BLOG Module 4: Late 1940s to Mid-1950s-Hollywood in Postwar America

Adjusting to Postwar America

The Paramount Case

In 1948 came the Paramount decision, which would be one of the biggest turning points in Hollywood history. This case decided that major studios such as Paramount, Warner Bros., MGM, 20 Century-Fox, and RKO were running illegal monopolies. They were forced to sell their theaters, which broke apart a system that had been running since the 1920s. This also allowed smaller studios a realistic chance to compete with the larger ones (Lewis 199).

HUAC and Hollywood Blacklist

In the late 1940s, the House Un-American Activities Committee began to investigate film professionals who had communist ties. The Hollywood Ten was a group of writers and directors who went to jail for contempt of Congress. People who refused to testify would be blacklisted, which resulted in much fear and censorship that restricted creativity in the industry (Lewis 201).

Film Noir

Film Noir was a genre of dark films that showcased the overall mood of the postwar period. These films typically focused on crime and corruption, which directly reflected American society after the war. The “heroes” would consist of detectives, and it was common for there not to be a happy ending (Lewis 208).

The Noir Visual Style, Narrative, and Ideology

The overall film noir look originated from German Expressionism, as these films featured dramatic lighting, dark shadows, and tilted camera angles. The films would often take place on dark and gritty streets, and the story world would feel very unclear. The films would also rely heavily on flashbacks and voice-overs that showed unreliable narrators. The ideology of film noir would reflect the anxieties and fears people faced during postwar America (Lewis 209).

Femme Fatale

Femme Fatales are women characters in noir films that would manipulate men to get what they wanted. This type of character represented women being independent during the postwar period as they joined the workforce and earned the freedom that many men felt was threatening (Lewis 220).

Orson Welles

Orson Welles, who is most famously known for his film Citizen Kane, continued to challenge the Hollywood norms through other films like, The Lady From Shanghai (1947). Films such as this pushed the boundaries of noir style films that utilized deep lighting and moral ambiguity (Lewis 220).

Howard Hawks

Howard Hawks is widely recognized as one of the most versatile directors during this era, as he successfully transitioned between genres. One of his famous films, The Big Sleep (1946), blended the noir style mystery with witty dialogue. His films would often feature confident men and women who would respect each other, and they would also highlight professionalism and understated strengths (Lewis 223).

Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder was responsible for bringing a satirical voice to postwar films that would combine cynicism and dark humor would reveal greed and self destruction hiding behind glamour. The film Sunset Boulevard (1950) is a famous example of this, as it showcased Hollywood's cruel and dark obsession with fame, highlighting the overall loss of innocence (Lewis 228).

Elia Kazan

Elia Kazan was a filmmaker who would primarily focus on moral struggles. On the Waterfront (1954) was one of his famous films that showcased the loyalty and redemption of working-class people. Kazan received much criticism for naming names to HUAC, however, he is still recognized for introducing the method of acting for bringing socially aware storytelling to films (Lewis 230).

Ida Lupino

Ida Lupino was one of the few women to be a Hollywood director in the 1950s. She began by being an actor in noir films, but would later begin directing social dramas. Her films would feature various topics such as violence, trauma, and even unwanted pregnancies. Lupino, being an independent woman in a male-dominated industry, would pave the way for future generations of women directors (Lewis 234).