CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE THE MUSICAL FILM GENRE \' i' 1955-1979 A thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Mass Communication by Cathy Rabin June, 1980 The thesis of Cathy Rabin is approved: Dr. JolmlAllyn Dr. Susan Hem:y rt. ftolm Schultheiss, Carmittee Chairperson - California State University Northridge ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Gratitude is extended to Dr. Susan Henry for her con­ cern and the dedication of her time and knowledge through­ out this study. The author wishes to express thanks to Dr. John Schultheiss and Dr. John Allyn for their assistance and for serving on this thesis committee. The author also wishes to acknowledge Dr. Timothy E. Scheurer for his previous work in the field and his assis­ tance on this thesis. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii LIST OF CHARTS . vi-i ABSTRACT viii Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION 1 SIGNIFICANCE . • • . • . • • . 3 KEY POINTS • • . • • • • • • • . • • • 4 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY • • • • · 5 DE F I N I T I 0 NS. • • • • • • • • · • • • 6 STUDY LIMITATIONS • • • • • . 8 ORGANIZATION • • • • • • · 9 CONCLUSIONS • • . • • . • • • • • • 10 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 13 INTRODUCTION' • • . • • • · 13 INDICES .••• ·. • . • . • • • • • 13 FILM MUSICALS: BOOKS . • • • . • • 17 FILM MUSICALS: ARTICLES........ 20 FILM DEVELOPMENTS • . • . • • • 22 ROCK MUSIC AND FILM • • • • . • • • 26 STATE OF THE ART OF MUSICALS . • • • • 30 ADDITIONAL SOURCES .••••.... • 32 SUMMARY ••••. ~.......... 32 METHODOLOGY SOURCES • . • • . • • 34 METHODOLOGY FOR CHRONOLOGY • . • • 37 ADVANCING THE FIELD • • • • 38 3 METHODOLOGY . 47 INTRODUCTION •••••••• ~ • • • • 47 JUSTIFICATION. • • • • • • • • • • • • 48 PROCEDURE . • • • • . • • • 49 SPECIFIC PROCEDURE UTILIZED • • . • • • 51 ORGANIZATION • • . • • . 53 ALLEVIATION OF BIAS . • . • • • . • . 54 p • Chapter Page STUDY LIMITATIONS 55 CONCLUSION •••• 56 4 THE MIDDLEMAN FACTOR 59 INTRODUCTION •• ~ 59 THE MUSIC INDUSTRY 60 THE FILM INDUSTRY ••• 65 THE FILM MUSICAL ••• 70 CONCLUSION •••• 74 5 THE MUSICAL FILM 1955-1979 79 INTRODUCTION 79 CHRONOLOGY 81 1956 83 1957 86 1958 89 1 9 59 • • • 91 1 960 • • • • • • • 94 1 9 61 95 1 962 • • • • • • 97 1 9 6 3 • • • • • • • • • • • • • 99 1 9 64 • • • • 100 1 9 6 5 • • • • • • • • • • • • • 103 1 9 6 6 • • • 106 1 9 6 7 • • • • • 108 1 9 68 • • • • • • 110 1 969 • • • • • 112 1 97 0 • • • 114 1 9 7 1 • • • 116 1972 e e e • • • • • • • • • • 118 1 9 7 3 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 119 1 9 7 4 • • • • • • • • • • • • • 121 1 9 7 5 • • • • • • • • • 123 1 9 7 6 • • • • • • • 124 1 9 7 7 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •. 126 1 g·7 8 • • • • • • • • • 127 1 9 7 9 • • • • • • • • • • • 129 SUMMARY • • . .•.•• 130 Total Films 130 Rock Versus Non-Rock Musical Films . I • • • • • • • • • • • 132 Adaptations . • . 132 Musical Biography . 135 Documentary . 135 v Chapter Page 6 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS . 140 SUMMARY AND INTERPRETATION 140 CONCLUSIONS • • . ••• 146 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH 148 BIBLIOGRAPHY 150 APPEND I X . 157 vi LIST OF CHARTS Chart Page 4.1 Number of Authorized Radio and Television Stations 1922-1974 . 63 5.1 Musical Films Produced, 1955-1979 131 5.2 Rock Versus Non-Rock Musicals 133 5.3 Adaptations 134 5.4 Biographies 136 5.5 Documentaries (Rock and Non-Rock Music} . 138 vii ABSTRACT THE MUSICAL FILM GENRE 1955-1979 by \ Cathy Rabin Master of Arts in Mass Communication An historical study of the musical film genre, the thesis covers the growth and development of the art form from 1955-1979. Included in the study is a comprehensive review of literature that both names and evaluates sources published on the subject matter. The thesis describes the social and economic factors that governed the evolu­ tion of the film form and provides a separate chronology of film titles, dates, and associated information. The summarized data presents the trends that emerged during the 25-year period. Charts are utilized to illustrate the trends. The study acknowledges the influence of non­ filmic factors upon the art form. A filmography is included in an appendix. viii Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION The primary purpose of this thesis is to offer a com- prehensive listing of musical films from 1955 through 1979 as well as to provide information on the growth and development of the genre during that period. To date there is no published source on the genre that is inclu- sive of all film musicals produced during that period. (This point is evidenced in Chapter 2, "Review of the Literature.") The primary factors that have contributed to the lack of such a source are the end of the Golden 1 Age of Musicals in 1955, the introduction of rock music to film in 1955, 2 and the absence of an objective method- ology and standard criteria for films selected for inclu- 3 sion into the genre. The years 1927-1955 constituted the Golden Age of Musicals in America. During this 28-year period the film musical was born and, according to most historians of the 4 genre, reached its peak. Because of the importance attributed to this period, film musicals produced prior to . 5 1956 are adequately chronicled. The introduction of rock music to film in 1955 in Blackboard Jungle spawned a new genre of film most 1 2 commonly known as the "teen" or "cult" film.6 The follow- ing year musical films began to utilize rock music scores 7 in addition to scores by traditional film composers. However, nearly all of the film musicals that utilized rock music were excluded from the genre (by both critics 8 and historians) for nearly 20 years. By the mid-Seventies rock musical films were more prevalent than musical films utilizing traditional composers and by this time they were 9 accepted as legitimate contributions to the genre. Nevertheless, the rock musicals produced in the 20 preced- ing years were still termed teen or cult films and have 10 yet to be included into the genre. The absence of an objective method of selection or standard criteria for musical films is one reason for the lack of a comprehensive source on the subject. Examples of criteria for selection for inclusion in sources on film 11 12 musicals include merit, designation as a classic, and 13 widely held judgment. This thesis establishes more objective criteria for inclusion. In fulfilling its objective to provide a comprehen- sive listing of the musical film from 1955 through 1979 this thesis will (1) provide a complete record of the genre past its Golden Age, (2) include the previously ostracized rock musical film (and by its inclusion legitimize it), and (3) provide a methodology and standard criteria for locating all films within the genre of the 3 musical film. SIGNIFICANCE The film musical is now experiencing a resurgence, although barely five years ago it was eulogized as a dying 14 art form. Its resurrected popularity is attributed to the genre's increased accessibility through the utiliza­ 15 tion of rock music. And, while the use of rock music in film is not a new concept, few "rock music musicals" have been classified as true representations of the film musi­ cal form. Therefore the current style of the majority of film musicals recently produced or in production, appear to be a new phenomenon rather than a style grounded in the history of the genre. The significance of this work is twofold. First, in its objective and comprehensive form it will offer a standard criteria and methodology for the study of the genre. Second, by providing a comprehensive analysis of the film musical genre, it will clarify the role of the previously ignored rock music musical in the development of the genre. Because of the number of films that were excluded from the genre as a result of their utilization of rock music, this thesis will generate implications into the fields or variables that were responsible for the exclu­ sion of that specific style into the genre over the past 25 years. It will also shed light on those variables that later led _to the acceptance of the rock music musical as a true representative of the musical genre. This means that, in addition to the significance pro- \ vided to the art form itself, relevant implications will be drawn in the fields of film and record industry finance and promotion as well as the two industries' increasing interdependence. Peripheral implications into socio- cultural values as they are reflected in the selection of popular art forms will also be discussed. k~d, ultimately, new light will be shed upon film history and popular cul- ture in general. KEY POINTS Given the information provided through the review of the literature, this study considers the following to be causal factors in the development of the musical genre: 1. The end of the Golden Age of Musicals in 1955. 2. Socio-cultural biases against the rock music musical throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s. 3. The absence of objective criteria and method­ ology in the chronicling of the musical film genre. 4. The broadening demographics of the rock music listening audience to coincide with the film viewing audience in the early 1970s. 5. The extended role of the record companies into film production in the early 1970s. 5 6. The extended role of the film studios into music publishing in the early 1970s. 7. The technique of cross-promotion utilized by both the film and music industries on mutual products in the mid-1970s. These key aspects result in the following hypothesis that stands as the focus of this thesis: Given an objective method of selection and stan­ dardized criteria, a comprehensive chronicle of the musical film genre can be written to include the rock musical as a legitimate element of the genre. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY The study of film history tends to be a subjective endeavor as evidenced by the major filmographies citing significance--a relative concept--as their primary cri- teria for selection for inclusion of films in historical 16 works.