Doherty: Chapter 1 Flashcards
In what year did the code come crumbling down?
In 1968. Although cracks in the system began to appear mid-1950s.
What did the motion picture industry look like in the 20s?
Vertical integration of motion picture production, distribution, and exhibition – a single corporate entity produced, sent out, and screen the film product
When was William Hayes recruited into the MPPDA?
1922
What led to the hiring of William Hayes as a part of the MPPDA?
A series of sordid scandals… The ecstasy and highs of the 20s.
The code was divided into two parts, what were these parts?
General principles - moral vision
Particular applications – precise listing
Why did producers feel urged to adopt the Prod. code?
For fear of government regulation, protests of religious and social groups.
What, during 1930 to 1934, made the production code a rigged game?
The regularaty oversight of the studio relations committee… Headed by the studio moguls themselves.
What was the free front war that the studios faced during precode?
The church
The state
Social science
When was the production code administration established?
In 1934
Who was the head of the production code administration?
Joseph Breen (held all the power. Hays was the head.)
What were the two media revolutions and sound technology at this time?
Radio broadcasting
Synchronized sound cinema
What was the Central American trauma of the 20th century, according to Doherty?
The economic catastrophe of the 30s – the Great Depression.
What American ideals were denied throughout the great depression? 5
Rugged individualism, upward mobility, material progress, frontier opportunities, and American exceptionalism.
What film truly signals the emergence of sound?
The Jazz Singer 1927
What up surd phenomena, both on the radio and in cinema, did the emergence of sound create?: Relating to performers
Wise-cracking!
When was the stock market crash – exact date?
October 29, 1929
What was the “age” of the 20s and then the 30s?
The Jazz age
The Great Depression
Who was the US president during the depression (29-33)?
Herbert Hoover
Which president helped America out of the depression? What year was he elected?
1933 – Franklin Delano Roosevelt
There was a disparity between the public and private perceptions of what effect the depression was having in Hollywood. Describe this scenario
Public – appeared as though Hollywood was in Munich to economic downturn in. The one thriving industry.
Private - job slashing, closure of many theaters, lowered budgets,
Sense that Hollywood was simply off it’s game – business was bad but so are the movies.
Nevertheless, big hits: Little Cesar, Frankenstein, King Kong.
When did theatres announce the total cessation of silent film?
1930
The addition of sound lead to revolutions in filmmaking. What were some of these?
Production equipment
The talkie – emphasis on talking
Genres: the gangster film
Greater preproduction/planning: storyboards
Standardized real sizes and running times (24 frames per second)
Helped define American cinema!
New kinds of performers!
In what year and month did the production code administration, the Hays office, begin to regulate content of Hollywood motion pictures?
On or about July 1934
