1. Do you agree that the clip exhibits a brighter perspective of life than might be realistic? Why or why not?
Anna Held's costume is a frilly and over the top with all that lace, feathers, and the parasol--seems rather dainty yet fitting for such a fragile character. Her stage performance, "I wish you come and play with me," is coquettish and a bit unrealistic--she can't think of anything better than to have an admirer "play with [her] all the day long."
2. What themes or approaches might you anticipate from this clip in other Depression era musicals?
From viewing this clip, one recurring theme would be a lack of strong female characters; making women seem like fragile beings who have no conflict.
3. 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.
I would imagine Anna Held's stage outfit would be more scandalous and she would still be flirtatious but perhaps in a sexier way rather than playful. And maybe instead of using the handheld mirror as a prop, Anna would do a modest strip tease and throw something she took off into the audience. Just a thought...
