Monty, came up with a wonderful idea for Chick Flicks Musical Page. He thought it would be fun if every month we would come up with a theme.. So we decided that: This month on Chick Flicks Musicals: The Golden Age of Musicals: From the 1930s. I hope you enjoy..
The 1930s decade (and most of the 1940s as well) has been called "The Golden Age of Hollywood". The 30s was also the decade of the sound and color and the development of film genres (gangster films, musicals, newspaper-reporting films, historical biopics, social-realism films, screwball comedies, westerns and horror). It was the era in which the silent period ended, with many silent film stars not making the transition to sound.
As the 1930s began, there were a number of unique firsts, here are just a few:
Jean Harlow performed in her first major role in Howard Hughes' World War I aviation epic, Hell's Angels (1930); the "Blonde Bombshell" and soon became a major star
Greta Garbo, part of MGM's galaxy of stars and nicknamed "The Divine Garbo" and "The Swedish sphinx," spoke her first immortal, husky, Swedish-accented words in director Clarence Brown's MGM film Anna Christie (1930). (As a floozy, she spoke: "Gimme a vhiskey, ginger ale on the side. And don't be stingy, baby") - it was Garbo's first talkie (advertised as "GARBO TALKS!")
MGM stars Clark Gable and Joan Crawford starred together in the risque pre-Code film Dance, Fools, Dance (1931), the first of eight features that teamed them together
In 1930, the Motion Picture Production Code, administered by Joseph I. Breen (and former Postmaster General Will Hays) set film guidelines regarding sex, violence, religion, and crime (not yet strictly enforced until the Production Code Administration (1934))
The first daily newspaper for the film industry had its debut in 1930, The Hollywood Reporter.
The world's first drive-in theatre opened in Camden, N.J. in June, 1933; the fourth drive-in was located on Pico in Los Angeles, CA and opened in September, 1934
The longest Hollywood talkie released up to that time, MGM's The Great Ziegfeld (1936), at 2 hours, 59 minutes.
Great start Dawn. Couldn't have done it any better. I will scrounge around and see what I can come up myself. And we are planning to run with this all through July right? I think this will be an awesome ongoing idea. For August, I will let you make the decision on what the topic will be. But let's a great month of posting for July.
ReplyDeleteThank you Monty, Yes.. The Golden Age of Musicals: From the 1930s. Is our July theme. For August.. how about The Golden Age of Musicals: From the 1940s?
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