Traditions in World Cinema Series

The International Film Musical

Published 1 January 2012

This is a unique study of the film musical, a global cinema tradition. The musical is one of cinema's few genuinely international genres but it has never been studied as a global sensation. This book fills this critical gap in film studies as it brings together musicals from 15 nations in order to highlight running themes. Musicals are often studied as part of distinct national traditions that are interpreted as native. However this anthology will dispute previous approaches to reveal the influence of the Hollywood model in musicals from around the world. It includes lists of key resources for additional information. It ends with a coda by Rick Altman, one of the genre's most prominent scholars. It provides case studies that include Great Britain, France, Germany, Portugal, Greece, Russia, Spain, Italy, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, China, India, Egypt, Turkey. Coverage includes Mambo Girl (1957), Sing As We Go (1934), It's the End of the Song (1930), Downward Slope (1934), The Broadway Melody (1929), The Hole (1997), Joyful Beginning (1955), and, The Heart is Crazy (1997).