lecture 7

Question 1

When was the end of the studio system?

Answer 1

1950’s

Question 2

What are two fronts that battle with TV was fought on?

Answer 2

Technology & Subject Matter

Question 3

Describe 3 points in relation to the Battle with TV in terms of technology

Answer 3

• Accelerates move to all color movies
• Hollywood experiments with wide-screen
• Multi-channel sound system in theatres

Question 4

Name 3 competing wide-screen systems

Answer 4

Cinerama, CinemaScope, VistaVision

Question 5

Name some ‘epic films’ that were released in the 50’s

Answer 5

Quo Vadis, The Robe, Julius Ceasar, Lawrence of Arabia, Cleopatra, The Ten Commandments, Ben Hur (1959)

Question 6

Who composed Ben Hur? When was it released? What’s significant about it?

Answer 6

Miklos Rozsa. 1959. Religous epic film released in 50’s. Features chariot scene with 3 minutes of grandeur of sound and image

Question 7

Describe the battle with TV in terms of Subject Matter

Answer 7

• Films began to push the Hays Code in the 40’s. Begin to break it in 50’s. This was an advantage because TV content was more restricted due to advertiser influence
• foreign films were not bound by code (more content). This is possible because end of studio system means studios can’t block films from other countries

Question 8

When did the Hays code begin? Was it always mandatory? When did it end?

Answer 8

• started March 1930
• Mandatory in 1934
• Abandoned in 1968

Question 9

Elmer Bernstein birth/death? Early life? (5)

Answer 9

• 1922-2004
• Born NYC
• Julliard (under Aaron Copland)
• 40’s: Concert pianist/composer
• ww2: Armed forces radio
• First film in 1952

Question 10

What slowed down Elmer’s career? When did it happen?

Answer 10

HUAC 1953. Forced to do B-movies. Accused because he worked on commie newspaper or sm

Question 11

Name a B-movie Elmer did

Answer 11

Cat woman of the Moon (1953)

Question 12

Who composed The Man With the Golden Arm. When?

Answer 12

Elmer Bernstein. 1955

Question 13

What type of ensemble is used in The Man with the Golden Arm?
Why?
What style of music is featured in it?

Answer 13

Ensemble is Jazz big band, within a conventional orchestra.
Jazz -> urban -> drug abuse.
Attempt to cut a popular style as film score - mostly effective but awkward sometimes

Question 14

How does he have a golden arm? (3) Describe the scene we saw in class for The Man with the Golden Arm.

Answer 14

• illegal high stakes card dealer
• heroin addict
• drummer
• Doctor is getting drugs to give to MC. Phrasing the drama then extreme hitting the action (pulling stuff out of the drawer)

Question 15

Who are Agnes & Cecil de Mille?

Answer 15

Agnes is a dancer and Elmer Bernstein made music for her performances. Cecil was a film director. Agnes recommended Elmer to Cecil to score The Ten Commandments.

Question 16

When was The Ten Commandments released? Who scored it? Who directed it?

Answer 16

1956. Elmer Bernstein. Cecil de Mille

Question 17

Dimitri Tiomkin birth/death? Early life? (4)

Answer 17

• 1894-1979.
• Russia.
• Played piano in russian silent movie theatres
• 1925 - USA: worked in vaudeville
• Began work in Hollywood in 1930’s

Question 18

When was High Noon released? Composer? What special about the plot/directing?

Answer 18

1952. Dimitri Tiomkin. Real time

Question 19

What is the score in High Noon like? What was significant about it?

Answer 19

• Based on popular song “Do Not Forsake Me” by Tex Ritter

- popularized Movie Songs (prelease song used in movie)

Question 20

Did High Noon win any awards?

Answer 20

AA for best score and best song

Question 21

Describe the two High Noon scenes from class

Answer 21

Scene 1: Opening credits features movie song

Scene 2: Synchronization between clock and Frank Miller’s theme from OP song

Question 22

Bernard Herrmann birth/death? Early life? (5)

Answer 22

• 1911-1975.
• NYC.
• Julliard
• CBS radio in 1934
• Conductor of CBS orchestra
• Contributions to concert music

Question 23

Who is Orson Wells. What did he do and when?

Answer 23

Director. Directed War of the Worlds radio version in 1938 with Bernard Herrmann.

Question 24

Bernard Herrmann’s first film? When? Director?

Answer 24

Citizen Kane 1941. Orson Wells

Question 25

Notable things about Citizen Kane breakfast scene?

Answer 25

- montage - operatic - could have been written by Korngold

Question 26

When was The Day the Earth Stood Still released? Composer?

Answer 26

1951. Bernard Herrmann

Question 27

Notable facts about the music in The Day the Earth Stood Still (2)

Answer 27

- unusual set of instruments ( violin, cello, and bass (all three electric), two theremins. ..) - sound clouds: group of instruments sustain a collection of notes, often drifting towards dissonance/atonality

Question 28

What's Bernard Herrmann's greatest contribution to music?

Answer 28

Why do people write for symphony orchestras? People are used to them & would likely be played. But if you recorded the music, in theory, it would never need to be played again. Therefore, can use unique instruments

Question 29

Who does Bernard Herrmann often collaborate with? Name three movies (and dates)

Answer 29

Alfred Hitchcock. Vertigo (1958), North By Northwest (1959), Psycho (1960)

Question 30

What are some characteristics of Psycho (1960) (4)

Answer 30

- black and white (limited budget and Hitchcock liked playing with shadows) - uses only strings "black and white" score - cues tend to set a single mood and don't really respond to what happens minute by minute - very bleak and depressing

Question 31

Describe the scene where Marion steals the money in Psycho

Answer 31

- short repetetive theme - quiet but unsettled -> Marion discomfort with theft - slowly grows in intensity - no vibrato from instruments (sense of coldness)

Question 32

Describe the scene where Marion buys the new car and "escapes" the cop in Psycho

Answer 32

- music enters as she makes her escape - at first seems to play her fear at being caught - music seems to play her fall to the "dark" side

Question 33

Describe the scene where Norman watches Marion in Psycho

Answer 33

- two semitones played in a variety of ranges (extremes of range - norman's theme) - "Harmonics" as Norman spies on Marion, no emotion

Question 34

Describe the Shower scene in Psycho

Answer 34

- no music until attack - no tonality - clusterfuck of strings "shriek" - norman's theme plays as murderer flees

Question 35

Why did Bernard Herrmann and Alfred break up?

Answer 35

- Herrmann hated pop music scores | - Hitchcock wanted to use it for Torn Curtain

Question 36

What does Bernard Herrmann do after breaking up with Alfred Hitchcock? Last movie?

Answer 36

- Goes to Europe and does Fahrenheit 451 (1966) for Truffaut - Taxi Driver (1975)