USA KQ6 Flashcards
Cinema statistics
In 1927 60 million people a week went to the cinema
110 million people a week went to the cinema 1929
In 1910 there were 8,000 cinemas in the USA and 303,000 in 1930
Why did Hollywood dominate the film industry?
- no language barrier
- lots of space to film
- the rest of the world spent time, money and resources on war
- moved to Hollywood in 1914
- Old California was the first film shot there
Roxy theatre
Opened in 1927
Luxurious seating for 6000
Plush carpets, marble columns, grand arches
Nickelodeons
- cost 5 cents
- referred to as “flea pits”
- wooden benches
Steamboat willie and Ben hur
1928 Walt Disney released “steamboat willie”, the first time the world saw Mickey Mouse
In 1925 the biblical epic “Ben hur” was released with excerpts of colour
Silent movie stars
Charlie Chaplin- famous for comedies
Clara bow- viewed as the sex symbol of the era when nudity was frowned upon by the hays code
Buster Keaton- famous for romantic comedies, we see him awkwardly trying to talk to a woman
Douglas Fairbank- famous for adventures
Hays Code
- no on-screen nudity
- on-screen kisses last under 7 metres of film
- adultery isn’t presented as attractive
- avoid low, disgusting, unpleasant but not evil subjects
- church members can’t be comic characters/villains
- murder, arson and smuggling is seen as evil
Clara Bow
July 29th 1905- September 27th 1965 Received 45,000 letters in January 1928 46 silent films 11 talkies Described as the leading sex symbol of the 20s It Wings Hoop-la
Rudolph Valentino
May 1895-August 1926 Fired as a bus boy at Murray’s Male sex symbol of the 20s Made a career out of bit part The sheik the sun of sheik the apocalypse
Joseph Keaton
October 4th 1895- February 1st 1966 Was an actor-director “The great stone face” Earned an academy honorary award Sherlock junior The general the cameraman
Charlie Chaplin
16th April 1889- 25th December 1977
A childhood of poverty sent to a workhouse at 9
His mother was sent to a mental asylum when he was 14
Do-founded united artists
1918- one of the best known figures in the world
The kid the gold rush the circus
Jazz
Based on American folk songs from slaves and west African rhythms
Paul whiteman- famous white musician
Buddy Bolden- the first to play jazz self-proclaimed “king of the coronet”
1917- the original Dixieland jazz band
Jelly roll Morton famous with the red hot peppers fats Waller is well known for “ain’t misbehaving’” and “honeysuckle rose”
Anne Shaw Faulkner
Wrote for the Ladies Home Journal
“Does jazz but the sin in syncopation?”
“Jazz was originally the accompaniment of the voodoo dancer stimulating the half-crazed barbarian to the vilest of deeds”
Jazz clubs+ how did it spread
Spread from the south to the north through radios and blacks migrating
New York+ Chicago
Harlem, New York- cotton club
Chicago- the green mill, Al Capone drank there
Dances+ negative responses
Charleston, foxtrot and Lindy-hop inspired by it
1923- Alma Cummings danced 27 hours and 6 partners
Older religious people weren’t impressed
In 1925 a Methodist said “ it degrades manhood and womanhood”
1923 in a newspaper “the music is sensuous, the female is only half dressed