Music Hall Memory Box
The Decline of Music Halls
The decline of music halls and variety theatres coincided with the rise of cinema. To begin, the halls and theatres embraced the new technology and incorporated films into their schedules. However, the excitement surrounding the new entertainment form meant that music hall acts were placed lower down on entertainment bills. Music hall entertainment became secondary to cinema.
Soon, the maintenance of the two became economically unworkable, especially considering the expensive costs of running projectors and purchasing films. Many theatres were forced to cut live performances and convert into designated cinema houses. The music hall stars themselves followed suit and transitioned from the stage to the screen. A live music hall performance was seen by a limited number of people, and to reach audiences nationwide, an act had to tour the country relentlessly. However, a film allowed one recorded performance to be watched repeatedly across the nation, without music hall stars needing to be present. Cinema was simply more economical.
Film producers began to depend on the 'iconic' status of music hall stars to attract audiences. The style of music hall performance therefore transferred into film, even if the halls themselves were in decline. Charlie Chaplin, Gracie Fields, George Formby and many more, established their careers on the music hall stage but later transitioned onto the big screen. Such stars carried 'on the old traditions in a new way', as remarked by the Leeds Mercury in 1933, when referring to Gracie Fields, and reminded and reassured audiences that the 'music hall spirit' still existed. The mode of communication had changed from stage to screen, but the essence of variety remained ingrained in British culture.
Music halls remained in Britain, but continued to decrease in numbers, and by the 1930's they had been replaced by cinema as the main form of mass entertainment.
Below, you can see how the performance styles of the halls were incorporated into film: