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How can an analysis of these films connect to demonstrate a thematic shift?

-"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

1920

1930

1940

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

f o u r p r o m i n e n t m u s i c a l s , 1 9 2 7 - 1 9 3 9

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

Escapist Entertainment During

the Great Depression:

thematic shifts in film musicals

throughout the 1930s

Nicole Obando

AMST 190

29 Nov. 2011

D

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Basically, diegetic refers to

reality, & non-diegetic refers

to fantasy.

t

i

c

vs. non-diegetic songs

acteristics define film musicals?

h

ar

c

t

a

h

W

- music incorporated into plot

(singing and/or dancing)

musical elements

+ history

- 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

& the effects of the Great Depression on film musical content

storical context

i

H

(cc) photo by theaucitron on Flickr

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