Issue 8 Issue 8 Retrospect Film, music, theatre and television in History Retrospect Editorial In this issue of Retrospect the focus is on the Arts—music, theatre, ilm and television. History has always a connection with these mediums—whether it is the portrayal of historical events in ilm or on the stage, the lives and experience of the actors and ac- Page 4 tresses, or the role of the media in inluencing politics and bring- ing about change. egardless of where your interests lie, there is certainly an arti- cle for you with topics from LiveAid and Pirates of the Caribbean to the Iraq War being covered. Enjoy( Page 6 Your Editors Contents 3 What Impact has Music had on Society? 4 The Windmill Theatre—The Show Must Go On 6 James Bond—The Spy Who Lied to Me? 8 Death in a Theatre: Lincoln’s last hours 10 The Most Signi-icant Films in History Page 8 1. Live Aid 14 Ira0 War 1overage: propaganda or misguided? 16 The Help Page 14 18 Theatre—The True Medium of 3ebellion .1 The Evolution of 6isual Fidelity .. 1harlie 1haplin and 1ommunism .4 7irates of the 1aribbean: On Stranger Tides Page 18 .6 The 3ed Scare and the Holly ood Blac8list Page 24 2 Issue 8 What Impact Has Music had on Society? By Tom Clapp, Year 9 usic has been part of human culture ever since the early cavemen learnt to hit two However, one could argue that these were merely ig- M stones together, scrape roc) across a stone ments of an ever changing realm, and because of the nat- wall or even use their voices to sing the very ural progression of society the music changed with it. irst (though probably primitive) melodies. ,ne of the eligion, certainly in the 0iddle Ages, was where the irst times music was discussed in society came because average farmer would most li)ely experience music. of Plato - an Athenian philosopher who neatly summed When the religious beliefs changed, so did the music, up the essence of music in a democratic society. /0usical most obviously seen when 5ritain switched from Cathol- innovation is full of danger to the 1tate, for when modes icism to the Church of England. the Latin words were of music change, the laws of the 1tate always change translated into English so that the congregation could with them.2 ,f course, the other side becomes apparent sing the words also, not just the clergy. This was certain- as well. did society change music and do composers and ly not caused by music, as Henry 6III spar)ed the disso- musicians merely attempt to )eep up with the modern lution of Catholicism in 5ritain, which then in turn themes3 Within the past caused the change. few decades electronic many cultures were starting to embrace instruments have become 1laves wor)ing on the widely available, allowing the antiquity of Rome, leading philoso- plantations of America for musicians to express phers to think about the created their own unique themselves in different corruption way of singing bible vers- ways but it also means that within which our world is ruled, and how es. using the gospel sing- they have to )eep up with ing style which today can each other in terms of they might be able to change it be widely recognised style. around the world, and its inluence has spread from roc) and roll to the more mod- The lin)s between music and the development of society ern pop culture which we see today. It has also brought becomes more apparent the further bac) you go, for ex- religion to the masses, by allowing for a more interesting ample, during the early 0iddle Ages music barely style of music to resonate inside of churches, rather than changed, and neither did society. feudalism was still the the pre-middle ages music which many churches still central political structure for hundreds of years. Then used in the 18 th century. This contribution to modern you reached the enaissance, a time of learning and mu- western society developed into the 9a:: age and the fa- sic began to develop structure, and the introduction of a mous ;call and response’ which has become the focus for 5 lat, and later on many other notes, allowed for com- many ja:: pieces (the introduction of improvisation, as plex harmonies to evolve. This could be seen around Eu- one instrument introduces a melody, and then develops rope as well - many cultures were starting to embrace it with no preparation). the antiquity of ome, and develop large marble statues during the renaissance, which led to philosophers thin)- 5ut is this actually a change in society, or a change in ing about the corruption within which our world is ruled, music3 The only way to answer this is to loo) at the pro- and how they might be able to change it. gression of Western society. during the oc) ;N’ oll era schools and homes started to throw parties - with new roc) and roll music and a disco feel, rather than the tra- ditional ballroom dancing of the past centuries. It also largely boosted the Civil ights movement, as it was ap- parent to many Americans that a large part of blac) mu- sical culture had originated from gospel music sung by slaves a hundred years before. To conclude, music certainly has played a huge role in modern western society, and it has inluenced our cul- ture massively; even how we treat each other. 0usic was also a large contributor to historical societies, with Eng- land being largely inluenced in its medieval infancy, by choirs and church singings affecting the uneducated (usually the peasants). It has also, with the Civil ights movement, attempted to sha)e off the prejudice in West- ern society, though even today racism is a huge issue all over the globe. 0aybe it’s time for a new shift in the ever changing world of music, and no one )nows what differ- ence it could ma)e to how we live our lives Part of Gerrit van Honthorst’s El Concierto (1623), showing some of the musical advances of the Renaissance 3 Retrospect The Show Must Go On By Nathan Livingstone, Year 9 he Windmill Theatre, 17 -19 Great Windmill shows, up to 18 acts long. Street, London, is a renowned theatre, famous T for being the irst theatre to offer non stop vari- 1oon, they developed what was to become the most fa- ety in England and for being the only theatre in mous variety show performed in the Windmill, The e- the West End that stayed open during the 1econd World vudeville. The evudeville included. comedians, s)etches War. ,wned by 0rs Laura Henderson, the Windmill was and short ballets. It was an immediate success with up to also notorious for being the birthplace of nudity in thea- six shows a day, six days a wee), from 2.30 in the after- tre. noon until 11.00 at night. Performers including Harry The Windmill Theatre, the only theatre in London to re- Bruce Forsyth at the Windmill, 1949 main open during the height of the Blitz Arom the reign of Charles II until the late eighteenth cen- 1ecombe, Peter 1ellers, 5enny Hill, 5ruce Aorsyth and tury, a Windmill was situated on what was to become the 0orecambe and Wise all appeared at the Windmill. How- site of the theatre. ,riginally in 1808, the Palais de Luxe ever, as other theatres started to put on variety shows, was built on this site. This was one of the irst purpose 0rs Henderson suggested that they add female nudity to built cinemas in the West End, becoming the irst 5ritish the evudeville. This was similar to the 0oulin ouge in Art House Cinema in 1820. Paris but nothing li)e it had ever been performed in the Inited Jingdom. With this decision, came the creation of In 1830, 0rs Henderson bought the Palais de Luxe and the Windmill Girls. The Windmill Girls appeared in nude formed the Windmill Theatre Co. Ltd. with 5ernard Isaac tableaux but remained completely still because of licens- and 9A Watts Phillips. The building was rebuilt with an ing restrictions, otherwise the theatre would have been exterior in the style of a windmill, including turrets and shut down. 1ome had to remain still for up to 12 balconies covered in white tiles. The interior was recon- minutes. As Lord Chamberlain stated, /If it moves, it’s structed to house an auditorium with two levels. stalls rude2. and a circle, designed by 0rs Henderson herself. The theatre opened on 1E th 9une 1831 with its irst produc- When the 1econd World War started in 1838, most thea- tion, ;The Inquest’, only running for 16 wee)s. After vari- tres in London were closed down for fears that they ous styles of theatre were trialled, 0rs Henderson and would be hit by the German bombs. 0any staff, actors, the Windmill 0anager, 0r 6ivian 6an Damm, announced stagehands and box ofice wor)ers were called up for that it was to be used as a variety house, re-opening in war wor) and stage costumes and ma)eup were ra- the spring of 1832. This comprised of non-stop variety tioned. however, these factors did not stop 0rs Hender- 4 Issue 8 The ‘Windmill girls’ performing, 1952. son from continuing to put on the evudeville. 0rs Hen- ture, this was also due to the fact that the auditorium derson believed that it was important to )eep the theatre was below street level.