Document Type
Presentation
Publication Date
Fall 2022
Abstract
My presentation explores the relation between American masculinity and film musicals. I demonstrate how the dominance of the musical at the box office in the middle of the 20th century reflects historical events and technological change. Drawing on both scholarly and popular criticism, I show how the images of masculinity that Americans once encountered on the silver screen have transformed as musicals became marginal to popular culture in the United States. My research considers both classic 20th century musicals, such as Wizard of Oz (1939) and 42nd Street (1933), and more recent experiments with the genre, including adaptations of Broadway shows like Into the Woods (2014), as well as art-house cinema with a surprisingly broad appeal, such as La La Land (2016).
Recommended Citation
Sparks, Christopher, "Masculinity in American Movie-Musical Films" (2022). Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry. 202.
https://digitalcommons.longwood.edu/rci_fall/202
Included in
American Film Studies Commons, Dance Commons, Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Visual Studies Commons
Comments
Faculty sponsor Dr. Sean Barry