Phd Thesis Noel Brown

1 Hollywood, the family audience and the family film, 1930-2010 Noel Brown Thesis submitted towards the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics, Newcastle University. June 2010 2 Abstract This thesis is the first in-depth, historical study of Hollywood’s relationship with the ‘family audience’ and ‘family film’. Since the 1970s, Hollywood family films have been the most lucrative screen entertainments in the world, and despite their relatively- unexplored status in academic film criticism and history, I will argue that the format is centrally important in understanding mainstream Hollywood cinema. How have ‘family films’ become so globally dominant? One answer is that Hollywood’s international power facilitates the global proliferation of its products, but this explanation, in isolation, is insufficient. I will argue that Hollywood family films are designed to transcend normative barriers of age, gender, race, culture and even taste; they target the widest possible audiences to maximise commercial returns, trying to please as many people, and offend as few, as possible. This they achieve through a combination of ideological populism, emotional stimulation, impressive spectacle, and the calculated minimisation of potentially objectionable elements, such as sex, violence, and excessive socio-cultural specificity. Initially, the audience for family films was predominantly domestic, but with the increasing spending power of international audiences, family films are now formulated on the belief that no market is inaccessible. For this reason, they are inextricably linked with Hollywood – the only film industry in the world with the resources and distribution capacity to address a truly global mass audience. The ‘family film’ originated in early-1930s Hollywood as a mixture of propaganda and commercial idealism. Hollywood cinema was already an international cultural phenomenon, but was founded upon a claim to universality that was undermined by the predominance of adult-orientated films. The family film was the result both of external pressures to make films more morally-suitable for children, and the desire to engage a more middle-class mass audience. Films targeting the so-called ‘family audience’ were excellent propaganda for Hollywood, suggesting superior production, inoffensiveness and broad appeal. Although such movies have not always commanded the mass (‘family’) audiences for which they are intended, they have flourished in the domestic and international media marketplace since the 1970s, and their commercial and cultural dominance appears likely to extend further in the years to come. Whilst the idea of a universally-appealing film remains an impossible dream, mainstream Hollywood has pursued it relentlessly. It is the Holy Grail for mainstream producers, and has attained considerable importance in U.S. – and increasingly international – culture, as audiences flock to see films which appear to transcend run-of- the-mill screen entertainment by providing universally-intelligible aesthetic and/or emotional satisfaction. This thesis maps the history of the Hollywood family film, documenting the motivations and strategies involved in its emergence and development, analysing the form creatively and ideologically, evaluating its place within global mass entertainment, and underlining its considerable importance. 3 Contents Acknowledgements 4 List of Illustrations 5 Introduction: Entertainment for the Masses 6 1) The Emergence of the Hollywood Family Film, 1930-1939 48 2) The Middlebrow Family Film, 1940-1953 112 3) The Family Film in Decline, 1953-1968 151 4) The Modern Family Film and the New Hollywood, 1977-1995 195 5) The Family Audience and the Global Media Environment, 2000-2010 259 Conclusion 300 Appendix 315 Filmography 316 Bibliography 332 4 Acknowledgements This thesis grew out of an M.A. dissertation I submitted to Newcastle University in September 2007 relating to the ‘adult children’s film’, which in turn was inspired by a chance television viewing of the 1990s family comedy Mrs Doubtfire . I still remember being struck by the way it balanced appeal for adults and children, and the way this led me to formulate an idea for a larger project. I should start by saluting this film for setting the wheels in motion, while pondering the strange, seemingly-inconsequential coincidences in life that lead one down a particular path. I would like to thank the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics at Newcastle University for providing partial funding for one year’s study, and the staff of the university library for their assistance. However, I am particularly indebted to my three supervisors. Kim Reynolds generously agreed to become second supervisor on the basis of her expertise in children’s literature and culture, and was always constructive and professional in her advice. Kim is not only extremely knowledgeable, but also has a remarkable work ethic and supervises many students, yet always found time to help me in any way she could. Melanie Bell stepped in as supervisor for the final year, and was not only supportive but unfailingly astute in her recommendations. Most of all, I must give my heartfelt thanks to Bruce Babington, who supervised the first two years of the PhD and has remained in regular contact since his retirement. It was Bruce who inspired my interest in studying film through his courses on New Zealand cinema and Hollywood romantic comedy during my undergraduate degree at Newcastle. Many times during the early part of this PhD I would turn up at his office, completely unannounced, to interrupt his work. Sometimes these uninvited visitations would last all afternoon, taking in topics ranging from my research to the state of world cricket, so I must also apologise for being such a nuisance. Bruce also lent many obscure family films from the studio era from his own collection, and always believed not only in this project, but also in me. Several people read this thesis, in part or in whole, prior to submission and I am indebted to them for their recommendations. My good friends Peter Clark and Philippe Cygan took the time to read the entire draft manuscript in the weeks prior to submission, and both had very useful suggestions for improvement. Many thanks to Hazel Sheeky and Helen Stark for reading the thesis and giving me a mock viva (which was invaluable), and to my examiners, James Annesley and Jeffrey Richards, for their generous comments and suggestions. My deepest gratitude must go to my family, particularly Mauricio, and my parents, Alan and Kate. They have all supported me in many ways through this period in my life. I hope they think the investment worthwhile, for without their involvement this thesis would never have been written. This work is dedicated to them, with love, and to the memory of my grandparents, particularly Nancy Brown. 5 List of Illustrations 1) Little Women (1933) 2) Shirley Temple, Jane Withers and Deanna Durbin 3) The Hardy Family 4) Our Town (1940) 5) Meet me in St Louis (1944) 6) Life with Father (1947) 7) On Moonlight Bay (1951) 8) The Sound of Music (1965) 9) E.T. (1982) 10) Mrs Doubtfire (1993) 11) Film audiences in China, watching Avatar (2009) 12) RV (2007) 6 Introduction: Entertainment for the Masses The Hollywood ‘family film’ is the most commercially-successful and widely-consumed cinematic entertainment in the world. 1 It is best defined as a movie designed to appeal not only to a literal ‘family’ made up of adults and children, but to as wide an audience as possible. Disney executive Andy Bird argues that: ‘The Family Film’ is a film that can be enjoyed by the whole family together, as well as a film that can be enjoyed by a broad audience demographic. The true test […] is if a child and his/her grandparent could go together and equally enjoy a film. 2 Hollywood’s immense global success with ‘family’-orientated productions stems from this broadness of appeal: the ability to please as many, and offend as few, consumers as possible. Mainstream commercial cinema, I will argue, has always sought types of films capable of attracting mass audiences, thereby maximising returns, and while not all movies that succeed in attracting mass audiences are family-orientated, productions capable of playing successfully to all ages and social groups stand a much greater chance of success. Because it promises vast audiences and huge economic rewards, a successful family film is the Holy Grail for commercially-minded producers. Having emerged during the early-1930s as an attempt to secure mass audiences and cultural respectability in the U.S., Hollywood family films have since broadened in scope and magnified in commercial potential as a result of changes and advances in technology, aesthetics, popular culture, demographics, media conglomeration and international markets. However, despite wide awareness of family films, the format remains ill-defined and 1 Of the top ten highest-grossing films of all time worldwide as of summer 2010 (unadjusted for inflation), only Titanic (#2) and The Dark Knight (#6) are not family films. All of the remainder (#1 Avatar , #3 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King , #4 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest , #5 Alice in Wonderland , #7 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone , #8 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End , #9 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix , and #10 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ) are designed for ‘all-age’ appeal. Box Office Mojo , ‘All Time Worldwide Box Office Grosses’. <http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/> [accessed 24/6/2010]. 2 See appendix. 7 under-served by academic history and criticism. This thesis attempts to redress the balance by examining why family movies are so enduring, and analysing the ways in which they have developed industrially, culturally and artistically into their current position of dominance. By definition, family films must appeal to majority, rather than minority tastes.

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