1900s–1920sPrimary sourceWell documented
The Silent Era and the Rise of Hollywood
On the timeline · around 1900s–1920s ·
What happened
As storefront 'nickelodeons' gave way to grand movie palaces, film grew into a mass entertainment. Production migrated to sunny Southern California, and 'Hollywood' became synonymous with the movies. Silent films — accompanied by live music and built around universally understood images — made international stars of performers like Charlie Chaplin.
Why it matters
In barely two decades, cinema went from a novelty to the dominant popular entertainment on earth, and Hollywood became the center of a global film industry — a position it has never entirely lost.