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Hollywood Musical Genre

Hollywood Musical Genre. What is genre? Narrative vs. Musical Realities Musical Forms The Astaire-Rogers Musical Integrated Musical Musical and Ideology. Musical as a Genre. What is genre? Nature of each film as independent product Plots and characters Audience expectations.

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Hollywood Musical Genre

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  1. Hollywood Musical Genre • What is genre? • Narrative vs. Musical Realities • Musical Forms • The Astaire-Rogers Musical • Integrated Musical • Musical and Ideology

  2. Musical as a Genre • What is genre? • Nature of each film as independent product • Plots and characters • Audience expectations

  3. Narrative vs. Musical Realities • Narrative reality within the film • Not simple reality but a style created • Musical reality ruptures narrative reality • Shifts in registers • Creation of pleasure

  4. The Backstage Musical • Tension between narrative and musical numbers • When musicals try to cohere the two, the narrative must resolve the “problem” of the musical numbers • Busby Berkley • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJOjTNuuEVw (“We’re in the money” from Gold Digger of 1933) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIO9y1xMPIA (“The words are in my heart” from Gold Digger of 1935) • Show people

  5. The Cakewalk Musical • Fluidity of the transformation from narrative to song • Actors are performers and actors as audiences • Use of props • Who are they performing for? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ2Q8_P_msg (“Under the bamboo tree” from Meet Me in St. Louis)

  6. The Operetta • Unmotivated musical numbers • Fantasy settings • Shift in registers marked by dialogue

  7. The Astaire-Rogers Musical • Perfect exemplification of “genre” • Subgenre of “screwball musical” • Sexual desire is displaced into song and dance • Musical numbers function as extensions of the characters and reflect stages in their developing relationship • Solve obstacles thrown out by narrative • In-class activity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxPgplMujzQ (Dance Studio Number from Swing Time)

  8. The Integrated Musical • MGM and Arthur Freed (1939-1960) • Blurs the boundaries of narrative and performance spaces • Singin’ in the Rain • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1ZYhVpdXbQ

  9. The Musical and Ideology • Escapism at its best • Creates utopian version of capitalist society where there is boundless cheer and energy and everyone who deserves it ends up happy • Remember what “We’re in the money” says about the Depression?

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