Scenery and Costumes
Movie musicals made in the 60s reflect the simplicity and quiet elegance of the time through their sets and costumes. The Music Man uses sets designed to look like a small, early 20th century, Iowa town without many elaborate additions. The costumes are modest and elegant, reflecting both the adult culture of the 60s while also looking Victorian. My Fair Lady also takes place in the early twentieth century, though in England. The sets reflect both the slums of London and the penthouses of the rich neighborhoods. The costumes do the same, with the main female lead wearing an elegant gown which could have been popular in the 60s as well as Edwardian London. The Sound of Music strives to recreate pre-Nazi Austria by filming on location there. The costumes reflect both the setting of the movie but also the 60s as a decade with its styles of clothing. Bye Bye Birdie shows the teenage fashion of the time, such as girls starting to wear pants. The sets were relatively simple, trying for the most part to show a small town, like in The Music Man. West Side Story is set in New York City, so the sets are all urban. The costumes reflect the popular styles of the day, and the Puerto Ricans outfits show the mix of their heritage and the American trends.
Languages and Songs
The 60s were the end of the "Golden Age" of movie musicals. At this time, the songs and music were still that of the olden days, the stereotypical showtune. Later, rock music began to play into the Hollywood musical, and the first glimpse of this was in Bye Bye Birdie. The show centered around a rock star and had a few rock songs in it. Granted, there were very few and they were mostly intended to mock the genre, but the very fact that they were there showed the genre of music beginning to infiltrate the movie musical. The Music Man, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, and West Side Stroy all stuck to more traditional music.
Bye Bye Birdie is a great example of colloquialisms being reflected in movie musicals. Terms such as "going steady" and "getting pinned" are used by the teenage characters, showing the kind of language used then. West Side Story also provides prime examples, with the gang members talking with thick accents and using slang.
Bye Bye Birdie is a great example of colloquialisms being reflected in movie musicals. Terms such as "going steady" and "getting pinned" are used by the teenage characters, showing the kind of language used then. West Side Story also provides prime examples, with the gang members talking with thick accents and using slang.
Pop Culture References
The 60s were a time of change in America. At the start of the decade people were still very much in the mindset of the peaceful 50s. Throughout the decade tension developed over the Vietnam War, and by the end people were starting to worry about 'sex, drugs, and rock and roll.' A prime example of this was Bye Bye Birdie. For one, it addressed the war as the singer, Conrad Birdie, was being drafted. In addition, even though it was about teenagers and rock music, the underlining appeal was to parents. It delievered the message that while rock seemed to be corrupting the nation's youth, it was really just a phase. Although the plot centers around a rock star kissing a girl, there is barely any rock music in the show and the actual kiss is not a large part of the storyline. West Side Story shows a look at racial tensions of the 50s, many of which carried over into the 60s. The ongoing battle between the two rival gangs, the Puerto Rican Sharks and the white Jets, shows how bad racism was at the time. It also echoes the racial tension between blacks and whites during the time period. The dancing in the community dance scenes also demonstrates popular dances of the time.