American Film Musical Themes and Forms

American Film Musical Themes and Forms
Author :
Publisher : McFarland
Total Pages : 224
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780786483372
ISBN-13 : 0786483377
Rating : 4/5 (72 Downloads)

Book Synopsis American Film Musical Themes and Forms by : Michael Dunne

Download or read book American Film Musical Themes and Forms written by Michael Dunne and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2014-12-24 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The musical has been called "the most popular form of entertainment in the world." This work examines the subjects, themes, and contemporary relevance of Hollywood musicals through their long popularity, placing each show in historical and political context and analyzing it in detail. A chapter is devoted to how Golddiggers of 1933 (1933) and Stand Up and Cheer (1934) deal with the economic crises of the Depressions. Another addresses race issues by examining the prevalence of blackface minstrelsy in the 1930s and 1940s, looking at productions like Swing Time (1936) and Dixie (1943). Rock and roll culture, which started in the 1950s and threatened America with teenage sex and rebellion, is addressed through such hits as Girl Crazy (1943), Bye Bye Birdie (1963), and Grease (1978). The work also explores dance as a signifier of character, the geography of musicals (such as New York or "the South"), fantasy settings, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, and the musical biopic (mentioning biographies of such figures as Ziegfeld, Cohan, Rogers and Hart, Cole Porter, and Jerome Kern). A later chapter discusses intertextuality in such shows as Singin' in the Rain (1952), which refers to many earlier musicals; Kiss Me Kate (1953) which refers to Taming of the Shrew; and All That Jazz (1970) which refers to the life and work of Bob Fosse. The work concludes with an examination of the continuing popularity of the musical with such hits as Moulin Rouge (2001) and Chicago (2002). Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.


American Film Musical Themes and Forms Related Books

American Film Musical Themes and Forms
Language: en
Pages: 224
Authors: Michael Dunne
Categories: Performing Arts
Type: BOOK - Published: 2014-12-24 - Publisher: McFarland

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The musical has been called "the most popular form of entertainment in the world." This work examines the subjects, themes, and contemporary relevance of Hollyw
Moving Environments
Language: en
Pages: 299
Authors: Alexa Weik von Mossner
Categories: Performing Arts
Type: BOOK - Published: 2014-07-15 - Publisher: Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In Moving Environments: Affect, Emotion, Ecology, and Film, international scholars investigate how films portray human emotional relationships with the more-tha
The Musical
Language: en
Pages: 333
Authors: William Everett
Categories: Art
Type: BOOK - Published: 2011-06-02 - Publisher: Routledge

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The musical, whether on stage or screen, is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable musical genres, yet one of the most perplexing. What are its defining featu
100 Film Musicals
Language: en
Pages: 375
Authors: Douglas Pye
Categories: Performing Arts
Type: BOOK - Published: 2019-07-25 - Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

From the coming of sound to the 1960s, the musical was central to Hollywood production. Exhibiting – often in spectacular fashion – the remarkable resources
Contemporary Musical Film
Language: en
Pages: 203
Authors: K. J. Donnelly
Categories: Performing Arts
Type: BOOK - Published: 2017-06-26 - Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Since the turn of the millennium, films such as Chicago (2002) and Phantom of the Opera (2004) have reinvigorated the popularity of the screen musical. This edi