LScott

1. Eddy and Macdonald speak with their eyes to communicate how they feel in both clips. There are constant clips of Macdonald's facial expressions and wide eyes as she listens to Eddy's voice during the boat ride. We learn so much more about her emotional state through these clips than through her lines. The same goes for Eddy when watching her in the saloon, and he tells the audience what he is thinking and feeling with just a simple look or smile. 2. I have not seen these actors in any other movies or television shows, but I am so happy to be introduced to them through these clips. They're very likable and skilled in their craft. It's always nice to hear classically trained singers, especially today, when it is out of style. 3. Relationships within this era are depicted as a tender kind of love, one that develops over a period of time even after love confessions are said. There is also the bad vs. good girl trope, which is almost never seen between men in these movies. The "good" girl is usually modest, kind, and demure when posed against the "bad", loud, scandalous girl. This may have been a subtle support of the Production Code, encouraging women to be more like the first rather than the latter.

1. This clip definitely shows an more idealistic view of life that distracts from the realities of the day. The fact that Ziegfeld can afford to tip the man five pounds and that Anna Held is performing in front of a full house of people are big indicators that this production was trying to avoid the financial hardships of the Depression Era. There are also no illusions to negative feelings or situations: the song is happy, the people are happy, or at least in good humor, and the scene ends with Anna choosing to focus on the beautiful flowers instead of breaking her promise of meeting with Billings. 2. Other Depression Era musicals will most likely keep the joyful, friendly tone within the plot and music, steering away from things such as poverty, infidelity, and political strife. Also, showing that people are well off financially seems to be a common thread here, even though it may not be relatable. The focus is distraction, more so than presenting a realistic, complex story. Mostly positive things are considered and the negative aspects of Ziegfeld's and Held's life are all together ignored to maintain this happy atmosphere. 3. The song that Held sings could have been more explicit with the sexual undertones of the lyrics without the enforcement of the code. She may have also had a more revealing outfit to suggest more of a scandalous kind of play than innocent an innocent one. We may have even seen her change in her dressing room completely instead of the simple hat removal. Also, details of Ziegfeld and Held's live together without a legal marriage could have been talked about instead of disregarded.

The movie musicals that I have continuously watched over the years are Guys and Dolls, Singing in the Rain, Annie Get Your Gun, and The Wizard of Oz. These films have cultivated my love for song and dance. In fact, Annie Get Your Gun was the first musical theatre production I was in at the age of 8, and it sparked the storyteller inside of me. It led me down a path to pursuing a degree in Theatre, and I couldn't be happier. There is nothing like watching a story that engages you with not only a wonderful story, but spectacular musical numbers full of inspiring melodies and endearing characters. It's a little slice of happiness that speaks to the heart and soul. Most of all, it's so entertaining! I can't wait to learn more about a topic that has shaped the course of my life!