Readings

• Singin’ in the Rain

Origins

The Jazz Singer (1927) Directed by Alan Crosland, starring Al Jolson.

Al Jolson’s next movie, The Singing Fool (1928), persuaded producers that all-talking, all-singing, all-dancing pictures were guarantied box-office successes.

Consequently, Broadway hits were imported and transplanted into the film industry, together with the bigger stars of musical stage, and song-writers of the caliber of Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, etc.

The first of the Broadway hits converted in film musical were –“Rio Rita”, “The Dessert Song” (both 1929) and “Sunny” (1930)

The first musicals were still very theatrical – actors and dancers acted and performed their shows in front of a static camera.

• Busby Berkeley (1895-1975)
  • He transformed production numbers into surreal, stage-defying extravaganzas.
  • He created mobile geometric or abstract patterns with “Chorines” (Chorus Girls)
  • Experimented with zoom and kaleidoscopic lenses.
  • Dynamic use of the camera.

• Some of his movies:
  • 42nd Street (1933)
  • Footlight Parade (1933)
  • The Gold Diggers of 1933 (1934)

Irving Berlin (1893 – 1989)

• He was born as Israel Baline in Mohilev, Russia, in 1888 (in a Jewish family)
• In 1893, his family emigrated to the USA.
• He was not a sophisticated Musician
• Strange case in the history of music. He wrote thousands of songs, who form part of the American cultural heritage, but he was never able to play a conventional piano or to read music.
• He worked with a “transposing Piano”. He created his melodies and his assistants wrote the necessary musical notations.
• A extremely prolific author: Berlin wrote more that 900 songs, 19 musicals and the scores for 18 movies.
• Classic songs:
  • Cheek to Cheek
  • Alexander’s Ragtime Band
  • White Christmas
  • God Bless America
  • Puttin’ On The Ritz
  • There Is No Business Like Show Business
• Broadway Musicals:
  • Annie Get Your Gun (1946)
  • Call me Madam (1952)
• Movie Scores:
  • Top Hat (1935)
  • Follow the Fleet (1936)
  • Carefree (1938)
  • Holyday Inn (1942)
  • This Is The Army (1943)
  • Easter Parade (1948)

George Gershwin

• Born as Jacob Gershovitz on September 26, 1898
• One of the things that he had in common with Irving Berlin is that he was the son of a family of immigrant Russian Jews. – The other thing is his ability to create simple songs that emotionally connected with the American people.
• Beside these two similarities, they were totally different.
• George Gershwin had a much deeper musical education – and a broader repertoire.
• He created delicious songs, but also composed classic and jazz concerts, symphonies and even one opera.
• He was also extremely prolific, but he died prematurely, aged 38, of the consequences of a brain tumor.
• Songs
  • Swanee
  • Someone To Watch Over Me
  • Love Is Here To Stay
  • They Can’t Take It Away From Me
  • Oh, Lady Be Good
  • I’ve Got Rhythm
• Film scores:
  • Girl Crazy (1930)
  • Delicious (1930)
  • Shall We Dance (1937)
  • A Damsel in Distress (1937)
  • An American in Paris (1951)
• Classic Music
  • Rhapsody in Blue (1924)
  • Piano Concerto in F (1925)
  • An American in Paris (1928)
  • Porgy and Bess (1935)

Fred Astaire (1899 – 1987)

• Born Frederick Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska.
• Son of Austrian parents. He started early working as dancer and entertainer with her sister at the vaudeville. When he was 6 – and his sister 9 – they appeared in a small theater in New Jersey as “The Astaires”
• In the 1930ies, after a successful career at stage, Astaire decided to try it with the movies.
• “Can’t act, can’t sing, balding. Can dance a little”.
• In his first movies, he formed a famous team with Ginger Rogers and together they did very popular movies during the 1930ies.
• Movies with Ginger Rogers:
  • Flying Down To Rio (1933)
  • Top Hat (1935)
  • Follow The Fleet (1936)
  • Shall We Dance (1937)
  • Carefree (1938)
  • The Barkleys of Broadway (1949)
• 1940ies:
  • Holyday Inn (1942)
  • The Sky’s The Limit (1943)
  • Yolanda And The Thief (1945)
  • Ziegfeld Follies (1946)
  • Easter Parade (1948)
• 1950ies:
  • Royal Wedding (1951)
  • The Band Wagon (1952)
  • Daddy Long Legs (1955)
  • Funny Face (1957)

Gene Kelly (1912-1996)

• Born as Eugene Curran Kelly on August 23, 1912 in Pittsburgh, PA.
• He also started his career with the family. In this case, he started working at the vaudeville with his brother Fred (as the “Kelly Brothers”).
• Gene Kelly’s first big success was in the Broadway musical: “The Time Of Your Life” (1940)
• His first Hollywood movie was:
  • For Me And My Gal (1942, starring with Judy Garland).
• Highlights of his career before War World II
  • Cover Girl (1944)
  • Anchors Aweigh (1945).
• During the World War II, and in spite of the protests of some executives of the MGM, he joined the Navy.
• Highlights after World War II.
  • Living In a Big Way (1947)
  • The Pirate (1948)
  • Take Me Out To The Ball Game (1949)
  • On the Town (1949
  • An American In Paris (1951)
  • Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
  • It Is Always Fair Weather (1955)
  • Invitation To The Dance (1956)

Stanley Donen (1924 – )

• He started his career on Broadway at the age of 17 as a “chorus boy” in the play: Pal Joey, starred by Gene Kelly
• Gene Kelly took him to Hollywood as choreographer in his movies, but very soon he got his first opportunity as a director working with Gene Kelly
  • On The Town (1949)
• Other Film Musicals he co-directed with Gene Kelly:
  • Singin’ In The Rain (1952)
  • It Is Always Fair Weather (1955)
• Film Musicals he directed alone
  • Royal Wedding (1951)
  • Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954)
  • Funny Face (1957)
• Other Movies
  • Indiscreet (1958)
  • Charade (1963)
  • Arabesque (1966)
  • wo For The Road (1969)

Literature

• Altman, Rick:
  • “The American Film Musical”. Indiana University Press, 1977.
• Bergreen, Laurence:
  • “As Thousands Cheer. The Life Of Irving Berlin”. Viking Penguin, 1990.
• Parkinson, David:
  • “History of Film”. Thames and Hudson, 1995