[In Progress] 20 Years of Hollywood Musicals (p.7)

Course Description:

The advent of "talkies" in Hollywood in the 1930s was quickly followed by the development of the musical film, a genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, often accompanied by dancing. The songs and dances frequently advance the plot or develop the characters. This cinematic film studies course focuses on the period considered to be the golden age of the musical film, the 1930s through the early 1950s. Musical classics of this era featured the star power of Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Judy Garland; the directorial magic of Stanley Donen and Vicente Minnelli; and, the timeless music of the Gershwins Irving Berlin and Cole Porter.

Films will include "42nd Street" (1933), "Top Hat" (1935), "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942), "Meet Me in St. Louis" (1944), An American in Paris (1951), and "Singin' in the Rain" (1952). Participants are to independently view each film prior to the Zoom session.