In the coming weeks I will be exploring my interest in the golden age of Hollywood in a new series I am calling Who What Where When Why. I will go through my introductions to old Hollywood, who influenced my interest, why it interest me, and what keeps me interested. I am often asked why this era in cinema history has become a big part of my life and I think this series will help me put into words what has always been hard to explain. Below is the answer to why I love this time period in Hollywood history so much. Make sure to check back for the other parts!
WHY?
They didn't call the Hollywood studio system the dream machine for nothing. Hollywood was a place where people went to make their dreams come true and produced a product that allowed the public to drift off into a dream world. You could escape the pressure of life and for a few hours sit in a darkened room watching the movie gods lure you into a a world very different from your own. The stars were larger than life and it was those stars that drew in the crowds my the theater full.
From Musicals to Film Noir, you were brought into a world that was fully created for your viewing pleasure. You could be dancing in top hat and tails with Fred Astaire or watch Joan Crawford go from shop girl to a wealthy socialite. There were beautiful movie sets, gorgeous costumes, and an overall feeling that everything would be okay in the end. That is one thing I love most about these films... most of them bring the story full circle and you don't leave the film not knowing what happened. In many of today's films the endings can be grim or vague, I prefer a conclusion with the end of my films.
Another thing I love about this time period is the fact that some of the biggest stars of the period, even today, were able to rise of the hard lives they were given and become movie stars that the world adored. While some stars had the obvious talent that made it easy to break into Hollywood, stars like Joan Crawford and Marilyn Monroe had to work hard to show they deserved their time in the spotlight. It is motivating to me to see someone go from nothing to being an icon on the silver screen. It makes you believe you can do anything you set your mind to.
I was reading an article shared by Movies Unlimited about how modern films just do not stand up against the classics of the golden age. Everything the author wrote touched on my feelings on the modern vs classic film debate. That period of time in film was like a phenomenon. It was a time where the right people came together to create this world of imagination we have all come to love. To create a world that would become a major part of my life. The person who wrote that article called classic Hollywood a passion and I don't know about anyone else, but that is my exact sentiment as well.
If you were to tell me in would never see another gory horror film or another romantic comedy starring Sarah Jessica Parker I probably wouldn't blink an eye. But tell me I would never see another Astaire/Rogers film or another Techinicolor musical like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and I would probably have a fit. Not probably... I would most definitely have a fit. I don't think the people in my life realize how important these movies and the world that went with them are to me..
Until you have enjoyed something like I do with Classic Hollywood it is hard to understand why it is something I like talking about or writing about or researching. It has become a way of life for me and that will never change. Give me a black and white movie or a Girshwin filled soundtrack and I am one happy clam.
Whenever I have been asked, why do you like old movies so much, it is sometimes hard to give a reason. If someone doesn't have a passion for something it isn't easy to explain a passion. It's the same case with football fans for me. I don't understand the fandom nor do I think I am capable of understanding. Classic Hollywood had imagination and a sense of mystic about it. Stars were created and their images were a commodity that was guarded by the studios. Unlike today's stars, you could look up at the icons on the silver screen and admire them for their talents and not their hardships in life. All I can say to those who ask why I love classic Hollywood is that I just do. The glamor, the music, the movies, the stars... That is why I love classic Hollywood.
