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Date
2014
Degree
BA (Hons) in Film, Literature and Drama
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights
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Abstract
I chose to write my thesis on musical films because I think they were a very important
stepping stone in the visual medium of film. The genre of musical films set the
standard for motion pictures that followed for years after. The Jazz Singer (1927)
holds a significant place in film history because it was the first “talkie” movie that
contained singing and dancing also. The objective of my research was to find out if
musical films gave audiences escapism from their everyday lives and to see if musical
films had any major impact on society at the time. I aim to expose the social agendas
of the movie studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and the effects and benefits it had. The
work of two films, Annie Get Your Gun (1950) and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
(1954) is explored in the body of this work, namely George Sidney, Stanley Donen,
Michael Kidd and Arthur Freed. By focusing on the work of these particular people, it
is possible to explore a wide array of material and issues, including representations of
women, men, sexuality, and race. The ideas expressed in this work are validated with
reference to many film critics and theorist, as well as by close reading of each film.
By the close of this thesis, it will become clear that re-introducing the issues beneath
the surface of these films is a constructive approach to encouraging people to realise
the depth that they can contain.