Essay on the Evolution and Impact of Musicals in Film

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution and impact of musicals in the film industry, tracing their development from the early sound era to contemporary times. It examines the integration of music, dance, and dialogue, highlighting key milestones such as the emergence of sound film technology and the contributions of figures like Busby Berkeley and Gene Autry. The essay explores the influence of technological advancements, audience expectations, and the globalization of Hollywood on the genre. It discusses the golden age of film music, the rise of digital technologies, and the enduring appeal of musicals in various forms, including epic dramas, comedy-dramas, and biopics. Furthermore, the essay touches upon the evolution of the music industry, the role of songwriters, and the impact of musicals on global film industries such as Bollywood, and the evolution of film music from vinyl discs to digital formats. The essay concludes by emphasizing the continued relevance of musicals, their ability to adapt to changing tastes, and their ongoing influence on the film industry.

Running Head: Musicals
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Musicals
Essay
Student name

Musicals 1
Self-Analysis Reflective Essay
Introduction
Musical theatre is a group of different things, such as acting, combines songs, dance, and
spoken dialogue. Musical is an integrated form in which different feelings are communicated
through the movement, words, music, and technical aspects of entertainment for the audience.
Musicals are a part of musical theatre and it was known as musicals from the early 20th
century. In addition, musical film is a film genre that has a special performance of a
character, which showed his or her feelings with help of song or dance. Production members
have designed songs in advance based on the film’s characters. The musical film was an
innovation in the field of film and music industry. It happened because of the emergence of
sound film technology. It was a combination of different things to make a new concept and it
was a new concept that fulfils the expectation of diegetic audience. In 1926, Lee de Forest
made musical short films. In that film, many dancers, featuring bands, actors, vocalists are
provided thousands of vitaphone shorts. Warner Brothers was included an audio track in ‘The
Jazz Singer’.
In the year 1933, Busby Berkeley made a big move in this industry. It was unique style.
Berkeley choreographed a number of films in that time, such as Gold Diggers of 1933. In
addition, many musical starts were famous in that era, such as Ginger Rogers, and Fred
Astaire. They are famous and highly respected personalities in that classical era. In 1920’s,
Music is a base of movie industry. It is a heart of musical industry. The Nineteen Twenties
become a time of wonderful exchange in Hollywood. This application tells the tale of the
arrival of sound era for films and the emergence of talkies and musicals in Hollywood. At the
same time as audiences cried out for more, the movie enterprise struggled to adapt to the
extraordinary new generation. The result was an explosion of film musicals by way of the
stop of the decade (Marsh, Perriam, Peiró, & Zunzunegui, 2013).
In year1933, he conceived the dances to the essential behind the curtain movie musical, 42nd
road, and his visible ability at manipulating each refrain girls and the camera subsequently
made a string of behind the curtain yarns for Warner Bros. After being added all through
global warfare, radios became a commonplace function in American houses of the 1920s.
Loads of radio stations popped up over the course of the decade. Musical has provided many

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changes in the film industry. Listeners were highly interested in the Jazz music at that time.
Film was based on music and dance; it is a combination of different things, which makes it
better from different point of view (McDonnell, 2014).
Many people though that King Kong (1933) was the first film, which include background
music into sound film. More than 200 films have background music in that time. It was a
development phase of musicals in film industry. Between 1935-1950 years, Hollywood had
development and recasting the history of film sound from different musicals. It was golden
age of film music (Slowik, 2014).
Film industry had changes in their patters in respect on technological development and it has
considered audience expectations in their work. Warner Home Video has many new musical
things in their products and services, such as nine early musicals released in the 1930
(Hischak, 2016). In addition, Digital technology had a big hand in the changes of film and
music industry. There are many things, which make drastic changes in the scenario of film
industry. Film industry had included this concept because of audience expectations are more
high (Buhler, Neumeyer, & Deemer, 2010). However, Film industry has started adding music
and singers are singing new songs for movies. It was a best way to show romantic scene in a
different ways. It created a new value of films as well as musicals (Altman, 1987).
In 1920’s, many stars has born and they were famous because of their acting as well as songs
in the movies. Musical had played a great role in the film industry to build career and future
of many artists. Musical films were first choice of audience because of new concept of
technological changes (Feuer, 1993). According to (MacDonald, 2013), in 1930’s, classical
Hollywood musical were famous and they provided many historical changes in the film
industry. Gene Autry was a best example of this development. He was famous in the industry
because of his singing and many other things. People know him as a singing cowboy. He was
famous in film industry as well as radio and television for more than three decades.
Hollywood has a sweet history in which it has many changes based on the technology and
audience expectations. It has affected the economics, industry and institutes from different
aspects, such as previous institutes and concepts has not used in new technology. Film
industry is a big part of the globalization of Hollywood in the 1990’s (Neale, & Smith,
2013). Music industry is always having changes in their processes and it provides new things
to industry. In addition, they will change in current industry from new ways of music and son
writing.

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Self-Analysis
Musicals are changes time-to-time based on the demands on industry. Music industry
provides many different things to a human life. Music industry faces many changes. From
year 1920, it has many changes based on the innovations and mood of the listeners. It is a
way to provide good quality to their customers. Classical films were provided pleasures of
ambiguity. In film industry, the pop video was in the age of film industry. Music industry has
many changes, such as vinyl disc to CD and DVD. It was a drastic change in the industry,
which makes a huge effect in the industry (Stilwell, 2017).
In present era, digital technologies are highly used for music creations. Film industries are
based on the music more than 30 percent. There were many changes in the music industry as
well as cinema. Digital technologies have a big role in the music and film industry. From
different studies, it has founded that film industry was having many changes based on the
technology and innovations. Musicals are playing a key role in the film industry. Musicals are
not affected only the Hollywood, it affects all the film industries around the world, such a
Bollywood. Few things really make some sense to develop interest of audience. It is also
necessary to develop interest of audience from economic point of view. In last decade, there
are few new musicals, which are famous in the industry are ‘in the Heights’, ‘Vivo’, ‘Over
the Moon’, and many others. Hollywood soon trusted on own songwriters, a lot of whom
wrote a number of this us of a’s maximum immortal songs. There are many examples, such
as Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer had little early Broadway notoriety. However, it became
on the West Coast that their skills in reality blossomed; songs like “Blues inside the night”,
“One for My toddler,” and “That antique Black Magic” got here from a few fully forgettable
movies. A whole inverse of the state of affairs a long time earlier inclusive of GIGI, 42nd
street, SINGIN’ inside the RAIN, and FOOTLOOSE, as well as the Disney lively movies like
the LION KING. All those changes were good for the industry. Therefore, it has
implemented in the mind of audiences. These stations advanced and broadcasted news, serial
memories, and political speeches. In addition, Similar to in print media, advertising space
changed into interspersed with leisure.
However, unlike with magazines and newspapers, advertisers ought not to rely on the lively
participation of purchasers. Advertisers should reach out to everyone within listening
distance of the radio. Then again, a broader target audience supposed advertisers had to be
extra conservative and cautious not to offend anybody. All the things are based on many

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conditions. Innovations are root of new things and musicals were introduced this thing in the
film industry. In present era, musicals are provided limited things, which are based on the
high quality and standard. It makes a huge difference between previous and new musicals.
Singers, songwriters and many others are popular because of musicals in the film industry.
No one can forget that golden era. Musicals are having their importance in the film industry.
In the 21st century, Moulin Rouge!, La La land, Dreamgirls, and many more are best example
of epic drama musical, darker musical, comedy-drama musicals, and musical biopics. Disney
also returned to musicals with The Muppets, Frozen, Tangled, and many others. It was a
computer-animated musical film time. Audience are always expected new things in this
industry. Therefore, it is necessary to introduces new concepts and technical changes in
different processes.

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Conclusion
Altman, R. (1987). The American film musical. Indiana University Press.
Buhler, J., Neumeyer, D., & Deemer, R. (2010). Hearing the movies: music and sound in film
history (p. 216). New York: Oxford University Press.
Feuer, J. (1993). The Hollywood Musical. Indiana University Press.
Hischak, T. S. (2016). Musicals in Film: A Guide to the Genre. ABC-CLIO.
MacDonald, L. E. (2013). The Invisible Art of Film Music: A Comprehensive History.
Scarecrow Press.
Marsh, S., Perriam, C., Peiró, E. W., & Zunzunegui, S. (2013). Comedy and Musicals. A
Companion to Spanish Cinema. Eds. Jo Labanyi & Tatjana Pavlović, Malden,
Massachusetts: Wiley-Blackwell, 193-223.
McDonnell, C. (2014). Genre theory and the film musical. In The Oxford Handbook of Film
Music Studies (p. 245). Oxford University Press.
Neale, S., & Smith, M. (Eds.). (2013). Contemporary Hollywood Cinema. Routledge.
Slowik, M. (2014). After the Silents: Hollywood Film Music in the Early Sound Era, 1926-
1934. Columbia University Press.
Stilwell, R. (2017). Changing tunes: the use of pre-existing music in film. Routledge.