Description
Hello again I need you to answer these questions and write two pages for each question you need to pick up just five questions and answer them here are the questions SEMESTER EXAM – AMERICAN CINEMA CHOOSE ONLY FIVE (5) OF THE FOLLOWING EIGHT QUESTIONS. You may use films we’ve seen in class and outside viewing.
1. Why was the Classical Hollywood Studio System so important in establishing the American motion picture as the most pervasive cultural influence in America from 1900 until at least the early 1950s? How did this system help Hollywood to dominate business in theaters around the world? What factors led to its decline by the late 1950s?
2. The Pre-Code Era was shocking even by some of today’s standards. Why did the Movie Moguls and the filmmakers allow this to happen and what led to the enforcement of the Production Code? Do you feel that the strong censorship that followed for 30 years was justified?
3. The Best Years of Our Lives was the quintessential film for returning WWII veterans and its three protagonists represented a significant percentage of the real-life veterans at that time. What forces in the lives of these characters (Al, Fred, Homer) illustrated so well the problems veterans faced from 1945-1950?
4. Film Noir is a distinctive genre/style of American Cinema. Name several films that you believe are most representative of the various traits of Noir. You will receive a list of these Noir characteristics that we discussed in class (and beyond).
5. How did Hollywood’s contribution to World War II change the nature and direction of the American film after WWII. The key directors are Frank Capra, John Huston, John Ford, William Wyler, and George Stevens.
6. What makes a classic film? We’ve seen Baby Face, It Happened One Night, The Grapes of Wrath, Citizen Kane, Casablanca, The Best Years of Our Lives, Out of the Past, and others while you’re working on this exam. Describe and illustrate with scenes from the films you choose (at least two).
7. The Hollywood Ten were producers, writers, and directors who challenged the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in the late 1940s and lost. They ended up in jail because they refused to cooperate and answer questions or “name names” of others they associated with who were thought to be communists. What is your impression of these men and this era that led to the notorious Blacklist. Elia Kazan escaped the Blacklist and jail by cooperating with HUAC and naming names, thereby saving his career. On The Waterfront was his allegorical defense for what he did. Do you think he was justified and does the film provide a credible argument?
8. Chapter Six of the Corrigan text, Researching the Movies, is essential reading prior to and during the planning and writing of your final research paper this semester. How can this chapter guide you in writing an effective paper? Be sure to read the sample essays at the end of the chapter.
Explanation & Answer
Attached.
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AMERICAN CINEMA
Question 1
Why was the Classical Hollywood Studio System so important in establishing the American
motion picture as the most pervasive cultural influence in America from 1900 until at least
the early 1950s? How did this system help Hollywood to dominate business in theaters
around the world? What factors led to its decline by the late 1950s?
The Classical Hollywood Studio System played a very crucial role in establishing the American
motion picture as the most pervasive cultural influence in America from 1900 until at least the
early 1950s. This studio system was the first one to bring into light the power of photography in
capturing motion. Since America was already famous for sound production, the advent of motion
pictures in their film production brought a unique dimension in the cinemas that had not been
experienced before. This combination of sound and motion pictures was a very unique
cinematographic element that enabled various aspects of the American culture and lifestyle to be
captured in the films, making it the most pervasive cultural influence in America. Being a central
player in the American motion picture, the Classical Hollywood Studio system ensured that the
largest Hollywood studios had total control over all the movies they produced and distributed.
The block booking strategy adopted by the studio system enabled production of more movies at a
lower budget and ensured they appeared in theatres. The studio system was so important because
it ensured optimal distribution of their produced movies and ensured effective control of the film
making process. The Hollywood Studio System enhanced the organization of the major studios
and enabled then to produce films much more quickly which increased film production and
resulted to a practice that came to be labelled as factory film making. This enabled several films
to worked on at the same time, thus cutting costs drastically.
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The studio system assumed an enormous control over the performing stars, right form managing
all the aspects of their publicity, to how they appeared and how they lived. The studio system
was able to control any form of scandal as well as suppress related negative publicity. The studio
developed a training ground for both the crew and the stars and controlled the aspects of
production, its distribution and exhibition, which enabled it to minimize risks and losses and
maximize profits.
There are several factors that led to the decline of the Classical Hollywood Studio System. Rapid
popularity in television viewing drove the attention of many from the cinemas as their only
source of entertainment. After the WWII, people found more leisure hours for sports and other
outdoor activities as opposed to winding up at the cinemas and this led to a significant decline in
the number of viewers. In the 1950s and 1960s, there was an increased trend towards
suburbanization where that saw many people moving out cities into suburbs where there were no
cinemas and many resorted towards watching TV as opposed to going to the cinemas. In
addition, its decline was also attributed to outlawing of the block booking strategy that led to the
studios selling off their theatre chains, causing a slump in production and a reduction in the
number of their stars, directors, producers as well as writers, and stars began to rebel against the
long-term contracts as they sought for more freedom and c...
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