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50 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
First Motion Picture Censorship Ordinance |
1907 Chicago Political censorship mainly concerned with exhibition more than production. Exhibitors have traditionally supported censorship as the best means of protecting their commercial interests. |
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The scandal |
Sept 1921 aspiring actress Virginia Rappe does 3 days after party organized by “Fatty” Arbuckle. Died through peritonitis caused by ruptured bladder, possibly provoked by rape. 3 trials but “not guilty” arbuckle films banned in US |
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MPPDA |
1922 motion picture producers and distributors of America (MPPDA) is established young safeguard the political interests of emergering oligopoly. Will Hays as head. Real concern is to avoid threat of legislation or court action to impose anti-trust laws to the industry. |
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Formula and Code |
1924 Hays establishes “formula” to control what material (books, plays) is adapted for the screen. 1927 early code of fonts and be careful. 1930 (hays code) established, with no effective enforcement. 1934 catholic boycott and implementation of code. Code was statement of policy about ok content for movies. Acknowledged influence on morals they had. |
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The pre- code 1929-34 |
Events that’s relaxed ethics in film was the stock market crash. Declined movie goers. Opposition towards status quonof middle America. |
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Troubles in Hollywood 1929-34 |
1933 3rd of theaters closed and 4 of 8 major studios near bankrupt. Censors want to redirect narratives in fallen genre while Hollywood wants to keep them. Female speculation under question when discussing respreswntatios of sexuality. |
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Gangster genre |
Pre-code cinema spoke to generation of disenfranchised individuals who saw “picturesque” ideals of 1920s give way to unknown duration of stugfle. Films of social pathos. If disordered society lead individual to lawlessness, his strength could not compare with deviousness and force available to lawless society. |
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Fallen Women film |
Story usually based on act of seduction or adultery. 19th century literary and iconographic conventions. Fallen women is irredeemably punishes. Becomes popular sub-genre. |
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Fallen women film 1930-34 |
Fallen women not punished. Becomes sympathetic because experience of pain. Story happens in contemporary society (realism). Films dealing with class rise helped attract attention of censors to genre as whole. Were eventually subject to censorship but version without happy end made the respreswntation of illicit sexuality problematic. |
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Fallen women before 1934 |
Fallen women not punished. She seduces. Realistic and contemporary. Places in familiar locations |
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Fallen women after 1934 |
She is punished. She is seduced. Not realistic but in different time periods and different counties. |
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Fallen women |
Clara bow Greta Garbo Barbara Stanwyck |
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Big 5 major studio |
Paramount MGM 20th century fox Warner Bro’s RKO |
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Little 3 studios |
Universal Columbia Unites artists |
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Paramount |
European style production. |
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MGM |
High budget films. “More stars than their are in heaven” 2 directors Musicals |
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20th century Fox |
1935 Fox merges with 20th century which allows studio to come out of harsh times of depression. Not many stars. |
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Warner Bros |
Musicals, gangster film “social problem film” “bio-pic” some with recycled plots. |
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RKO |
Shortest lived of majors. Originates from RCA and used photophone Innovative King Kong 1933 Distributed Walt Disney shorts |
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RKO |
Shortest lived of majors. Originates from RCA and used photophone Innovative King Kong 1933 Distributed Walt Disney shorts |
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Universal |
Largest of little 3 Horror films Small town audience |
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RKO |
Shortest lived of majors. Originates from RCA and used photophone Innovative King Kong 1933 Distributed Walt Disney shorts |
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Universal |
Largest of little 3 Horror films Small town audience |
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Columbia |
Makes it through depression Borrows stars from majors |
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RKO |
Shortest lived of majors. Originates from RCA and used photophone Innovative King Kong 1933 Distributed Walt Disney shorts |
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Universal |
Largest of little 3 Horror films Small town audience |
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Columbia |
Makes it through depression Borrows stars from majors |
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United artists |
Founders Griffith, Pickford, Fairbanks, Chaplin 1919. Distribution for independent prodicers Selznick and Goldwin |
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It happened one night |
Harry Cohn wanted to borrow Robert Montgomery from MGM but Montgomery balked. Louis B Mayer mgm boss made offer he couldn’t refuse. “I got an actor.. I’d like to spank him” talking about Clark gable |
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Star system |
Vertical integration “star system”?became another factor in films. Calculated by studio that regulated the star according to star status. 1920-50s studios owned stars Stars are assets for money Marketable Stanwyck, Bette Davis, Carole Lombard broke contracts. |
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7 year contract |
Very unfair |
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SAG |
Screen actors guild in 1933. Studio boss Thalburg said he’d die before acceptiong them and did die in 37. Studios accepted and signed contract with guild that gave actors power. Actors still couldn’t choose roles |
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DGA 1936 |
Is craft union. Upset about not being able to have freedom to edit. Frank Capra argues for that all artists were frustrated with rigid production schedules. |
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Golden Ages |
2 golden ages in 30s. First 30-34 in social realism, gangster, sex, political melodrama |
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2nd golden age |
Consistent move towards less socially motivated films in part because PCA influence. Audience desired escapism from depression and desired stars. |
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Independent Producers |
David O Selznick founded Selznick international pictures. Fewest pictures high cost 1-2 big hits could make more money than 8 A class features. Gone with the wind. 2 years delay to get Clark Gable from mgm. |
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Walt Disney |
Hollywood 1923 Snow Whitw better than predicted from industry Built new campus in Burnank which started era of golden age of animation |
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Females in industry |
Domestic roles like sewing machine and type writer. Women understood finer details of reomance to complement males writers |
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Women in costume department |
Ran by men with majority female employees. Irene Lents became head of mgm consume department in earl 40s |
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Secretarial Power |
Look pretty serve their boss Creative secreataries jobs were one of emotional labor as they were a link between boss and his employees |
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Valeria Beletti |
Samuel Goldwyn’s private and social secretary. Master of multitasking for the studio |
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Women rule Hollywood |
Mary C McCall Jr 1st president of screen writers guild Bette Davis president of motion picture arts and sciences Marge booth mgm executive |
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Ida lupino |
Star system from 30s-40s Negotiated contract that allowed her to star in outside freelance pictures Social problem B films Formed the Filmakers production company in 1949 First to direct Noir with the hitch hiker 53 |
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Hollywood and war |
Within weeks of Pearl Harbor Hollywood was outspoken about denial of promotion of US in war to active support By 1942 1/3 of movies dealt with war |
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Hollywood and war |
Within weeks of Pearl Harbor Hollywood was outspoken about denial of promotion of US in war to active support By 1942 1/3 of movies dealt with war |
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War and propaganda |
Casablanca turns propaganda to Melo dram Reluctant hero story like western Overcoming anxiety about American intervention in WW2 |
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Casablanca |
Rick- outlaw unconventional hero Laszlo- official hero |
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War and homecoming |
Best years of our lives was attempt to be more realistic portrayal of postwar America. Visual style of elaborate compositions, locations, Wyler and Toland’s deep focus. Technical realism |
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PCA for patriotism |
Government agenda lifts ban on depicting atrocities and war related crimes in newsreels. Screen violence |
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Postwar film prosperity |
1945 1.45 B till 1945 with 1.7 B in 46. 66 m profit in 45 to 120 M in 46 Hollywood declines in 47 |