Prices in 1941[]
- A brand new house: $4,075
- Average yearly income: $1,750
- A new car: $850
- A Beautyrest mattress: $39.50
- Average Rent: $32 per month
- A gallon of Gas: 12 cents
Literature[]
F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished work "The Last Tycoon" is edited and published by Edmund Wilson.
Pearl S. Buck writes "China Sky".
"Methuselah's Children" is written by Robert A. Heinlein (originally serialized in the months of July, August, and September, "Astounding Science Fiction" magazine). It is later expanded into a full novel in 1958.
The "Curious George" series of books is first published, written by H.A. Rey and Margret Rey.
Movies[]
"Citizen Kane", considered by many to be the best film of all time, debuts in New York on May 1st. Although it achieved critical acclaim in many publications, it was not a box office hit, and would not achieve its renown until well after World War II. It wins the Oscar for "Best Original Screenplay."
"The Maltese Falcon", the third film based on the 1930 novel of the same name, is released on October 3, 1941. Starring Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre (both star in Casablanca a year later), it is considered the first major work of film noir, with Sam Spade, one of the most famous fictional detectives.
"Dumbo" was released by RKO and Walt Disney Pictures on October 23, 1941. It proved to be a financial and international success. It wins the Oscar for "Best Music" in 1942.
Music[]
The big theme of 1941 music is "The Big Band Era" and "Swing". Jazz music and patriotic music also were popular.
Artie Shaw's rendition of the 1927 Hoagy Carmichael song "Stardust" becomes the standard by which all other covers are measured. Listen to it here
Artie Shaw also covered "Dancing in the Dark" (music by Arthur Schwartz and lyrics by Howard Dietz), a song that was first introduced by John Barker in the 1931 revue The Band Wagon. Listen to it here
However, it was Artie Shaw's "Frenasi" which captured the number one spot from January 4 to March 18.
The Inkspots release a forgettable song "We Three (My Echo, My Shadow, and Me)", which later becomes a recognizable theme on "One Tree Hill" in present day. Listen to it here
"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" was a major hit for the Andrews Sisters and an iconic World War II tune. The song was written by Don Raye and Hughie Prince, and was first recorded at Decca's Hollywood studios on January 2, 1941. The Andrews Sisters introduced the song in the 1941 Abbott and Costello film "Buck Privates", which was in production when they made the record. "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song. Listen to it here
"Take the A Train" was first recorded on January 15, 1941 as a standard transcription for radio broadcast. The first (and most famous) commercial recording was made on February 15, 1941. Listen to it here
Glenn Miller's "Song of the Volga Boatmen" briefly captured the number one spot on March 15. Listen to it here
From April 5 to May 31, "Amapola (Pretty Little Poppy)" by Jimmy Dorsey was the top seller. This was followed by a string of hits in the month of June, "My Sister and I" and "Maria Elena". Listen to these here
The 1895 song "The Band Played On" had one of its most famous recordings, by Guy Lombardo's orchestra, on February 26, 1941 issued by Decca Records. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on May 9, 1941 and lasted 4 weeks on the chart, peaking at #6. Listen to it here
"God Bless the Child", a song written by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr. in 1939, was first recorded on May 9, 1941 under the Okeh label. Listen to it here
In the months of July and August, "Daddy" by Sammy Kaye was the top seller. Listen to it here
In the month of September, "Green Eyes" by Jimmy Dorsey was the top seller. Listen to it here
From October 4 to November 22, Freddy Martin's rendition of "Piano Concerto in B Flat" (a version of Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto) was the number one hit. Listen to it here
The Harry James (trumpet virtuoso) instrumental version of "You Made Me Love You", a 1913 song, was in the top 10 charts during the week of December 7, 1941. Listen to it here. He also debuts a version of Misirlou which is much different from the version popularly known in present day from the movie Pulp Fiction. Listen to it here.
"Chattanooga Choo Choo" by Glenn Miller was the number one song of the month of December, and a classic that captures the zeitgeist of the World War II era. Listen to it here
"Let's Get Away from It All" is a popular song with music by Matt Dennis and lyrics by Tom Adair, published in 1941. The most famous covers of this song were performed by Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey. Listen to it here
Also of note, the Irving Berlin standard "White Christmas" was first sung by Bing Crosby on The Kraft Music Hall radio show on Christmas Day. It did not reach prominence until the 1942 musical/film Holiday Inn, where it received the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Listen to it here
People[]
Science and Technology[]
George Wells Beadle and Edward Lawrie Tatum publish "Genetic Control of Biochemical Reactions in Neurospora" which showed that specific genes code for specific proteins.
Plutonium is isolated and synthesized by Glenn T. Seaborg, Arthur C. Wahl, Joseph W. Kennedy, Emilio Segrè. This knowledge was kept secret until after World War II ended.
John Vincent Atanasoff and Clifford E. Berry developed the Atanasoff–Berry Computer.
Ives and Stilwell prove that ions radiate at frequencies affected by their motion.
Les Paul, Leo Fender, and Adolph Rickenbacher independently develop designs for solid-body electric guitars. These classic designs are staples of Rock and other music genres, and pave the way for modern electric guitars.
The first RAF aircraft equipped with radar is test flown.
The first English jet, the Gloster-Whittle E 28/39 Jet aircraft, flies successfully over Cranwell, England