Classical Hollywood Decline

The film industry operates in a continuous cycle, searching for the newest and best pieces to make their movies creative, interesting, and marketable. Historically, the film industry attempts to follow a set structure in an attempt towards success in such a volatile market, however, this approach creates a system much like that of Ford’s Model-T production line, invented in the 1910s, which involved each worker on the line doing a single job. Only a few years later, during the 1920s and 1940s, the film industry showed that they adopted a similar approach to their industry, with each person—actor, director, producer, writer, etc.—performing a distinct role. In the late 1920s, as Hollywood transitioned from silent films to “talkies”, actors and actresses were met with the challenge of adapting to a new role and many of them no longer fit the role required by the growing Hollywood machine. The film Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder, 1950) explores and critiques the landscape of the hierarchy and harsh realities of Hollywood. In the same vein as many films of the film noir style, the mood of pessimism and fatalism reflected in the form parallels the reality of many people in Hollywood during the 1900s.

Thomas Schatz cites the 1950’s as the inevitable end of the Hollywood film studio system, with the signs appearing as early as the height of the second World War (472). However, the seeds of discontent and disintegration within the system were apparent as soon as the late 1930’s, exemplified in such films as Destry Rides Again (1939, George Marshall) and Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939, Frank Capra). The production of these two films and the paths down which they led their star (James Stewart), directors (at least Frank Capra), and studios (Universal and Columbia, respectively) are evidence of the decline of the studio system. The

After World War II, within the year of 1947 began America’s Communism paranoia: McCarthyism. It started when President Truman was criticized about congress “not being tough enough in containing communism”, therefore wanting more information about the executive-branch employees. Congress then commenced a deep inspection of Hollywood. Congress accused actors/actresses, filmmakers, directors, and so on, thus holding Hollywood communist hearings which were held by the House Un-American Activities Committee. The group of screenwriters and directors known as the “Hollywood Ten” originated from the audit in which they publicly protested for the right of freedom of speech, right of assembly, and freedom of association. The result was the Hollywood’s

Congress also created the House on Un-American Activities Committee in 1947, the goal of HUAC was to investigate Hollywood for communism and communist propaganda being broadcasted to the American public. They hauled movie stars, screenwriters, directors, up and interviewed them to the thrill of the national press corps, they pressed them to implicate others in Hollywood and name names. Ten of those interviewed refused based on the unconstitutional nature of and violation of the First Amendment for this many of them were blacklisted from Hollywood. Joseph McCarthy despite his renown for anticommunism, he was not part of the HUAC. Later he held his own committees based on his secrete list of 205 plus names that were communists or communist sympathizers in the US government. Communism was not and has never been a major threat in the United States. It was not in the 1950’s it is not now. Anyone that brings up red scare is doing so trying to invoke fear to distract you from whatever domestic problems actually need confronting. The biggest reason that can be said was that the American Communist Party was extremely tiny and the fact that we have a two party system effectively neuters any third party from gaining real power either through legal or illegal

By the 1960s the studio system was all but over. Many cinemas were closed down and several of the production back lots sold. Society had changed dramatically particularly with the rise of youth and the youth market, and the old Hollywood product seemed stale to the rising youth audience. Times were changing and the industry had to change with it. The studio system had declined rapidly in the 1950s and by the late 1960s was all but over. The audience had segmented into different social groups with increased leisure options rather than the mass habit audience of the golden age. Many of the films the studios produced to compete with television seemed to many people old fashioned and part of a different world which led to a significant drop in

From the late 1930s to late 1950s the HUAC took initial steps to find communists and spies in the United States. The House Un- Americans Activities Committee was a big part of the panic of the scare. The HUAC started investigating Hollywood for communism spies in 1947, the committee held nine hearings, after convictions the “Hollywood ten” were blacklisted. The HUAC Hollywood investigations were 1 of 50 investigations. After the HUAC’s Hollywood probe they focused on nuclear espionage, they were very successful in finding spies like Elizabeth Bentley.

The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), began investigating Communist influences in the entertainment industry. The HUAC believed that Communists were secretly sending messages in films through propaganda (“Blacklisting”). Due to these beliefs, the HUAC called ten witnesses to testify against the accusal of Communist practices within the entertainment industry, but the witnesses refused to speak (Littell). These ten men would soon be infamously known as the Hollywood Ten; these men decided not to cooperate with the hearings because they believed they were unconstitutional and due to that they were sent to prison (Littell). Because of this, Hollywood executives initiated a blacklist, which is a list of people whom they condemned for having a Communist background. The people McCarthy had blacklisted, about 500 actors, writers, producers, and directors, had their careers ruined (Hixson). Again, Joseph McCarthy is responsible for the diminishing of people’s careers and reputations due to his false accusations and strong anti-Communist beliefs; not to mention McCarthy had no evidence against the accusal, but they were still sentenced to prison, death, or banishment. These actions McCarthy committed are illegal and corrupt

During the late 1940’s and throughout the 1950’s, there was a great fear of Communism in America and abroad. The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) was created in 1938 as a means to investigate and weed out Communists and Communist supporters from American society. Its first major attack was on the Hollywood film industry. Blacklisting of Hollywood writers, actors, producers, directors and others suspected of Communist affiliations began with the committee's hearings in October of 1947, and flourished throughout the 1950s. Senator Joseph

Hollywood has influenced American history since it began. It boosted and shaped the morale of a nation for almost a century. But Hollywood has not only been the influencing American society, it has been influenced by American society. In the 1920s, American society was booming; people were getting rich, spending and borrowing money, and they thought life was looking good. Then in October of 1929 the stock market crashed. Many people lost all they owned. People had invested all their money into the banks before the Crash. After the Crash, the banks had nothing. People were destitute. They had no money to pay for their houses, electrical bills, and food. It became the Great Depression. Likewise, Hollywood was impacted by the Great

Influence of the Great Depression on Hollywood The cycle of poverty is not one many wish to live. From struggling throughout an entire day to make ends meat to waking up having to face the same struggles, it is common for one to wish for a better life. During the Great Depression nothing was enough to permanently improve the hard situation, but the population of American found a way around the hard times. Hollywood films were being produced almost every week and many used this to their advantage; it provided a sense of serenity, a feeling that was not offered in their lives.

During the course of this essay it is my intention to discuss the differences between Classical Hollywood and post-Classical Hollywood. Although these terms refer to theoretical movements of which they are not definitive it is my goal to show that they are applicable in a broad way to a cinema tradition that dominated Hollywood production between 1916 and 1960 and which also pervaded Western Mainstream Cinema (Classical Hollywood or Classic Narrative Cinema) and to the movement and changes that came about following this time period (Post-Classical or New Hollywood). I intend to do this by first analysing and defining aspects of Classical Hollywood and having done that,

Hollywood and The Great Depression The Great Depression, arguably the toughest time in history for Americans, struck every industry, person, and part of the nation, including Hollywood. Despite this, Hollywood worked to maintain the morale and serve as an outlet or method of relief for people during times of complete despair, uncertainty, and helplessness. It was during the Great Depression that by providing this outlet and having this outlet as a fun, happiness inducing, stress reliever, Hollywood was, in a way, ultimately responsible for keeping American’s psychologically stable, and further provide some relief and hope for a better future that seemed to be going nowhere good, anytime fast. Despite the deadening and dilapidating effects

People lost their jobs and careers went bad and even imprisonment occurred. McCarthy held hearings called the Hollywood Blacklist, which had to do with The House Committee on Un-American Activities and anti- communist activities with the FBI.

People had very little money, but many people still went to the movies. 90,000,000 Americans went to a movie weekly, which is about three times the amount that went in the 1920s (“Good” 1). From 1930 to 1948, Hollywood was in its Golden Age. More than that, however, the color and sound industry of movies was becoming more advanced than ever before (Dirks part 1). Some very popular movies today are actually from the 1930s, such as The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, and

While the Red Scare supported McCarthy and his actions, there was another group named Hollywood 10. The Hollywood 10 was officially created on October 1947 and there were 10 members involved in this particular organization that supported McCarthy. For the Hollywood 10, their main target was for the Hollywood Film industry. They would denounce the tactics employed by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), and investigation of the U.S House of Representatives during its probe alleged Communist in the American Motion picture business.