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The 1930s was a great decade in movies. Integration of sound and color in movies was extremely important in film evolution. Renewed hype in the movie industry occurred especially in the late 1930s when people were starting to recover from the great depression. Adventure films, horror movies and suspenseful movies were extremely profitable during the decade as the world was creeping into another World War. Monsters were really popular in 30s era films, audiences enjoyed the unusual and found interest in “Out of this world” type characters. This was also a decade of remakes, with the addition of sound movies could be remade in order to make a better film experience such as in Alice in Wonderland. Another key hallmark of this time was the new editing abilities, before this time the majority of films were only shot once so there was little capability for post shooting editing. During this time there were outtakes and there was a better system that allowed for movies to be changed or tweaked.
Errol Flynn
Errol Flynn was born in Tasmania in 1909. Flynn was extremely popular during this time when Swashbuckling films and romantic movies were popular. Women loved him because he was handsome and found fantasy in the movies that he acted in. He is especially known for his roles in Captain Blood (1935), The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), The Adventures of Robin Hood(1938), The Prince and the Pauper (1937). In 1940, he was voted the 4th most popular star in the US. Unfortunately Flynn died young at age 50 after a heart attack in 1959.
The Mummy (1932)
A group of archeologists revive an Egyptian priest named Imhotep. Imhotep tries to kill a girl, who looks like his past love, and bring her back as his bride,This was made in the era of monster/horror films. The audience loved the idea of mummies and things coming back from the dead so it was a hit film of the time. The budget was under $200k and filmed in black and white
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
After getting hit in the head from tornado debris, Dorthy(Judy Garland the main character) is transported to a new land called Oz. She teams up with three strangers to go to find the wizard of Oz so that she can go home and they'll each be given something they want (Lion- Courage, Tin man- a heart, Scare Crow- a brain). They must follow the yellow brick road but must deal with the Wicked Witch of the West who's furious because Dorthy killed her sister after her house landed on top of her.
The film is mostly in Technicolor, but its opening and closing sequences are in sepia, including the film's credits and scenes in Kansas. The entire movie took five to six weeks to film.
The film is mostly in Technicolor, but its opening and closing sequences are in sepia, including the film's credits and scenes in Kansas. The entire movie took five to six weeks to film.
Gone With the Wind (1939)
This film is about a wealthy Southern girl who has to survive through the Civil War, thisis a riches to rags story that chronicles her life in times of struggle and prosperity. The film was shot in Technicolor and is quite lengthy at 238 minutes long(just under 4 hours!). Half a million feet of film was shot and it was then edited down to 20,000 feet. Very popular at the time, this was the first color film to win the Best Picture Oscar.