It Happened One Night

1.     In class we talked about the new use of sound in films, which led to dialogue being useful in films. With that, the 1930's brought us the rise of screwball comedies to the screen. These films came around during the time where the Production Code, the Hays office, the MPPDA and the MPAA came into Hollywood. These associations were to help guide the film industry with copyrighting and ratings. A screwball comedy would basically characterize a female that would dominate the relationship with the male main character, whose masculinity is challenged throughout the film and shows off the bumbling differences and similarities between the two main characters. It Happened One Night is a perfect example of a screwball comedy. Some say that the film was the first major screwball comedy.

2.   The article I chose was on the before and after of the making of It Happened One Night. It describes the filming of the film and its aftermath. The Columbia Pictures studio was known as "poverty row", due to it being known for making cheap, B-movies. The article also showcased the troubles that dealt with lead actress Claudette Colbert. Before being casted, other major actresses were considered for the role. She was hard to deal with, as she objected to many of the film's best scenes. The famous "Walls of Jericho" scene was created by director Frank Capra, because Colbert's refusal to be seen taking her clothes off on screen. She also refused to show her upper leg in the infamous hitchhiking scene. Her experience making the film made her remark, "I've just finished the worst picture in the world!" I guess she didn't expect the success the film would have later on.

http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/12648/It-Happened-One-Night/articles.html

3.     I would take a guess in saying that she felt uncomfortable taking off her clothes because she felt like that she was bigger than that. Maybe being an actress means that you can do anything and tell people what to do and how to do it. I don't think that is what being an actress is. Being an actress represents yourself as being a part of the film industry and to be respected, you have to earn it. Maybe the idea of being a star got into her head and it spread farther than she or anyone would have thought of.

4.     I have never been a fan of black and white films. It's rare that I would watch one, but I could see myself starting to watch some. Watching It Happened One Night made me reconsider my views towards black and white films. I could see where many romantic comedies today got their inspiration from with It Happened One Night.

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) ( x ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) ( x ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) ( x ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) ( x ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) ( x ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) ( x ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) ( x ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.

8) ( x ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.

Name: Brian Meyers  Date: 2/25/13

         

The Gold Rush

1.                     In class, we talked about the rise of filmmakers during the beginning of the 20th century, focusing on eras like the rise of silent comedies. The greats of that era include Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, perhaps the most famous of them all. Movies now, to what they used to be at the beginning of the 20th century, are both different and the same. Mainly because films inspire films, but sometimes, they don't. Sometimes, making films are at times hard, because it depends on how both the audience and critics see the film. There are so many results, like critics will like a film, but the audience doesn't, the audience likes the film, but the critics don't, they both can like it or, they both would hate it. Most films of the 20th century were not like that at all. Films were still new during that time, so everything was new and original. The Gold Rush is a great example of that. A true master of film making, Charlie Chaplin knew what he was doing when filming The Gold Rush. If he were still alive today, he would of enjoyed to know that film that he always wanted to be known for would go on to be one of the greatest films of all time. Even at that time, Chaplin was the most famous entertainer in the world, but even he knew that his portrayal as the Tramp in The Gold Rush was likely his most personal favorite to all of his other films.

2.                  The article I chose was on the filming of The Gold Rush. It describes the inspiration for the film's humor. Chaplin used tragic events for the dark humor that is displayed in the film and why we love it. Making the film was hard than they thought, twice as long. It took more than a year to complete the film. I can see why

 http://www.charliechaplin.com/en/biography/articles/5-The-Gold-Rush

3.                  The article helped me know how the genius that is Charlie Chaplin dealt with the making of the film. I understood that Chaplin wanted to put humor into dark moments of our past. How he made the state of three men to be frozen, starving, and miserable in a cabin humorous to audiences is something I can never understand. That's what makes Chaplin a mastermind of American comedies, that he can create some of the most memorable and comedic scenes in film history with the use of reality. The scenes in the cabin were inspired by the true story of immigrants who stuck in a snowstorm, were reduced to eating dead animals and those who died. When it was shown to audiences, one particular scene made everyone go crazy enough that the theater stopped the film and played it back. The power of the film showed that this was different from Chaplin's previous films. I can see why he wanted to be remembered for his role in The Gold Rush.

4.                I have never seen a silent film before The Gold Rush, and have never been a fan of black and white films. It's rare that I would watch one, but watching The Gold Rush might make me reconsider my view towards silent and black and white films. I could see where many comedies or films in general were inspired by not only The Gold Rush, but towards other films of that generation. I have known who Charlie Chaplin was, but I never have seen a film of his. He is a true artist of film making  He directed, wrote, and starred in most of his films. He understood what he was gone do for a film before anyone else. I am looking forward for more films of that time period.

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) ( x ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) ( x ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) ( x ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) ( x ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) ( x ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) ( x ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) ( x ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.

8) ( x ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.

Name: Brian Meyers  Date: 2/18/13