra. Dinah Shore, Kate Smith and Perry Como also led the hit parade. Be-Bop and Rhythm and Blues, grew out of the big band era toward the end of the decade. Although these were distinctly black sounds, epitomized by Charlie Parker, Dizzie Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Billy Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald, Woody Herman also performed blues and jazz.

Radio was the lifeline for Americans in the 1940’s, providing news, music and entertainment, much like television today.  Programming included soap operas, quiz shows, children’s hours, mystery stories, fine drama, and sports. Kate Smith and Arthur Godfrey were popular radio hosts. The government relied heavily on radio for propaganda. Like the movies, radio faded in popularity as television became prominent. Many of the most popular radio shows continued on in television, including Red Skelton, Abbott and Costello, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, and Truth or Consequences.

WEB SITES

American Popular Music 1900-1950   |  A look at the music and the times.
Lyrics Database   |  61,000 song lyrics.  Search by keyword.
Music in the Public Domain   |  Includes song lists – with links to some lyrics.
History of Radio   |  Arranged chronologically.
American Pop Culture   |  Songs, fads and inventions from the first half of the century.


BOOKS

REF ML200.H15 A Chronicle of American Music 1700-1995
Arranged by year, historical highlights, world cultural highlights, American art and literature, music – commercial and cultural. 
REF ML197.S634 Music Since 1900 
Arranged by day, includes important premiers and musical events.
REF ML128.S37L4 The Great Song Thesaurus
Arranged by year, summary of world and musical events, list of important songs.
REF ML390.S983 Show Tunes 1905-1985
Features important composers.  Lists their shows and the published music for each show.
REF ML102 .M88 H593 Oxford Companion to the American Musical.
Brief entries on the best known shows and entertainers
REF ML200 .C36 Cambridge History of American Music
Several volumes.
REF ML128 .P63 T95 Hit Songs 1900-1955
Interesting background about popular tunes.

BOOKS & LITERATURE

The decade opened with the appearance of the first inexpensive paperback. Book clubs proliferated, and book sales went from one million to over twelve million volumes a year. Many important literary works were conceived during, or based on, this time period, but published later. Thus, it took a while for the horror of war and the atrocities of prejudice to come forth. Shirley Jackson wrote The Lottery to demonstrate how perfectly normal, otherwise nice people, could allow something like the Holocaust. In The Human Comedy, William Saroyan tackles questions of prejudice against the setting of World War II. Richard Wright completed Native Son in 1940 and Black Boy in 1945, earning acclaim, but government persecution over his communist affiliation sent him to Paris in 1945. Nonfiction writing proliferated, giving first-hand accounts of the war. The first edition of Dr. Benjamin Spock’s Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care is considered by some to have changed child rearing.

World War II as Seen through Children’s Literature | Overview and bibliography of books written during or about the war.


 
Books That Define the Time

  • Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead
  • Irwin Shaw’s Young Lions
  • John Hershey’s A Bell for Adano
  • William Saroyan’s The Human Comedy
  • Richard Wright’s Black Boy
  • Dr. Spock’s Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care

 

Books About Books

REF PN50 .L574  Literature and its Times
Examines literature in light of the events and prejudices of the day.  Vol. 4 covers works about,  but not necessarily written during, the forties.
REF PS21 M34   Magills Survery of American Literature
Gives author background and a synopsis of significant works, including those listed as “defining the time.”
REF PS221 .T835 Twentieth Century American Literature 
An 8 volume set with long essays and criticism of twentieth century works.
REF PS350 .A53 American Playwrights since 1945
Gives an overview of each playwright’s life and works, including criticism.

Children’s Book Award winners of the forties:

Newbery Award Winners –  Began in 1922 (award for the most distinguished child’s book of the previous year)
1940: Daniel Boone by James Daugherty

1941: Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry
1942: The Matchlock Gun by Walter Edmonds
1943: Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray
1944: Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
1945: Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson
1946: Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski
1947: Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey 
1948: The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène du Bois 
1949: King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry 


Caldecott Award Winners  –  Began in 1938 (award for the most distinguished child’s picture book of the previous year)
1940: Abraham Lincoln by Ingri & Edgar Parin d’Aulaire

1941: They Were Strong and Good, by Robert Lawson
1942: Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
1943: The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

1944: Many Moons, illustrated by Louis Slobodkin; text: James Thurber
1945: Prayer for a Child, illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones; text: Rachel Field 

1946: The Rooster Crows by Maude & Miska Petersham 

1947: The Little Island, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard; text: Golden MacDonald, pseud. [Margaret Wise Brown] 

1948: White Snow, Bright Snow, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin; text: Alvin Tresselt

1949: The Big Snow by Berta & Elmer Hader 


FADS

In popular dancing, the Jitterbug made its appearance at the beginning of the decade. It was the first dance in twoKilroy was Here centuries that allowed individual expression. GI’s took the dance overseas when they to war, dancing with local girls, barmaids, or even each other if necessary. Rosie the Riveter was the symbol of the working woman, as the men went off to war and the women were needed to work in the factories. GIs, however, preferred another symbol, the pin-up girl, such as Rita Hayworth or Betty Grable. Pictures were mounted on lockers and inside helmets to remind the men what they were fighting for. Wherever American soldiers went, even the first to arrive would find a picture of eyes and a nose, with the message, Kilroy was Here. After they returned, Kilroy began to mark his place on the walls and rocks of public places. More than one pregnant woman came into the delivery room with “Kilroy was here” painted on her belly.

Vale-Rio Diner in Phoenixville, PA. Boy Scout Troop 164, Portsmouth, NH 1949 Working mothers, combined with another new phenomenon, the refrigerator, led to the invention of frozen dinners. With the advent of television later in the decade, they became known as TV Dinners. Tupperware and aluminum foil eased the postwar housewives’ burden, and diners, originally horse drawn carriages with a couple of barstools, became a stationary, respectable staple of the postwar culture. The Slinky was invented by a ship inspector in 1945. Teenagers became a recognized force in the forties. With the men off to war, teenagers – boys and girls – found employment readily available, and so had money to spend. Seventeen magazine was established in 1944. Advertisement began to be aimed at teens. With fathers away and mothers at work, another new phenomenon arose – the juvenile delinquent.

BOOKS

REF E169.1.P19   Panati’s Parade of Fads, Follies and Manias 
Arranged by decade, includes fads, dance crazes, radio, TV, popular books and songs.
E 69.1.R7755 Mass Culture: The Popular Arts in America 
Important essays analyzing mass culture in American history. 

  FASHION

  The Zoot Suit was the height of fashion among daring young men until the War ProductionPopular Sweater and hairstyle of the forties Department restricted the amount of fabric that could be used in men’s garments. The same restrictions led to the popularity of the women’s convertible suit, a jacket, short skirt, and blouse. The jacket could be shed for more formal attire at night. Silk stockings were unavailable, so, to give the illusion with stockings with their prominent seam, women would draw a line up the backs of their legs with an eyeliner. At work, as “Rosie the Riveter” took on a man’s work, slacks became acceptable attire.

When the war and it’s restrictions ended, Christian Dior introduced the New Look, feminine dresses with long, full skirts, and tight waists. Comfortable, low-heeled shoes were forsaken for high heels. Hair was curled high on the head in front, and worn to the shoulders in the back, and make-up was socially acceptable. Glamorous Rita Hayworth made the sweater look popular.  It took time to put the New Look together, time the women now had as the men returned to their jobs in the factories and offices.

WEB SITES

  • Solemates: Century in Shoes | Shoe styles and other fashion trends of the 1940’s.  Includes film clips.
  • Vintage Blues – History of Fashion 1940-1950
  • The Costume Gallery – Women’s Fashions 1940’s

BOOKS

GT615 .H86  The Way We Were: Styles of the 1930’s and 1940’s
Clothing of the decade worn on screen by actress Marsha Hunt.  Hairstyles and hats are also featured.
GT605 .W5  Five Centuries of American Costume
Chapter 9 discusses the dress of men and women from 1940-1949.  Illustrations included.
GT605 .H35 Common Threads: A Parade of American Clothing
Includes an overview of the 20th century,  then chapters on contributors to changes in fashion. It has photographs of people at work, in college, and at play.

THEATER and FILM

The theater, too, turned to abstractionism. Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of our Teeth (1942) was bizarre and difficult to understand but won the Pulitzer Prize. Tennessee Williams wrote of self-disillusionment and futility in the Glass Menagerie (1945) and Streetcar named Desire (1947). In contrast Musical Theater was reborn, with Agnes de Mille’s technique of dancing in character in Oklahoma (1943). Carousel (1945), and Annie get your Gun (1946).

Dance competition entry in the early 1940's The forties were the heyday for movies. The Office of War declared movies an essential industry for morale and propaganda. Most plots had a fairly narrow and predictable set of morals, and if Germans or Japanese were included, they were one-dimensional villains. Examples are Casablanca, Mrs. Miniver, Lifeboat, Notorious, Best Years of our Lives, Wake Island, Battle of Midway, Guadalcanal Diary, and Destination Tokyo. Citizen Kane, not fitting the template, was one of the masterpieces of the time. Leading actors were Gary Cooper, Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, Judy Garland, Ginger Rogers, Jimmy Stewart, Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Lana Turner. Walt Disney’s career began to take off, with animated cartoons such as Fantasia (1940), Dumbo (1941), and Bambi (1942). During the war years, the studio produced cartoons for the government, such as Donald gets Drafted (1942), Out of the Frying Pan into the Firing Line (1942) and Der Fuehrer’s Face (1943).

The Emergency Committee of the Entertainment Industry, composed of both black and white actors, fought for better roles for blacks. Lena Horne, Hattie McDaniel, and Cab Calloway, among others, made small inroads. The boom years of movies faded with the advent of television in 1948.


TELEVISION

At the end of the war, only 5,000 television sets, with five inch black & white screens, were in American homes. By 1951, 17 million had been sold. The Original Amateur Hour, a revival of a popular radio show, was the first top-rated show in 1948 . Milton Berle’s slapstick comedy, Texaco Star Theater, was credited with creating the demand for televisions. Its greatest rival was Ed Sullivan’s Toast of the Town.

Kukla, Fran & Ollie kicked off children’s television as Junior Jamboree in 1947, followed by the Howdy Doody Show.
The sitcom made its appearance in January, 1949, with The Goldbergs.

WEB SITES

  • Broadway 101 – History of theater on Broadway, by decade
  • E-Online movies and stars
  • Starbuzz: Guide to Stars Online
  • Television History – The First 75 Years
  • Movie Timeline – Search for “current events” in the movies by date

BOOKS

REF PN2189.L65 Twentieth Century Theatre 
A theater buff’s bible.  This book lists and describes by year premiers, productions, revivals, events, births/death/debuts in both America and Great Britain.
REF PN1992.18 .E53 Encyclopedia of Television
Photographs and information about the stars and the shows.
REF PN1993.5 .U6 H55 History of the American Cinema: Boom and Bust.
Stars and trends. Volume 6 covers the forties.
REF ML390.S983 Show Tunes: 1905-1985
Limited because it only covers only Richard Rodgers and Irving Berlin  from this era.  Worth a look for these two – because it lists plays, performances, theater information, and published songs.

 


SPORTS

World War II had its effect on sports as all able-bodied men between 18 and 26 were expected to serve in the military.  Rubber went to the war effort; consequently, balls were soggy and unresponsive.  Wood was in short supply, leading to a shortage of baseball bats and bowling pins.  Even so, professional sports were encouraged to continue, to improve the morale of the troops.  President Roosevelt signed the Green Light letter, supporting baseball.  Baseball games were considered so important to troop morale that the Japanese tried to jam radio broadcasts.  By 1943, half the baseball players had enlisted.  Teams used older veterans and even a one-armed outfielder, Pete Gray of the St. Louis Browns.  In the All-American Girls Baseball League, players wore dresses and had to attend charm school.  After the war, television and easier transportation changed the face of American sports.  In 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first black professional baseball player – in fact, the first black professional athlete outside of boxing.  Baseball players negotiated for a minimum salary of $5500 a year.  By 1950, the top earning player, Stan Musial, was making $50,000. Postwar baseball names included Ted Williams, Ralph Kiner and Joe DiMaggio.

High School football team. Notice the padding and helmets.Before 1941 when two-platoon football was allowed, all eleven players on a football team played the entire game.  Only injury was an excuse for substitution.  That changed in 1941, when free subs were allowed, enabling weakened college teams to continue playing.   Because of travel restrictions, the 1942 Army Navy game was played in Annapolis, and half the midshipmen were assigned to cheer for West Point.  Sixty years later, Bill Williams, a Navy midshipman (Class of 1945), remembered that game. “We yelled the cheers and sang the songs but I don’t remember being very energetic. Also when Navy scored, we forgot whose side we were supposed to be on.  We won fourteen to nothing.”  The penalty flag, first used in 1941, became official in 1948.  Elaborate playbooks were introduced by Paul Brown, turning football into a game of strategy. Some of the northern college football teams began to integrate blacks.

Basketball was less affected by the war than other sports because a player’s height often made  him ineligible for military service.  The Basketball Association of America formed in 1946, merged in 1949 with the National Basketball League to form the NBA.  Joe Fulks of the Philadelphia Warriors had a record high score of 63 points in a game when most whole teams didn’t score that high.  The 1940’s were the heyday of boxing.  Boxing was big money, mainly because of gambling, and was ruled by gangland boxing czar Frankie Carbo.  Joe Louis was the heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1948, in part because major boxing titles were frozen from 1941 to 1946 as four thousand professional boxers joined the military.  Louis not only enlisted, he donated over $100,000 to war relief efforts in 1942.  Sugar Ray Robinson, Ike Williams and Willie Pep were other big names in boxing.  The Indianapolis 500 was closed duirng the war and the racetrack deteriorated.  In the first postwar race in 1946, twenty-four cars dropped out due to wrecks and mechanical difficulties.  NASCAR, a stock car racing club that purportedly ran cars that you could buy from a dealer’s showroom started the Grand Nationals in 1949.  The Women’s Professional Golf Association formed in 1946, and the Ladies Professional Golf Association in 1949.  Babe Didriksen Zaharias and Patty Berg were the stars, with Byron Nelson the men’s champion.  Jack Kramer dominated men’s tennis.

 

WEB SITES

Organization of American Historians – Baseball and World War II

BOOKS

REF GV861.12 .A2 P76 Professional Sports Team Histories
Four volumes one each on baseball, football, basketball and hockey.

 

Be the first to comment - What do you think?
Posted by admin - January 29, 2015 at 2:27 pm

Categories: Hairstyles   Tags: , , , ,