The Golden Age of Hollywood

THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD

Schoenberg participated in some of the more glamorous aspects of living in Los Angeles, such as living in the affluent Brentwood community across the street from child star Shirley Temple, playing tennis with composer George Gershwin, or laughing with actorcomedian Arthur “Harpo” Marx. Schoenberg took up teaching posts at UCLA and USC, both of which later named buildings after him. Despite his assimilation into the community, Schoenberg never considered himself an American composer and often took comfort in the large European community that had also moved to L.A.

Expat Rivals Both Arnold Schoenberg and Igor Stravinsky found themselves living in Hollywood following the Second World War and rebuilding their lives as composers and professors. One might expect that they were fast friends, however artistic differences led to a mutual dislike instead. They both made it clear to friends and colleagues that each was ignoring the other, and it was only after Schoenberg passed away that Stravinsky decided to experiment and expand upon the twelve-tone method Schoenberg invented.

Many composers who lived or relocated to Los Angeles during this time including Gershwin, Stravinsky, and Max Steiner, were finding work composing for film or selling their compositions to be used in film in Hollywood. In 1935, Schoenberg was introduced by his friend Harpo Marx, to MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) producer Irving Thalberg, to explore the possibility of working together. Due to Thalberg’s leadership, MGM was the only production company to make a profit during the Great Depression. In the 1930s, MGM released classic pictures such as The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, and Singin’ in the Rain. All big-budget films, they were also risky endeavors with new technology such as Technicolor. Thalberg commented that he enjoyed Schoenberg’s music, calling it “lovely” (to which Schoenberg promptly responded, “I don’t make lovely music.”) and proposed that Schoenberg score a film for his studio. Schoenberg however, disliked the populist nature of film music, and wanted to use the sprechstimme method, like in his melodramatic setting of poems Pierrot Lunaire (1912),an idea that Thalberg ultimately rejected.

Irving Thalberg, MGM Producer, 1929.

Wikimedia Commons.

MGM’s success was part of a larger trend in film history. Movies offered escape from the realities of war and economic depression, and the American public was estimated to be attending films at least once a week. Technological advancements, such as sound, color, and animation, as well as the rise of movie stars and the studio system, made Hollywood the home of American movies. Now known as The Golden Age of Hollywood, defined loosely between the 1915 and 1960, this era introduced genres including Westerns, Gangster films, the Movie-Musical, Animated films, and Film Noir, as silent films faded out. Here are some distinct genres that emerged in the first half of the 20 th Century:

Silent: The genre of film, or moving pictures, began without synchronized sound and dates back to as early as 1891. Often silent films were shown accompanied by live music. The era technically ended with The Jazz Singer (1927), the first major movie with synchronized sound, but actor and filmmaker Charlie Chaplin created silent films through the '30s. Though termed silent films, these films were often accompanied by a pre-recorded musical score and subtitled. The most famous movies of this era are Birth of a Nation (1915) and City Lights (1931). Genres ranged from epic stories, to romantic, to slapstick comedies.

Western: One of the most enduring American genres developed and capitalized upon between the '30s and the '60s is the Western. Westerns normally take place on the American Frontier—the area west of the Rocky Mountain range, with common settings in a rural mountain or desert town featuring scenes in saloons, jails, and small main streets. The format often follows a protagonist sheriff, cowboy or maverick and emphasizes the rugged, dangerous wilderness. Westerns feature a specific soundscape with defining characteristics of a musical score that includes influences from American Folk music and music from Mexican and Native American traditions. Schoenberg was known to be a fan of the Hopalong Cassidy movies which hit the big screen in 1935—with 65 more films—and continued over a decade with the same cowboy-hero portrayed by actor William Boyd. There are many subgenres of the Western, including Comedic Western and Spaghetti Western, and they continue to be made today such as True Grit (2010).

MGM logo. 1916.

Wikimedia Commons.

The Silver Screen In the early days of film, images were projected on to a smooth screen primed with shiny reflective paint for optimal resolution and contrast. Even as the technology evolved, the term quickly caught and was used to refer to moving pictures in general, referred to as “the pictures,” and today “the movies.”

Film Noir: Film Noir is a term coined by French film critics upon observation of the stylistic darkness of American and crime and detective films mainly produced after World War II. Similar to Expressionist movies in Germany, these movies reflected moral conflict and represented society’s evils and suspicions. Although full-length color features became mainstream in 1939 with The Wizard of Oz, Film Noir continued to use black and white film as an important element of the story-telling medium. Typically, movies set in Film Noir style revolved around a disillusioned male and a seductive female, almost always ending with betrayal. Humphrey Bogart is one of the most famous Film Noir-style actors, with one of his most memorable performances being in Casablanca (1942), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

That’s all folks! Looney Tunes sign off.

Animated: Early animated movies were hand-drawn and photographed frame-by-frame. In the early 1930s, shorts such as Krazy Kat, and Looney Tunes emerged proceeding feature films. Looney Tunes coined the famous, “That’s All Folks!” The first full-length animated feature film was Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Though mostly comedic, early animated films often had political undertones. Additionally, these animated films prominently featured musical scores recorded with full chorus and orchestra.

Movie-Musical: As the film industry boomed, the development of synchronized sound with the pictures allowed for the Movie-Musical to emerge, where singing, acting, and dancing could be presented screen as part of the narrative. Dance and singing sequences emerged in the '20s and '30s, and some of the most popular stars of the movie musical were Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, a comedic, tap-dancing duo. Perhaps the most notable movie musical is Singin’ in the Rain (1952), produced by MGM starring triple-threats Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds.

Marx Brothers. 1931.

Wikimedia Commons.

The Marx Brothers: A family comedy group of five brothers with the stage names Chico, Harpo, Groucho, Gummo, and Zeppo, The Marx Brothers are considered to be one of the greatest comedic influences of the 20th century. Paramount and MGM produced their films after the brothers got their start on the stage, and they were often rife with political satire and slapstick comedy.

DISCUSS: How has The Golden Age of Hollywood defined the genre of film today? How has it influenced other more contemporary performing and visual arts?