In the 1950s, Hollywood had a major enemy: television. Movies for a long time controlled only a few studios, and they could decide what to show viewers and what to limit their choice. Musicals in this situation almost always became unconditional hits. With the development of television, the emergence of entertainment series and shows, viewers had a choice. And they began to carry much less of their money to theaters.
The late 1950s and 1960s are generally considered a time of stagnation for the musical in film. The studios were slow to respond to the changing situation and continued to invest in musical films, but already with much less courage, reducing the risks. In the golden era of musicals, adaptations of Broadway productions and original musical films were roughly evenly distributed. Now Hollywood began to focus on Broadway. The major musicals of this time came to the screen from the stage. “The Sound of Music,” “My Fair Lady,” “Funny Girl,” “West Side Story” – all these stories first became hits on Broadway and only then turned into films.
The problem, though, was not just television. The world and cinema had changed. Hollywood movies suddenly became darker, more realistic, they dealt with harsher topics, and musicals were a relic of the old time, when the movies were associated only with magic and escapism.
Experiments: 1970-ะต
In the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, musicals in movies all but disappeared. They came out an average of 10 films a year (during the golden era there were 60 or more), but there were very few significant ones. Nevertheless, both Broadway and the cinema evolved, which led to the appearance of experimental films. Rock operas came into vogue. For example, 1975’s “Tommy,” directed by Ken Russell. A more than oddly hallucinogenic film with futuristic costumes and sets and, for example, Elton John playing the role of the wizard Pinball. Against this background, the adaptation of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar, a retelling of the life of Jesus with rock music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, looks more than innocent.
Equally unusual today is “Grease” with John Travolta. Under the guise of a sincere declaration of love for 1950s America, its writers lead a story about an ambiguous era by means of a musical. It’s a family (!) film that shows teenage pregnancy, smoking and young criminals.
