This revealing history of the American film musical synthesizes the critical literature on the genre and provides a series of close analytical readings of iconic musical films, focusing on their cultural relationship to other aspects of American popular music.
Offers a depth of scholarship that will appeal to students and scholars
Leads a crucial analysis of the cultural context of musicals, particularly the influence of popular music on the genre
Delves into critical issues behind these films such as race, gender, ideology, and authorship
Features close readings of canonical and neglected film musicals from the 1930s to the present including: Top Hat, Singin' in the Rain, Woodstock, Gimme Shelter, West Side Story, and Across the Universe
List of Plates ix Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction 1
1 Historical Overview 7
2 Critical Overview 38
3 Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933) 55
4 Top Hat (1935) 70
5 The Pirate (1948) 85
6 West Side Story (1961) and Saturday Night Fever (1977) 99
7 Woodstock (1970) 116
8 Phantom of the Paradise (1974) 131
9 Pennies from Heaven (1981) and Across the Universe (2007) 146
References 165
Index 171