| The Hollywood musical is recognized as a | | | | name. |
| distinguished part of our movie history, playing an | | | | The late 1920s brought difficult financial times to |
| integral role in the evolution of movies during the | | | | the country. It was during this time that |
| 1920s through 1950s. Today, despite this fact, | | | | Hollywood came to the publics rescue with the |
| most people are unaware of how they originally | | | | wonderfully entertaining diversion of the |
| got their start. The development of moving | | | | Hollywood musical. Hollywood movie studios began |
| pictures with sound during the 1920s paved the | | | | to release numerous musicals which offered the |
| way for the era of Hollywood musicals. Prior to | | | | movie going public a chance to temporarily escape |
| the development of the musical, as we are | | | | from the financial issues at hand. Some of the |
| familiar with, there were some vaudeville fillers | | | | most popular and highly regarded musicals to |
| produced in the early 20th century that included | | | | come out during the 1930s included 42nd St, |
| music. While accepted by the audience, they were | | | | Bright Lights, and Gold Diggers. The 1939 musical, |
| never as popular as the full production Hollywood | | | | The Wizard of Oz is one of these classic musicals |
| musicals that America came to love. | | | | that still continues to entertain audiences today. |
| During the mid 1920s, Warner Brothers studio | | | | It was during the 1940s that the Hollywood |
| began experimenting with something new known | | | | musical really came of age and their popularity |
| as Vitaphone. The Vitaphone provided a method | | | | continued right through the 1950s. One of the |
| of coordinating a musical soundtrack with film, | | | | more popular 1940s musicals was Yankee Doodle |
| thereby effectively creating a sound picture. This | | | | Dandy, a film that introduced movie lovers to a |
| method, however, overlooked much of the huge | | | | young James Cagney who gave a performance |
| potential regarding the adding of sound to motion | | | | that earned him an Oscar. This movie continues |
| pictures. At this time in movie history, Warner | | | | to be one of the most famous musicals ever |
| Brothers felt it was not necessary to hear the | | | | produced. Another popular title that has become a |
| individuals talk, and merely wanted the sound to | | | | holiday tradition is The Bells of St. Mary's. |
| provide some musical background noise to film. It | | | | The original Hollywood musical is a page out of |
| wasn't until 1927 that Warner Brothers first | | | | movie history that can never be duplicated. The |
| introduced to the big screen singing along with | | | | memories, however, are forever captured on film |
| sound in their release of The Jazz Singer; a | | | | and continue to be enjoyed by audiences around |
| remake of the Broadway musical of the same | | | | the world. |