Chapter 9: Deliverance Part I
1938 Action Comics #1, Introduction of Superman, sold for $3,000,000 at auction
"By the late 1930s all but a few Americans were longing not for revolution but for recovery, not for uncertainty but for stability, not for more social conflict but for a sense of national unity."
https://www.britannica.com/event/Great-Depression/Portrayals-of-hope
COMIC BOOK READERS: "Superman comics provided readers with another perspective on issues such as corruption and social injustice....demonstrating Superman's creators' belief that such injustices should and could be overcome.
MOVIE-GOERS: "Despite the excruciating economic hardship faced by nearly the entire country, 60-70 million Americans still packed into theaters each week. This phenomenon forces the question: Why go to a movie during such a troubled time? What made sitting in a theater for an hour and a half worth a hard-earned 15 cents?"
SUPERMAN
SUPERMAN'S FIRST ITERATION COULD HURDLE A TWENTY-STORY BUILDING, RUN FASTER THAN AN EXPRESS TRAIN.... (BUT WAS, SADLY, NOT YET FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET)
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
What do you recall from the Ten Fun Things in the article listed above?
How well do you think such activities helped suppress angst over the stresses people were experiencing?
What activities would fit into a list of current 'fun' things to do?
What do you recall about your own attraction to comic book characters such as Dick Tracy, Flash Gordon, Superman or Batman?
What is it about caricatures and absurdities...sky-diving, bungee jumping, "James Bond", and all-powerful comic heroes...that fascinates us?
TEN MINUTES OF ONE CRITIC'S CHOICE OF TOP TEN MOVIES
OTHER MOVIES (some redundancy which won't hurt)
It Happened One Night was the first movie to win five Academy Awards (Best Director, Picture, Actress, Actor, Screenplay,) elevating Columbia out of its slump as a “poverty row” studio. Ellie is both clueless and stubborn, conceited and playful—there’s a streak of wit and resilience about her that makes Peter see her as both a scoop and a catch. Peter is problematic. What was chivalry in 1934 is sleazy in the present. It’s jarring to see this behavior portrayed as desirable masculinity, the marks of a leading man. Peter sets out to control Ellie by reducing her options, substituting his opinions for hers. It’s a study in male domination.
The Lesson Plan below is based on "The Wizard of Oz: Parable of Populism" by Heny M. Littlefield, an article published in the American Quarterly, Vol. 16, No. 1 (Spring, 1964)
My take: Seems plausible. Your SGL
Reading - The Wizard of Oz.pdfBased on extract from article quoting historian and film critic Michael Canning. https://wamu.org/story/14/10/17/remembering_when_mr_smith_came_to_washington_75_years_ago/
Brand-new to politics, Senator Smith uncovers the corrupt scheme of another senator, Taylor. But Taylor then manipulates his cronies to frame Smith for the scheme. There is a great deal of political drama as the Senate considers whether or not to expel Smith, who holds the floor in a lengthy filibuster. Taylor confesses and Smith, exhausted, wins his case.
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington was a commercial success and was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including Frank Capra for Best Director, and leading man Jimmy Stewart for Best Actor. But Gone With the Wind swept the awards that year, and of the 11 awards that it was nominated for, it only won one, for Best Story. The night before the film was premiered in Washington, D. C. for Congress at Constitution Hall, Oct 17, 1939, Germany and Russia took over Poland. The debate about entering the war had intensified. Some authorities worried that showing the film internationally might give a bad depiction of the United States and its politics. Harry Truman wrote to his wife after opening night: “The movie makes asses out of all senators that are not crooks. But it also shows up the correspondents and their true, drunken light.” Still, despite corruption in government, the film showed that freedom triumphs, liberty triumphs, and the single man can do something.
Hollywood in the 1930s
Hollywood film narratives and themes were varied in the days of silent films–mysteries, comedies, cowboy movies, melodramas, love and adventure stories–the main goal being entertainment. And from its inception, Hollywood had increasingly become a shaping force in American culture, influencing such aspects as clothes fashion, hair design, tastes in interior design, manners, and language idioms.
The environmental, economic, social and political disasters of the 1930s, however, would have far-reaching impact on the redefining of roles and the reshaping of the nature of the influences both Hollywood and radio would assume in American life. Social and political themes, interlaced with overt implications and innuendo related to the economic patterns and economic health of the nation, would begin to come to the foreground.
Movies in the 1930s offered different avenues of “escape”. For a 25 cent admission to an evening showing or a 10 cent admission to a matinee, a patron could “get away from it all” and lose oneself in a few hours of imaginative identification with a different place, a different time, a different situation, momentarily forgetting the hunger, anxiety and misery of dust and Depression. Some theatres would even accept the trade-in of one or two glass milk bottles for matinee fare. For some, a movie house was the only place to get warm, or to rest before pushing on to the next search for a square meal or a job.
Hollywood films, in the 1930s, continued to grow as a prominent center of entertainment. But as the industry became increasingly conscious of and impacted by the agonies of the 1930s, it took on the challenge of serving other purposes. One purpose was to document the realities of American life, implanting awareness of “we are all in this together”. The “escape” factor would have undercurrents calculated to encourage looking beyond the realities, lifting spirits, recapturing hope and belief in the future of American life and the American Dream. The rapid growth of technology, such as portable camera devices, technicolor, multiple sound recording capabilities, and more sophisticated editing techniques supported these efforts.
Hollywood also enhanced the perception of California as the “promised” land – a haven, a land of opportunity for the displaced seeking jobs, particularly for talented artists wanting to be “discovered”, and for entrepreneurs down on their luck but driven by the vision of “opportunity.”
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug02/FILM/hollywooddepression.html
Hollywood in the Depression
by Dixton Wector
"Whether films offered visions of order restored, affirmations of work-centered values, or celebrations of a culture rooted in the mythic American village, they also held out images of competing worlds that might be entered through mimicry or consumption." -Terry A. Cooney, Balancing Acts
From gangster films to musicals to screwball comedies, Depression films took on the responsibility of reinstating the mythical American values of individualism, classlessness, and progress. Americans might have come to these films in search of escape from their arduous and hopeless lives but that isn't to say the themes and motifs of these films appeared out of reach. Hollywood, while upholding American institutions such as government and family, also created characters and plot lines that stayed within the realm of possibilities. Had Americans not believed in and related to the drama, music, comedy, heartache, and successes displayed on screen they surely would find entertainment elsewhere.
Film industries recognized this consumer power and carefully evaluated the types of films people responded to. Hollywood knew that buying a ticket and sitting in a theater among friends and strangers was an independent and self-effacing action. Hollywood understood the shame of standing in breadlines and the helplessness of losing a job. Musicals such as Gold Diggers of 1933, 42nd Street, and Footlight Parade directly addressed the Depression. Subsequently, this strategy by Hollywood made these three musicals the highest money making ones of the decade. No longer did films take on the idealistic outlook of the 1920's. Musicals in the 1930's gave people more realistic visions of aspiration and attainment. Stars such as Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple, and Fred Astaire became models of strength, courage, charisma, vulnerability, and triumph as they sang and danced their way into the dispirited hearts of the American public.
"During the Depression, when the spirit of the people is lower than at any other time, it is a splendid thing that for just 15 cents an American can go to a movie and look at the smiling face of a baby and forget his troubles." -President Franklin Roosevelt
As aforementioned, Hollywood musicals often reflected America's growing need and desire for escapism. In addition to magical worlds of Oz, musicals painted more familiar scenes such as Depression-stricken cities and tension filled homes. While relating to the harsh times, these settings not only captured the emotions of its audience but also manipulated them with a positive turn of events at the end. Subsequently, without asking for anything in return, musicals boosted morale and lightened the burden of their audiences.
Musicals in the Depression
Gold Diggers of 1933
With showgirls singing "We're in the Money" in the opening scene, this musical ironically begins with a luxurious and glamorous depiction of Broadway during the Depression. Half way through the song, however, they are forced to stop because of the show's bankruptcy. This leads them fortunately into the hands of piano player and song writer Brad Roberts. With his song writing skills and 15,000 dollar contribution, Brad leads the showgirls to success on the stage.
Celebrating those in financial need over the wealthy, this musical sides with the "gold diggers" (a.k.a. showgirls). Brad Roberts (a.k.a. Robert Bradford) tries to hide his wealthy background and demonstrates shame in the pretentiousness of his brother. Eventually ridiculing his brother's obnoxious snobbery through their witty set-up, this musical brings humor to hardship and success to misfortune. Moreover, the inner plot of the musical dramatizes the strife of war veterans as they once marched in army lines and are now standing in breadlines. Subsequently, this musical appealed to a wide range of audiences--from the middle aged unemployed to romantic teenage girls.
42nd Street
Beginning with an aerial of 42nd street, this musical brought its setting into the commotion of the city. In the plot, Dorothy Brock, the star in the upcoming musical produced by Jones and Barry, is the stereotypical Broadway snob whose main concerns are money and sex. But she is not the heroine. That is Peggy (Ginger Rogers) the young, inexperienced show girl who saves the day when she takes over for Dorothy.
This fast-paced, realistic story of the challenges, hard work, and energy behind Broadway curtains gave audiences an unglamorized, realistic look at the entertainment business. Audiences saw they weren't the only ones undergoing hardship and bad times. The urban setting and witty dialogue entertained audiences while keeping the plotline on their level. Busby Berkely, the extremely talented choreographer effectively created what musicals did best: sang and danced. The combination of comedy and sexual relationships kept Depression audiences away from the demoralizing effects of their outside worlds.
Wizard of Oz
In this 1939 musical, the young girl Dorothy (Judy Garland) runs away from her home in Kansas to save her little dog Toto. She encounters The Profesor:
The Professor: You're Traveling in disguise, no, that's not right, I . . . you're going on a visit? No, I'm wrong, that's uh, you're, uh, you're running away.
Dorothy: How did you guess?
The Professor: Professor Marvel never guesses, he knows. Now why are you running away? No, no, no, don't tell me. Uh, they don't understand you at home, they don't appreciate you. You want to see other lands, big cities, big mountains, big oceans!
Dorothy: Why, it's just like you read what was inside of me.
On returning from an encounter with The Professor, a horrendous tornado strikes. Dorothy escapes to her room after desperately searching for Auntie Em and Uncle Henry. Hitting her head, she ascends with her house into the twister. The plot then opens up with her colorful journey through Oz.
Interspersed with songs and choreography, Dorothy is torn from her family and must fight the ruthless forces of the wicked witch. Dorothy's vulnerable innocence and persevering optimism not only pull the lion, tin man, and scarecrow beyond the obstacles of the yellow brick road but also engage the audience to envision the hope of reaching a seemingly insurmountable goal, one with a moral pitch. After killing the witch in saving the scarecrow, luck and determination captures the triumph of good over evil.
Although Dorothy's whirlwind flight to the colorful fantasy land of Oz visually fascinated audiences, her unending desire to return to Kansas made viewers realize "there's no place like home." Dorothy's journey effectively related to the audience's own displacement from their familiar ways of life. Movie-goers by the millions experienced a world happier and more hopeful than their own, their 15 cents feeding their hunger for escape and direction.