1. Way Out West & A Night at the Opera
Films in the 1930's
Way Out West & A Night at the Opera

2. Pre 1930’s Film:
Single reel
Silent
Use of the crank camera

3. 1930’s What’s happening historically?
Why would people need a diversion?
What types of people can see movies?

4. Golden Age of Hollywood
1920’s-1950’s
The Jazz Singer-1927
ends silent era
Specific genres:
Western
Slapstick
Musical
Animated cartoon
Biography
MGM—Metro Goldwyn Meyer—premier studio

5. Golden Age of Hollywood
Actors:
Clark Gable
Norma Shearer
Greta Garbo
Jeanette MacDonald and husband Gene Raymond
Spencer Tracy
Judy Garland
Gene Kelly
Marx Brothers
Laurel & Hardy
Films:
Gone With the Wind
Wizard of Oz
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Casablanca
It’s a Wonderful Life
King Kong
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

6. Technological Advances
“Talkies”—use of sound
At first, cumbersome
Use of portable microphones
Beginning of major studios: Fox, Paramount, Warner Brothers
Technicolor—red, blue and yellow film strips
Exaggerated color:
Gone With the Wind
The Wizard of Oz
Double reel filming=
Full length feature films

7. Hay’s Code 1st rating system “general principles”—morality
“particular applications”—what could not be shown:
Mixing of races
Specific curse words
No homosexuality
Religious figures depicted with respect
Crime can’t appear pretty
Later morphs into MPAA film rating system

8. Stan Laurel Oliver Hardy

9. Laurel & Hardy’s Comedy
Visual with slapstick used for emphasis
Use of exaggerated violence and actions that go over boundaries of common sense
Physical arguments—highly involved with cartoon violence
Very little progress on task at hand
Jokes last several scenes, minutes—milking
Extended sequences revolving around a single problem (not a much plot focus)
“Tit-for-tat” fight
“White Magic”
Hardy trying to copy Laurel’s invisible lighter
Use of sound effects—don’t show actual event

10. Laurel and Hardy Characteristics
Hardy breaks the fourth wall
Loveable and devoted=big kids
Use of hair
Laurel removes heels for flat-footed walk
Fitting of “costume” (suit)
Faces filmed flat—no shadows or
dramatic lighting=
use of light foundation=clown effect

11. Way Out West 1937 Director-James Horne
One of Laurel & Hardy’s greatest works
Woman is about to loose her claim (deed) to father’s land because of land grabbers. L & H arrive to help, but end up aiding wrong woman in distress.
Set in the Wild West

12. The Plan: Watch Way Out West
Watch A Night at the Opera (Marx Brothers)
Compare the two films:
Contrast the comedy in the two films.
Contrast the use of “new” technology in the two films.