Custom «Westerns and Musicals» Essay Paper Sample

The United States of America film industry has a profound effect on the film industries all over the globe with it grossing enormous profits each year. It should be noted that the film industry has a history separated into four main periods namely the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood era, and lastly, the contemporary period (Jacobs 22). The American film industry which saw the inception of sound film's development was mainly based around California, Los Angeles, and Hollywood. The industry floods with producers such as Walt Disney, and Warner Brothers, iconic figures such as Marilyn Monroe, and Denzel Washington, and film studios which oversee the production of most commercially successful movies such as Titanic, Avatar, and Invictus. The film studios have generated thousands of movies making America emerge as one of the top in the industry.

The Golden Age of Hollywood, which started at the end of the silent era of American film industry, not only marked significant changes in the popularity of American films musicals but also saw the introduction of style and characteristics touches. The former included the use of sound tracks in future films whereas the later contracted more stars to future in the films (Scott 34). These stars had artistic styles and values which they incorporated into the industry. This translated into increased box-office profits. The films and works of this era have been applauded as highly regimented film-making.

Film studios focus on releasing profitable, independent and blockbuster films. In an effort to realize immense success, they rely upon extremely expensive releases every year. Such movies make use of spectacle star power and high-production value which increase its budget. It also entails massive advertising and star power to attract a large audience, but in most instances, such registered failures.

Musical films genre saw the popularity of the industry in the western world. The golden era marked the introduction of popular musicals into movies. For example, My Fair Lady and Sound of Music with stars such as Marilyn Monroe offered entertainment during that era. Musical films during this time became more political commenting on many issues. In the films, sex became more explicit and sometimes non traditional. Musicals shaped the film industry culture by incorporating and popularizing violence, language, and sex which were initially regarded as taboos.

The 1960s witnessed the success of many films owing to incorporation of musicals. This is because many audiences associated with the culture of popular musical tastes. Elvis Presley, for instance, made a few movies which until now are regarded as strong in terms of form. The staging of Mary Poppins in the 1960s which was one of Disney's biggest hits proves the success of musical films. This trend has continued to later dates with movies such as Titanic and Avatar have made extensive use of musicals which contributes to its success. However, in the 1970s, the filmmakers in the industry dropped the genre and turned to use of music by pop bands or popular rock as background music, which did not register much success.

Musical film began to gain its popularity once more in the sunrise of the year 2000. Works such as Across the Universe, Mouline Rouge, Rent Dreamgirls, and Sweeney Todd among other new works utilized the trend of using popular music. Other works based on non-musical such as Hairspray, Reefer Madness, The Producers, and Mamma Mia also incorporated the use of musicals.

In the recent past, The New York Theatre Festivals held a presentation of a festival which showcased musicals made since 1996. The festival also presented programs of movie musicals done within this time. In conclusion, musical films of the golden age shaped and continue to shape the culture in the film industry. This is evident in the form and content that the recent movies carry.