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-"screwball comedy"
-romantic couple established early
on; rest of movie devoted to rooting
them on
-audience temporarily
removed from worries, instead
focus on love story distraction
-themes include: romance, mistaken
identity, love triangles, wealthy
society, comedy
-1929, Dir. Rouben Mamoulian
-stage musical
-diegetic music
-themes include: death & suicide, hypersexualization
of women, alcohol abuse, adultery
-fairy tale musical
-non-diegetic songs
-one of few musicals that does not
stress romantic relationship
-female-male pairing still present
-songs still address fantasy,
"wish-fulfillment" (Altman 105)
-->more prominent shift to
non-diegetic songs/world
-incorporates disguised commentary
that Depression-ridden audience relates to
-ex. Dorothy and her 3 friends represent
the Ameican people--displaced in a
fantasy world, looking for relief
-The Wizard represents FDR, the wicked
witch represents the fascist powers of Italy
Germany
**however, all of this is hidden within what
is considered to be a childrens' film
-1927, starring Al Jolson
-set up next 3 films because it establishes two aspects of theatre that are important to this discussion:
1)first of what would become known as "the talkies"---first film to successfully
synchronize music, dialogue. *paved the way for modern film
2) sets tone for mid-20s musical films; themes include death/tragedy, family drama
The Wizard of Oz
Applause
The Jazz Singer
Top Hat
1939
1935
1929
1927
The "talkies" catapulted into the popular cinema sphere,
revolutionizing film and setting the stage for musicals;
new musical films borrowed from popular cinematic themes of the
late 1920s, frequently portraying drama and tragedy
By the mid-1930s, musical tragedies were an infrequency. Musicals were sought after to provide lighthearted, romantic entertainment that featured glamrous sets, costumes and characters that held no sign of the Depression.
1929
1935
1939
by 1939, American morale low
-complete shift to fantasy
world; mirroring public desire
to literally escape
-simultaneously self-consciously
balancing socioeconomic commentary
-complete transformation: mature treatment of escapism
thematic shifts in film musicals
throughout the 1930s
Nicole Obando
AMST 190
29 Nov. 2011
Basically, diegetic refers to
reality, & non-diegetic refers
to fantasy.
- music incorporated into plot
(singing and/or dancing)
- romantic subplot (or substitute
male-female pairings) must be
crucial to development
and/or resolution of plot
The end!
Any questions?
-safe, family-friendly, in response to outcry over poor morals that were
promoted by dramatic films of the '20s
- one of the most important musical genre innovations = screwball
comedy; "by and large celebrated the sanctity of marriage, class
distinction and the domination of women by men" (Hark 11)
-straight films evolving to mirror real-life characters and stories
that represent the majority of Depresison-era Americans (characters
included gangsters, blue collar workers, monsters)
- Great Depression historically lasted from Oct. 29, 1929
through ~Jan. 1940 (4 months after the start of WWII)
-theatre ticket sales at an all-time high in 1930--plummeted
by 1933
-theatres promoted double features, giveaways and contests
to lure moviegoers back in. Also a time when concession sale
strategies developed
(cc) photo by theaucitron on Flickr