Scenery and Costumes
The scenery and costumes of Early American musicals were among the most significant aspects of the movies. The Wizard of Oz famously uses the transition from black and white to technicolor to show Dorothy's arrival in Oz. It represented her leaving behind the dreariness of Kansas for the bright happiness of Oz. The use of color in this movie was also to make as large of an impression as possible. The costume and scenery designers were instructed to design everything as colorfully as possible, causing the change of Dorothy's slippers from silver to "ruby". The vibrant yellow brick road, the rainbow, and the Emerald City itself reflect this order as well. Meet Me in St. Louis was set, as one might guess, in St. Louis, 1903. The movie had early 1900s period costumes that portrayed this. the dresses were what a stereotypical Southern belle would wear. Full, long skirts and tucked in shirts with mutton leg sleeves were all the rage then. So were flounces, ruffles and frills. When outside, proper ladies wore hats and curled their hair.While this was demonstrated in the movie, trends from the 40s did sneak in. More broad shouldered garments were worn than were in style during the 1900s. Also, throughout the movie, women’s ankles were frequently exposed and dresses were a bit short of being historically accurate. In Holiday Inn, the cast dressed for their own time period because it was set in what was then the present. The women wore slight shoulder pads and curled their bangs while the men slicked back their hair and wore bow ties. As it is a holiday movie, there are Christmas trees decorated in the specific 40s way. The tree is somewhat unruly and short, covered in candles and glass-blown ornaments. The only part of the decorations that was homemade was the garlands that were draped around it. Another prominent feature of the movie’s, is the blackface in the Abraham scene. Bing Crosby, playing a musician, was in a minstrel show. At the time it was considered acceptable and normal to wear blackface for stage productions. Nowadays, this scene is often edited out of the movie because it is considered offensive.
Languages and Songs
To get a good understanding of language and songs from this period, it is necessary to take a look at the actors behind the words. It is interesting to note that Judy Garland stars in two of these movie musicals. Her voice was typical of an actress of her decade. It was high, almost childlike, yet soft and feminine. Judy Garland is most well known for singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow, which was adopted by the US Army as an anthem during World War II. The song's use as a war anthem was significant because while not everyone could fight, those at hope could raise support and morale, especially through music. Somewhere Over the Rainbow was known for being a symbol of hope and "everybody's dreams and wishes”. White Christmas is arguably the most memorable song from Holiday Inn. It longs for a better time when families were whole and happy. With many of the men gone at war, family occasions, such as holidays, could be rather depressing and lonely. The intention of the song was to remind families of the happy times which would return once the war ended and everyone could be reunited.
Pop Culture References
When the country’s favorite singer and dancer joined together for a movie musical, audiences were ecstatic. In Holiday Inn, the beginning of the song, I'll Capture Your Heart, has a reference to the two lead actors, Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. They play singers/dancers and sing about their other, non-fictional selves. America had a fascination with their premier talent and showcased it throughout the movie. Not only was the entire plot revolving around singing, dancing, and acting, but it was also about a quest for fame. In Hollywood’s Golden Age, and the years leading up to it, many movie stars were highly idolized. The viewers could relate to the quest for fame and the heartbreak.