| The 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s are often | | | | Berkeley choreographed a number of films |
| considered the golden age of the musical | | | | in his unique style. Berkeley's numbers |
| film, when the genre's popularity was at | | | | typically begin on a stage but gradually |
| its height. | | | | transcend the limitations of theatrical |
| The first musicals | | | | space: his ingenious routines, involving |
| In 1928, Warner Brothers released the | | | | human bodies forming patterns like a |
| first all-talking feature Lights of New | | | | kaleidoscope, could never fit onto a |
| York (1928) which included a musical | | | | real stage and the intended perspective |
| sequence in a night club. The enthusiasm | | | | is viewing from straight above. |
| of audiences was so great that in less | | | | Berkeley's use of the female body as an |
| than a year all the major studios were | | | | erotic spectacle is regarded by many |
| making sound pictures exclusively. The | | | | feminists today as exploitation. |
| first movie that could be said to be a | | | | Musical stars |
| musical was The Broadway Melody, it was | | | | Musical stars such as Fred Astaire and |
| a smash hit and won the Academy Award | | | | Ginger Rogers were among the most |
| for Best Picture for 1929. There was a | | | | popular and highly respected |
| rush by the studios to hire talent from | | | | personalities in Hollywood during the |
| the stage to star in lavishly filmed | | | | classical era; the Fred and Ginger |
| version of Broadway hits. Warner | | | | pairing was particularly successful, |
| Brothers produced the first screen | | | | resulting in a number of classic films, |
| operetta, The Desert Song in 1929. They | | | | such as Top Hat (1935), Swing Time |
| spared no expense and photographed a | | | | (1936) and Carefree (1938). |
| large percentage of the film in | | | | Many dramatic actors gladly participated |
| Technicolor. This was followed by the | | | | in musicals as a way to break away from |
| first all color all talking musical | | | | their typical typecasting. For instance, |
| feature which was entitled On with the | | | | the multi-talented James Cagney had |
| Show (1929). The most popular film of | | | | originally risen to fame as a stage |
| 1929 was in fact the second all-color | | | | singer and dancer, but his repeated |
| all-talking feature which was entitled | | | | casting in "tough guy" roles and |
| Gold Diggers of Broadway (1929). This | | | | gangster movies gave him few chances to |
| film broke all box office records and | | | | display these talents. Cagney's |
| remained the highest grossing film ever | | | | Oscar-winning role in Yankee Doodle |
| produced until 1939. Suddenly the market | | | | Dandy (1942) allowed him to sing and |
| became saturated with musicals, revues | | | | dance, and he considered it to be one of |
| and operettas. The following all-color | | | | his finest moments. |
| musicals were produced in 1929 and 1930 | | | | Many comedies (and a few dramas) |
| alone: The Show of Shows (1929), Sally | | | | included their own musical numbers. The |
| (1929),The Vagabond King (1930), Follow | | | | Marx Brothers' movies included a musical |
| Thru (1930), Bright Lights (1930), | | | | number in nearly every film, allowing |
| Golden Dawn (1930), Hold Everything | | | | the Brothers to highlight their musical |
| (1930), The Rogue Song (1930), Song of | | | | talents. |
| the Flame (1930), Song of the West | | | | The Freed Unit |
| (1930), Sweet Kitty Bellairs (1930), | | | | During the late 1940s and into the |
| Under A Texas Moon (1930), The Bride of | | | | 1950s, a production unit at |
| the Regiment (1930), Whoopee! (1930), | | | | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer headed by Arthur |
| The King of Jazz (1930), Viennese Nights | | | | Freed made the transition from |
| (1930), Kiss Me Again (1930). In | | | | old-fashioned musical films, whose |
| addition, there were scores of musical | | | | formula had become repetitive, to |
| features released with color sequences. | | | | something new. In 1939, Freed was hired |
| By late 1930, audiences had been | | | | as associate producer of The Wizard of |
| oversaturated with musicals and studios | | | | Oz, and rescued the film's signature |
| were forced to cut the music from films | | | | song, Over the Rainbow, from the |
| that were then being released. For | | | | editor's scissors. Recruiting his own |
| example, Life of the Party (1930) was | | | | workers, mostly from Broadway and the |
| originally produced as an all-color | | | | New York stage, Freed was responsible |
| all-talking musical comedy. Before it | | | | for bringing such talents as director |
| was released, however, the songs were | | | | Vincente Minnelli to the world of film. |
| cut out. The same thing happened to | | | | Starting in 1944 with Meet Me in St. |
| Fifty Million Frenchmen (1931) and | | | | Louis, the Freed Unit worked |
| Manhattan Parade (1932) both of which | | | | independently of its own studio to |
| had been filmed entirely in Technicolor. | | | | produce some of the most popular and |
| The public had quickly come to associate | | | | well-known examples of the genre. The |
| color with musicals and thus the decline | | | | products of this unit include Easter |
| in their popularity also resulted in a | | | | Parade (1948), On the Town (1949), An |
| decline in the use of color. | | | | American in Paris (1951), Singin' in the |
| Busby Berkeley | | | | Rain (1952) and The Band Wagon (1953). |
| The taste in musicals was finally | | | | This era allowed the greatest talents in |
| revived once again in 1933. Director | | | | movie musical history to flourish, |
| Busby Berkeley began to enhance the | | | | including Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Ann |
| traditional dance number with ideas | | | | Miller, Donald O'Connor, Cyd Charisse, |
| drawn from the drill precision he had | | | | Mickey Rooney, Jane Powell, Howard Keel, |
| experienced as a soldier during the | | | | and Kathryn Grayson. Fred Astaire was |
| First World War. In films such as Gold | | | | also coaxed out of retirement for Easter |
| Diggers of 1933, 42nd Street (1933), | | | | Parade and made a permanent comeback. |