Ruhop

I agree with the film lecture all the way! I actually posted about it yesterday after watching the film. It feels very hammy and “look at us!” But there is no question they are all talented. I just finished Anchors Aweigh and it was great, not too hammy for me...

Watching On The Town, I’ve seen it several times. Can’t help but wonder when it became the norm to look directly at the camera during the musical dance numbers. In the “backstage musicals” we watched from the 30’s it made some sense, because they were supposed to be on stage, oriented towards the stage. I can’t help it, but I don’t like this change to playing to the camera. I know I’m a Fred Astaire fanatic, but Fred and Ginger looked at each other, which made it more romantic, almost like you were intruding on their private moment. In some of the MGM musicals of this time and the 50’s -

I am just commenting on the third question. As for communicating the story, for me nothing beats “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” From Meet Me in St. Louis. I know that A Star is Born seems to be the favorite, but to me, her voice seems brassy and too broad in this movie. I love how she comforts her little sister, singing about Christmas, her heart breaking, but trying to be strong. I do prefer her younger films to her older ones.

I am a huge Fred Astaire fan. He made so many innovations in the musicals of his day, especially with camera tracking and not cutting shots in the dances. I am surprised there is not more about his contributions to the film musical. One of the books I read about him said that the Night and Day sequence in Gay Divorcee is the first musical number in film to be integrated into the story - without that number, we don’t see Ginger fall for Fred. You can’t cut that number out without losing the plot. Also, while I like Gene Kelly ok, he mugs for the camera a lot, and Fred seems to be much more