Hollywood: the fabulous era

United States, 1962

Film
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This documentary hosted and narrated by Henry Fonda, is an examination of Hollywood from the era of sound to the 1950s. In 1927 talkies were introduced for the first time - an event that revolutionised the motion picture industry. The rise in popularity of action and gangster films in the 1930s made stars of anti-heroes such as James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson, when the most popular themes of the era were sex and violence. Also examined are the ways in which Hollywood films responded to the Depression of the 1930s, the war years and the prosperity of the late 1940s. Movie stars dazzled the burgeoning film going public with premiers, selling the dream (both on and off the screen) to audiences. In the 1950s television posed a major threat to box office receipts, which resulted in the introduction of new cinema technology and new genres to lure audiences back to the theatre. Featuring numerous clips from classics of the 1930s, 40s and 50s and music by Elmer Bernstein.

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Credits

producer/director

Jack Haley

production company

Control Productions

Duration

00:51:00:00

Production places
United States
Production dates
1962

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If you would like to cite this item, please use the following template: {{cite web |url=https://acmi.net.au/works/93671--hollywood-the-fabulous-era-dvd/ |title=Hollywood: the fabulous era |author=Australian Centre for the Moving Image |access-date=18 June 2025 |publisher=Australian Centre for the Moving Image}}