Hollywoods Golden Age: The Studio System They Dont Make Them Like They Used To And Why Not

Hollywoods Golden Age: The Studio System They Dont Make Them Like They Used To And Why Not?Weeks: 20 weeks

Hours: 7:00 10:00

Instructor: Sheldon Shimanoff

Prerequisite: A Love of Movies

This course explores how movies used to be made using visual aids such as DVDs, posters etc. Participants will learn about the look and sound of the various studios films. The student will learn how to discern noticeable studio characteristics with a focus on sets. Art directions, costume designers, make-up artists and cinematographers. The course will trace the rise, decline and fall of the studio system through weekly samples of studio offerings: MGM, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Selznick International, Universal and Columbia.

Session 1 Introduction and Interests

a.Why are students taking the course?

b. Specifics of the Studio System

c. Origins of a factory system

d. The Moguls similarities and differences DVD- The Goldwyn Story- Rise of the Studio Boss

Session 2 End of the Silent Era

a. End of the Silent Era

b.Transition to Sound c. Development of MGM

DVD Ben Hur-$11.00 a ticket in 1926

Session 3 The Movie-Going Experience

a. Transition to Sound

b. Early Freedom of Expression and Growth of Censorshipc. Creation of the Movie Star

DVD- Flesh and the Devil- Garbo and Gilbert

Session 4 Block Booking

a. Dual studio/theatre ownership

b. 400 films per yearDVD- Grand Hotel- an all-star production

Session 5 A Night at the Movies

a. Two features, coming attractions, newsreels, cartoons, specialty shorts

b. Following a film- from first run palaces to last run local houses

DVD Selected Short Films: A Night at the Movies, Cartoons, Passing Parade, Pete Smith Comedy

Session 6 The Studio Style : Collaborative effort of the writer, director, star, cinematographer, art director, costume designerDVD- Blonde Venus: Marlene Dietrich

Session 7 The Paramount Style

a. Opulence: European Influence

b. Old World Sophistication and Sensuality

c. Biblical Epics, Religion vs Hypocrisy

DVD Sign of the Cross- C.B. DeMille

Session 8 Warner Brothers

a. New York Point of View

b. Depression Mentality vs. Escapism

c. The Coming of Sound

DVD- Public Enemy- Cagney and Little Caesar Edward G. Robinson

Session 9 Warner Brothers

a. Fast Films and Fast Dames

b. Pre-Code Films

c. Busby Berkley Musicals

DVD- Dames and Gold Diggers of 1935Session 10 Universal

a. The Rise of Irving Thalberg

b. Films of Horror and ImaginationDVD- Dracula- Original and Spanish VersionsSession 11 Universal

a. B Films

b. Programmers

c. Continuing a fad- The Sequels

DVD Bride of Frankenstein- James Whale

Session 12 Poverty Row

a. Columbia

b. Harry Cohn- Despotic Genius

DVD- It Happened One Night- Gable and Colbert

Session 13 Poverty Row

a. Monogram, PRC

b. Republic

c. Serials

DVD- Lost Horizon- Frank Capra

Session 14 The Golden Agea. Selznick International

b. Producer to Independent Studio

DVD- A Star is Born- March and Gaynor

Session 15 The Golden Age

a. MGM with/without Irving Thalberg

b. The Charmed Years

c. More Stars Than There Are In Heaven

DVD- Libeled Lady- Tracy, Harlow, Powell, Loy

Session 16 Film Genresa. Screwball Comedy

b. The Womans Film

DVD My Man Godfrey- Powell and Lombard

Mildred Pierce- Crawford

Session 17 Film Genresa. Cops and Robbers

b. The Show Must Go On

DVD- White Heat- Cagney

Gold Diggers of 1935- Blondell and Powell

Session 18 1939- The Greatest Year?

a. What Depression?

b. The Zenith

c. Oscar Nominees+DVD- The Women- Crawford and George CukorSession 19 1941-1946 a. War Boom

b. The War at Home and in Hollywood

DVD- Foreign Correspondent- Hitchcock

Session 20 1947-1960a. The Decline

b. The Triple Whammy

1. End of Theatre/Film Ownership

2. Rise of TV

3. The Blacklist

DVD Sunset Boulevard- Swanson, Holden and Billy Wilder