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

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

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 – (“We’re in the money” from Gold Digger of 1933) – (“The words are in my heart” from Gold Digger of 1935) Show people

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? – msg (“Under the bamboo tree” from Meet Me in St. Louis) msg

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

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: zQ (Dance Studio Number from Swing Time) zQ

The Integrated Musical MGM and Arthur Freed ( ) Blurs the boundaries of narrative and performance spaces Singin’ in the Rain – XbQhttp:// XbQ

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?