The Hollywood Musical

by Jane Feuer

... both fresh and informed, as well as a pleasure to read." ―Film Quarterly Since 1982, when this book first appeared, the Hollywood musical has undergone a rebirth, with the rise of teen musicals such as Dirty Dancing and Flashdance. In a chapter written especially for this second edition of her well-known study, Jane Feuer shows how this new development in the genre relates to important changes in the cinema audience itself. It is the text for the study of Hollywood musicals.

Genres: Film

Paperback

First published November 1, 1982

Reviews

[Owen Hatherley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely thorough in the amount of musicals it trawls through but very enlightening on the ways musicals routinely use what are otherwise classed as avantgarde effects, though in no way aiming at being explosions in the heart of the commodity while doing so.

[E.H. Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a great book, for students and for moviegoers who love musicals. I was both when I read it, and used it as a part of my research for a term paper in college. From a student’s perspective, it’s extremely informative and could easily be added to required reading lists for relative classes. The book, originally published in 1983, and with a second edition released in 1993, takes readers through the history of movie musicals, from Al Jolson’s singing phenomenon through to Flashdance.

Those reading it for pleasure rather than a class will be equally entertained. Much of the book is dedicated to Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, as it should be, since their techniques and films shaped the entire musical genre forever. Not only does Jane Feuer discuss movie musicals as a whole, but she dissects the power of the camera in show-stopping musical numbers, and how films can bring musicals to audiences in a way the stage never can.

Dozens of stills from movie musicals pepper the pages, and with a list of credits as well as an index in the back of all the films mentioned, you can easily pick out movies you haven’t seen that look interesting and add them to your to-watch list. If you like classic musicals, you’ll like this book. One can only imagine how interesting her third edition would have been, had she discussed the resurgence of movie musicals in the Chicago era!

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[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brief but dense academic look at the American musical film from the 20s through the 80s, and while it's not for everyone, it's definitely for me. This is not a history or a survey, but an analysis of how musical films are built and how they work. If you're the kind of reader who would like to know what Brecht would make of Dirty Dancing -- and I sure am -- this is the book for you. I only wish Prof. Feuer would write a third edition to account for how much has happened in both scholarship and musical film production in the last three decades.

[Jenna Elstob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really detailed break down of the musical genre with extensive examples given. The most useful parts for me were about meta-cinema and dream sequences. Feuer deconstructs relevant topics in a way that is clear but extremely detailed. Ideal book for students writing on the genre.

[Pierina Rivas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me parece bastante bueno, tiene una narración muy dulce y la autora expresa mucho amor por el género que está estudiando. Lo utilicé también como mi tesis y me gustó bastante, me ayudó relativamente poco, pero igual fue una lectura bastante agradable

[Christopher Gullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Feuer is considered one of the current expert scholars on the Hollywood Musical. This book nicely synthesizes the theory in the area and is a fantastic discussion of the genre.