Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Musicals in Film: A Guide to the Genre

Rate this book
This wide-ranging guide introduces (or reintroduces) readers to movie musicals past and present, enabling them to experience the development of this uniquely American art form―and discover films they'll love.

This comprehensive guide covers movie musicals from their introduction with the 1927 film The Jazz Singer through 2015 releases. In all, it describes 125 movies, opening up the world of this popular form of entertainment to preteens, teens, and adults alike.

An introduction explains the advent of movie musicals; then, in keeping with the book's historical approach, films are presented by decade and year with overviews of advances during particular periods. In this way, the reader not only learns about individual films but can see the big picture of how movie musicals developed and changed over time. For each film covered, the guide offers basic facts―studio, director, songwriters, actors, etc.―as well as a brief plot synopsis. Each entry also offers an explanation of why the movie is noteworthy, how popular it was or wasn't, and the influence the film might have had on later musicals. Sidebars offering brief biographies of important artists appear throughout the book.

480 pages, Hardcover

Published November 7, 2016

1 person is currently reading
12 people want to read

About the author

Thomas S. Hischak

56 books9 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
2 (100%)
4 stars
0 (0%)
3 stars
0 (0%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Profile Image for Heather McC.
1,070 reviews7 followers
July 26, 2021
This book is best experienced when skimmed, and the introductions to the eras are fascinating and poignant.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.