LECTUREBY:PROF.

SILVIAKRATZER

1.Majors:Paramount,MGM.WarnerBros.20th
CenturyFox,SamuelGoldwynJr.=TheBig
Five.GlamorousPrestigePictures.
2.Minors:Universal,RKO,UnitedArtists.
3.BigFiveeschewHorrorgenre,Minorsembrace
it.
4.InfluencedbyGermanExpressionism.
Initially:NotStardriven.
(continued)

6.ProfitMarginsgreater.
7. SellswellinEurope.
8.FindsNicheonUSmarket.
9.Amoviesvs.BMovies
10.Serials

1. GreatDepressionof1930s.
2.Minors:RapidriseofBmoviesandDoubleFeatures:
LowRisk,LowBudget.
3.Majors:TakeRisksWithNewTechnologiesto
WinBackAudiences.(Warner:Sound,MGM:Color)

1.EconomicRiskpaysoff:
AlJolsonBroadway:TheJazzSinger(1927)
2.Partialtalkies.
3.TechnologicalSetBacks:CameraBooth;OutofSynchSound,Insensitive
Mics,Differentcountriesdifferentequipment,etc.
4.Actorshaveatrociousaccentsorhorriblevoices:careersareover.
5.NewAestheticPossibilities:Offscreensound,soundeffects,sound
bridges,offscreensound,overlappingsound,silence,etc.
6.NewGenreswithSound:TheMusical,Comedyand
RomanticComedy,GangsterandHorrorFilm.

1.Conventions(e.g.Whitevs.BlackCowboyHat)
2.GenreCycles:

*Primitive:ExperimentswithConventions.
*Classical:ConventionsattheirHeights.
*Parody:Conventionsaremadefunof(e.g.Blazing
Saddles)
*PersonallyIaddaFourthbetweenClassicaland
ParodythatIcall:ReversalPhase:Classical
ConventionsarereversedandQuestioned:e.g.
IndiansarenownobleandWhitesaresavageand
psychotic(e.g.TheSearchers,JohnFord,1956)
3.ExploresCulturalContradictions(e.g.Freedom
vs.LawandOrder,Fantasyvs.Reality)

1.DesiretoMoveBeyondtheKnown:
TransgresstheBoundariesofDailyHuman
Experience.
2.AttemptstoDepictThatWhichEscapesPersonal,
Social,andInstitutionalKnowledge.
3.TheUnmakingofWorldsandIdentities.
4.ChallengestheNaturalLawsandStabilityofSociety
But:MaintainsandPromotesitattheEnd.
5.Contrastsnormalandabnormalpeople
BUT:SocietyandNormalPeoplearereallythe
BloodThirstyMonster(Continued)

6.SympathyfortheOutsider,theUnderdog,theTormented
Monster.
7.PsychoanalysisandtheConceptoftheMonster:
TheReturnoftheRepressed.
8.Contradictions:Rationalvs.Irrational,Normalvs.
Grotesque.

1.JamesWhale,BritishDirectorworksatUniversal.
2.Homosexual:SuffersfromDiscriminationbyNormal
Society=ReflectedinhisFilms,e.g.Frankenstein,(1931)Bride
ofFrankenstein(1935).
3.WhalesandotherUniversalHorrorFilmsbecameCampy
CultMoviesremadecountlesstimes,e.g.TheMummy,(Karl
Freund,1932)Dracula(TodBrowning,1931),TheUnholy
Three,(1930,JackConway,anMGMtalkieremakeofTod
Brownings1925silentversion),TheOldDarkHouse(1932)
etc.

1.UnitProducerSystem:
*ProducerwithgreatAutonomyandCreativeControl
*ProducerWorkswithSameCrewandDirector
*DevelopsaDistinctSignatureStyle.
2.RKO:UnitProducerValLewton:
*UpgradedHorrorGenretoalmostAmoviestandards:e.g.
CatPeople(JacquesTourneur,1942)
(MGM:UnitProducerArthurFreedsMusicals)

*UpgradestheHorrorGenretoalmostAMovieQuality
*Theunseenmonster(offscreen):NeverRevealsthe
MonstertotheAudience=veryeffective.
*HorrorhappensthroughShadowsonScreenandOffScreenSound.
*VisualStyle:Noirish.MonsterSeenOnlyInShadows.
*Introducesapsychosexualdimensiontothehorrorgenre
*ReworkstheFemaleFigure:TheFirstFemaleMonster

*ExplicitbutRepressedSexuality,PowerfulFemales.
*MaintainstheMonsterasSympatheticbutTragicFigure.