[DAILY DOSE OF DELIGHT #3 (FROM THE LOVE PARADE)]

What do you notice about the Lubitsch touch? How do the props, the dialogue, and the staging help you understand the character of Alfred (Maurice Chevalier)?

The fourth wall breaks convince the audience that they should be on Chevalier’s side, even though he is a womanizer and, in modern-day films, would be either a definitive anti-hero or perhaps the villain. We know, given the size of the space, that he has money (or is supported by someone else’s wealth). He seems to be an amused observer, as he watches the interaction between the husband and wife but makes no attempt to help or to comfort when she “dies.” His drawer of “souvenirs” suggests that this scenario is familiar and that he does not feel guilty.

Based on this scene, what are some of the things you notice about the scene’s use of sound? Describe a specific sound or line of dialogue you hear and what you think it adds to the scene’s effectiveness.

I thought the sound work was inconsistent but perhaps in a calculated way. We don’t hear every door open and close; instead we get door sounds to telegraph a dramatic entrance and as a sort of close to the scene. The only music plays when the husband is mourning his wife and, given the lack of reaction from Chevalier, tells us that the husband has great feeling for his wife, perhaps too much? as the music delves into melodramatic territory.

What themes or approaches might you anticipate from this clip in other Depression-era musicals?

i think this clip shows that depression-era musicals will probably deal with a rich person, with a looser sense of morality, in a somewhat glamorous job, who has to turn his life around by applying good old-fashioned values and work ethic.

[DAILY DOSE OF DELIGHT #1 (From The Great Ziegfeld)]

1. Do you agree that the clip exhibits a brighter perspective of life than might be realistic? Why or why not? 

Yes, the clip is definitely depicting a brighter perspective. The clip shows rich people, dressed to the nines, enjoying a night in (what I would call) a fancy theater  most people watching this film would not have had the resources to do the same. Even though it takes place in a city, everything is clean and there’s no sign of the desperation the majority of the population would have felt at this time. 

1. What themes or approaches might you anticipate from this clip in other Depression era musicals?

i anticipate that other films would also focus on people whose main problems involved love and shallow rivalries, as opposed to the more realistic problems like hunger, bankruptcy, and family strife  I think movie makers wanted to give people a short vacation from their everyday struggles.

1. Since this is a musical that was made after the motion picture code was enforced, how might you imagine it might have been filmed or scripted differently if it had been pre-code? Give specific examples

Pre-code, the song would have been delivered in a far skimpier costume, and the character would have sung it suggestively rather than naively.

[DAILY DOSE OF DELIGHT #2 (From Rose Marie)]

What do you notice about the interaction between the characters in these two scenes? Please give specific examples.

 

i noticed that the characters don’t touch. Of course, in the first scene Eddy’s character is rowing, but in a modern-day movie, sone contrivance would require them to be mushed up together and the bodily contact—not the song or conversation—would be the method of courtship (as it were). Macdonald’s facial expressions are very important in her acting, but she keeps her feelings for Eddy’s character and her embarrassment at being found in a saloon  hidden by turning her face. 

1. If you have seen either or both of these actors in other films or television shows, please share your perceptions about them.

i have seen  these actors in other films but, to be honest, their style of singing is not appealing to me. I believe I watched their films when I was also watching a lot of Judy Garland, and her energy and style are much more up my alley. Eddy and Macdonald are far more formal and mannered.

1. What do these clips tell you about the male/female relationships as they are depicted in the films during this era? What norms might you expect are supported under the Hollywood Film Code?

These clips tell me that chastity and virtue are a huge priority under the code. Even in the saloon, the prostitutes are more like friendly waitresses. They’re completely covered up, clothing-wise, and seem like they’re just hanging out instead of working. The film definitely suggests that it’s the man’s job to pursue the woman and convince her that she loves him. 

 

I expect the Hays Code thinks that kisses are dry and passion is depicted in the widening of eyes.