Question 1

Howard Hawks's films are characterized by a concise sense of plot,verbal economy,visual economy,and,at their end,triumphant characters.___

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 2

In American movies,which is the more powerful thematic impulse: idealism or pragmatism?

Accepted Answer

In American movies, both idealism and pragmatism are powerful thematic impulses, but the dominance of one over the other can vary depending on the specific film and its message. Idealism, which focuses on the pursuit of noble and moral goals, is often a driving force in many American movies, particularly those with themes of hope, justice, and the triumph of good over evil. On the other hand, pragmatism, which emphasizes practicality and realism, is also prevalent in American movies, especially in stories that depict the harsh realities of life and the need to make tough decisions based on practical considerations.

Overall, both idealism and pragmatism play crucial roles in shaping the themes and messages of American movies. Some films may prioritize idealism to inspire audiences and convey uplifting messages, while others may lean towards pragmatism to reflect the complexities and challenges of real-life situations. Ultimately, the balance between these two thematic impulses can vary greatly from one movie to another, showcasing the diversity and depth of storytelling in American cinema.

Question 3

What was it that Fred Astaire managed to achieve through his dance musicals in the 30s?

Accepted Answer

Fred Astaire, through his dance musicals in the 1930s, achieved a remarkable transformation of the Hollywood musical genre. He brought an unprecedented level of artistry, elegance, and technical skill to film dance sequences, which had a lasting impact on the industry. Here are some key achievements:

1. **Innovation in Dance Choreography**: Astaire was known for his meticulous and innovative choreography. He often incorporated elements from various dance forms such as tap, ballet, and ballroom, creating a unique style that was both sophisticated and widely appealing.

2. **Cinematic Technique**: Astaire was instrumental in changing how dance was filmed. He insisted on full-body shots and continuous takes to capture the integrity of the performance, moving away from the then-common practice of editing multiple shots and close-ups that could hide missteps or the use of dance doubles.

3. **On-Screen Partnerships**: His partnership with Ginger Rogers is legendary. Together, they starred in ten films, creating a magical on-screen chemistry that has become iconic. Their partnership elevated the standard for dance duos in Hollywood.

4. **Elevating the Musical Genre**: Astaire's films helped to elevate the musical from being seen as mere entertainment to being appreciated as an art form. His dedication to his craft and his ability to convey emotion through dance contributed to the genre's legitimacy and popularity.

5. **Influence on Popular Culture**: Astaire's influence extended beyond the silver screen. His style, grace, and attire became emblematic of a certain suave and debonair masculinity. He influenced fashion, popular dance, and the way that future performers approached musical performances.

6. **Musical Integration**: Astaire was a pioneer in integrating dance seamlessly into the narrative of the film. His performances were not just spectacles but also served to advance the plot or develop characters, making the musical numbers an integral part of the storytelling.

7. **Legacy**: Fred Astaire set a standard for performers that followed him. His work influenced generations of dancers and choreographers, including Gene Kelly, Michael Jackson, and many others who looked up to his precision, creativity, and dedication.

Through his dance musicals in the 1930s, Fred Astaire managed to leave an indelible mark on the film industry, transforming the way audiences and filmmakers viewed dance on film and setting a high bar for the performers who followed in his footsteps.

Question 4

All of these movies featured guns,cars,and sex except:

Accepted Answer

A) Wild Boys of the Road 
B) Public Enemy 
C) Scarface 
D) Little Caesar 
A) Wild Boys of the Road 
B) Public Enemy 
C) Scarface 
D) Little Caesar

Question 5

John Ford's films are full of compositions which are painterly,in-depth,and in deep focus,but whose narrative is often rambling.___

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Matching
-She Done Him Wrong ___

Accepted Answer

A) Busby Berkeley's musical in which pianos move 
B) Mae West puts Cary Grant in his place 
C) William Wyler films starring Bette Davis 
D) Marx Bothers' surrealistic assault on order and reason 
E) starred James Cagney,bruised,without illusions…
F)George Cukor film starring Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor
G)Frank Capra film starring James Stewart
H)director John Ford's first critical hit
I)gangster film written by Ben Hecht,directed by Howard Hawks
J)starred Fred Astaire,the musical's inventor 
A) Busby Berkeley's musical in which pianos move 
B) Mae West puts Cary Grant in his place 
C) William Wyler films starring Bette Davis 
D) Marx Bothers' surrealistic assault on order and reason 
E) starred James Cagney,bruised,without illusions…
F)George Cukor film starring Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor
G)Frank Capra film starring James Stewart
H)director John Ford's first critical hit
I)gangster film written by Ben Hecht,directed by Howard Hawks
J)starred Fred Astaire,the musical's inventor

Question 7

The gangster movie cycle began with which film?

Accepted Answer

A) Scarface 
B) Underworld 
C) Little Cesar 
D) Public Enemy 
A) Scarface 
B) Underworld 
C) Little Cesar 
D) Public Enemy

Question 8

Matching
-Scarface ___ place

Accepted Answer

A) Busby Berkeley's musical in which pianos move 
B) Mae West puts Cary Grant in his place 
C) William Wyler films starring Bette Davis 
D) Marx Bothers' surrealistic assault on order and reason 
E) starred James Cagney,bruised,without illusions…
F)George Cukor film starring Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor
G)Frank Capra film starring James Stewart
H)director John Ford's first critical hit
I)gangster film written by Ben Hecht,directed by Howard Hawks
J)starred Fred Astaire,the musical's inventor 
A) Busby Berkeley's musical in which pianos move 
B) Mae West puts Cary Grant in his place 
C) William Wyler films starring Bette Davis 
D) Marx Bothers' surrealistic assault on order and reason 
E) starred James Cagney,bruised,without illusions…
F)George Cukor film starring Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor
G)Frank Capra film starring James Stewart
H)director John Ford's first critical hit
I)gangster film written by Ben Hecht,directed by Howard Hawks
J)starred Fred Astaire,the musical's inventor

Question 9

Matching
-The Informer ___

Accepted Answer

A) Busby Berkeley's musical in which pianos move 
B) Mae West puts Cary Grant in his place 
C) William Wyler films starring Bette Davis 
D) Marx Bothers' surrealistic assault on order and reason 
E) starred James Cagney,bruised,without illusions…
F)George Cukor film starring Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor
G)Frank Capra film starring James Stewart
H)director John Ford's first critical hit
I)gangster film written by Ben Hecht,directed by Howard Hawks
J)starred Fred Astaire,the musical's inventor 
A) Busby Berkeley's musical in which pianos move 
B) Mae West puts Cary Grant in his place 
C) William Wyler films starring Bette Davis 
D) Marx Bothers' surrealistic assault on order and reason 
E) starred James Cagney,bruised,without illusions…
F)George Cukor film starring Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor
G)Frank Capra film starring James Stewart
H)director John Ford's first critical hit
I)gangster film written by Ben Hecht,directed by Howard Hawks
J)starred Fred Astaire,the musical's inventor

Question 10

Frank Capra's movies are morality plays of loss followed by reclamation as can be seen in It's a Wonderful Life.___

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

What was the appeal of the American musical,both in technique and story,to American audiences?

Accepted Answer

The appeal of the American musical to Am

Question 12

Who first administered the censorious Production Code?

Accepted Answer

A) Joseph I.Breen 
B) Will Hays 
C) neither a nor b 
D) both a and b 
A) Joseph I.Breen 
B) Will Hays 
C) neither a nor b 
D) both a and b

Question 13

Bette Davis made her mark as a shy,retiring woman who would surrender her will to stronger characters,especially men.___

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

What characterizes the film style of William Wyler?

Accepted Answer

A) lengthy takes 
B) deep-focus photography 
C) few close-ups 
D) all of the above 
A) lengthy takes 
B) deep-focus photography 
C) few close-ups 
D) all of the above

Question 15

Fred Astaire used dance as a metaphor for character,courtship,love,and,yes,sex. ___

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

What replaced the sight gag in comedies when sound was introduced?

Accepted Answer

A) wisecrack 
B) fast talk 
C) double entendre 
D) non sequitur 
A) wisecrack 
B) fast talk 
C) double entendre 
D) non sequitur

Question 17

Matching
-Duck Soup ___ order and reason

Accepted Answer

A) Busby Berkeley's musical in which pianos move 
B) Mae West puts Cary Grant in his place 
C) William Wyler films starring Bette Davis 
D) Marx Bothers' surrealistic assault on order and reason 
E) starred James Cagney,bruised,without illusions…
F)George Cukor film starring Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor
G)Frank Capra film starring James Stewart
H)director John Ford's first critical hit
I)gangster film written by Ben Hecht,directed by Howard Hawks
J)starred Fred Astaire,the musical's inventor 
A) Busby Berkeley's musical in which pianos move 
B) Mae West puts Cary Grant in his place 
C) William Wyler films starring Bette Davis 
D) Marx Bothers' surrealistic assault on order and reason 
E) starred James Cagney,bruised,without illusions…
F)George Cukor film starring Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor
G)Frank Capra film starring James Stewart
H)director John Ford's first critical hit
I)gangster film written by Ben Hecht,directed by Howard Hawks
J)starred Fred Astaire,the musical's inventor

Question 18

_____ were "the legitimate descendents of the American iconoclastic tradition."

Accepted Answer

A) The Gold Diggers 
B) Mae West and Cary Grant 
C) The Marx Brothers 
D) none of the above 
A) The Gold Diggers 
B) Mae West and Cary Grant 
C) The Marx Brothers 
D) none of the above

Question 19

What did gangster movies generally have in common with the optimistic orientation of most American movies (that is,until the typical gangster movie reached its bloody conclusion)?

Accepted Answer

Gangster movies generally had in common

Question 20

Matching
-The Little Foxes ___

Accepted Answer

A) Busby Berkeley's musical in which pianos move 
B) Mae West puts Cary Grant in his place 
C) William Wyler films starring Bette Davis 
D) Marx Bothers' surrealistic assault on order and reason 
E) starred James Cagney,bruised,without illusions…
F)George Cukor film starring Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor
G)Frank Capra film starring James Stewart
H)director John Ford's first critical hit
I)gangster film written by Ben Hecht,directed by Howard Hawks
J)starred Fred Astaire,the musical's inventor 
A) Busby Berkeley's musical in which pianos move 
B) Mae West puts Cary Grant in his place 
C) William Wyler films starring Bette Davis 
D) Marx Bothers' surrealistic assault on order and reason 
E) starred James Cagney,bruised,without illusions…
F)George Cukor film starring Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor
G)Frank Capra film starring James Stewart
H)director John Ford's first critical hit
I)gangster film written by Ben Hecht,directed by Howard Hawks
J)starred Fred Astaire,the musical's inventor

Exam 6: American Cinema in the 1930s

Howard Hawks's films are characterized by a concise sense of plot,verbal economy,visual economy,and,at their end,triumphant characters.___

In American movies,which is the more powerful thematic impulse: idealism or pragmatism?

What was it that Fred Astaire managed to achieve through his dance musicals in the 30s?

All of these movies featured guns,cars,and sex except:

John Ford's films are full of compositions which are painterly,in-depth,and in deep focus,but whose narrative is often rambling.___

Matching -She Done Him Wrong ___

The gangster movie cycle began with which film?

Matching -Scarface ___ place

Matching -The Informer ___

Frank Capra's movies are morality plays of loss followed by reclamation as can be seen in It's a Wonderful Life.___

What was the appeal of the American musical,both in technique and story,to American audiences?

Who first administered the censorious Production Code?

Bette Davis made her mark as a shy,retiring woman who would surrender her will to stronger characters,especially men.___

What characterizes the film style of William Wyler?

Fred Astaire used dance as a metaphor for character,courtship,love,and,yes,sex. ___

What replaced the sight gag in comedies when sound was introduced?

Matching -Duck Soup ___ order and reason

_____ were "the legitimate descendents of the American iconoclastic tradition."

What did gangster movies generally have in common with the optimistic orientation of most American movies (that is,until the typical gangster movie reached its bloody conclusion)?

Matching -The Little Foxes ___

Beginnings

Griffith and His Contemporaries: 19081920

American Cinema in the 1920s

European Cinema in the 1920s

The Hollywood Studio System: 1925-1955

European Cinema in the 1930s

American Cinema in the 1940s

European Cinema in the 1940s

American Cinema in the 1950s

International Cinema in the 1950s

American Cinema in the 1960s

International Cinema in the 1960s

American Cinema in the 1970s

International Cinema in the 1970s

American Cinema in the 1980s

International Cinema in the 1980s

American Cinema in the 1990s

International Cinema in the 1990s

American Cinema Since 2000

International Cinema Since 2000

Filters