Saturday Night Fever [1977] (Directed by: John Badham)

• Q1: How does the film relate to the chapter in Foner?

The chapter in Foner relates a lot to the hardships of this period, but Saturday Night Fever takes the lighter road in this time period. In a time where Foner states that in New Jersey "The poverty rate reached 20 percent, the city sold off public library buildings to raise cash..." (Foner 973), in New York, Tony Manero wants to leave his poverty stricken, dead end job of a paint shop worker and become a disco dancer, and this is the way he thinks he can make the big bucks, which is an important part of the chapter because they speak of the poverty very much.

• Q2: What can we learn about American culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary historical source?

Besides the beginning of the film where Manero's poor unbringing and unfulfilling job relate to why Foner suggests this time period is a period of limits, the flashy fun of disco dancing didn't relate well to the chapter. The chapter described the time period as a time where people were poverty stricken and had to hold back on almost everything they wanted. However, the film, and with a little questioning to my parents who were young adults during the 70s, there was an undertone of limits, but in general the 70s was about finding out who you were and who you wanted to be, much like Tony Manero wanting to be a dancer. One song in particular seemed to give a little connection between Foner's chapter and the culture of the movie:

Feel the city breakin’ and ev’rybody shakin’
And we’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive

Bee Gees "Stayin' Alive'" Lyrics
This showed that even though things were breaking down, they were still "stayin' alive"

• Q3: What does the film reveal about attitudes toward gender, class and race?

Little is said of class or race, other than the fact that every one of the dancers is a working class person. What was more important to me, maybe biasly, was that Stephanie was attempting to get out of her working class role and make herself into an intellectual, which is contradicting to the homemaker wife mentioned in Foner a few chapters previous.

• Q4: What was the most important scene in the film?

I'm sure the most important film to me should be so disjointed from Foner's chapter on the popular culture in the 1970s, but it is so be it. The most important to me was Tony Manero's big solo dance scene. This showed what I thought was important to the 70s: discovering what you really wanted to do in life and going at it full force. Despite all his set backs, Manero spent all his time practicing for this dance competition, won, but had a great time doing it because that's what he wanted to do.

• Reviews

National Review Online Review
Roger Ebert Review

• My Review

For fear that Danny Zucco from Grease will rough me up if I don't give him a good review, Saturday Night Fever receives my review of a 3.5 out of 5. The movie is obviously a cult classic, because seriously who doesn't know this movie, but I'm just not in with the cult I guess. The movie, to me, had it's moments but was pretty mediocre. However, I do have to note that the acting in this movie is really good, John Trovolta does a really good job with his gritty Brooklyn character. The music is groundbreaking, as it became popular immediately following the release of this movie, and I knew the music from this movie even before I knew what the movie was. I would watch it again for two reasons: Trovolta's accent and one dance scene. Overall, it was average but good for the Trovolta lover.

In The Heat of the Night [1967] (Directed by: Norman Jewison)

• Q1: How does the film relate to the chapter in Foner?

The film In The Heat of the Night related well to the chapter in Foner to me in an abstract way. Foner states that "...the civil rights movement challenef the United States to rethink 'what it really means by freedom'---including whether freedom applied to all Americans or only to part of the population" (Foner 913). To me this related well because Police Chief Bill started off in the film not even giving Detective Virgil Tibbs even a chance to speak and when Tibbs was picked up by Sam Wood, he was treated terribly only because of the color of his skin. Later in the movie, the Police Chief's definition of freedom changed and expanded to include Tibbs. And when Tibbs was ridiculed and persecuted by everyone in the town, it reminded me of the "...children being assaulted with nightsticks, high-pressure fire hoses, and attack dogs..." (Foner 916). Tibbs, like the people that were there during the riots in Birmingham, dealt with all kinds of abuse and came out strong.

• Q2: What can we learn about American culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary historical source?

By using this film as a primary historical source, we can see really first hand what African-American's dealt with on a daily basis. Not just the riots that occurred at the various time in history, but just to do his job, Detective Tibbs got threatened everyday he was in the town of Sparta, Mississippi. It really showed that though things were rough, we were on the way to change. I think Police Chief Bill represented America, where the American culture started out rough not wanting to give freedom to the African-Americans, but slowly learned it was wrong to base assumptions and take away freedom just off the color of someones skin.

• Q3: What does the film reveal about attitudes toward gender, class and race?

There wasn't much in In The Heat of the Night about class, although although one thing I noticed about gender is the only person who really stuck up for Tibbs was Mrs. Colbert, the wife of the deceased man. All the other men were racist. But obviously, the most prevalent thing in the film was race. The first thing that struck out as obviously racist is in the mostly African-American town of Sparta, the policemen are talking about the man who was murdered and they say that he "came here to make something out of this town, look where it got him" saying that trying to change things got him killed. The entire time of investigating the murder, the engineer who is the new boss of the Colbert factory was absolutely convinced Tibbs was the murderer, no matter what evidence pointed to.

• Q4: What was the most important scene in the film?

Easily, the most important scene in the film was when Tibbs and the Police Chief go to meet Endicott, an white old man who owns a cotton field. After speaking, Endicott slaps Tibbs only to be immediately slapped back. That slap showed that African-Americans were not going to stand for being treated as sub-standard citizens anymore. As Tibbs and the Police Chief are leaving, Endicott shouts at him "ya know, there was a time I could have shot you for that" and he starts to cry as the door closes. Not only was this hilarious, but it really showed the true spirit of what the civil rights acts were about. But I do have to mention another scene in the very beginning when Police Chief Bill is questioning Tibbs on how he earns so much money, and Tibbs, in a very dignified response, states simply "I am a police officer". It was important because it got Police Chief Bill to shut up, and started him on the road to acceptance to Tibbs.

• Reviews

Rotten Tomatoes Review
Suite 101 Review

• My Review

While In The Heat of the Night was a socially aware film that attempted to make public the unfair treatments of African-Americans, the plot was a little difficult to follow. This film receives my review of 3 out 5. I did obviously notice what was revealed about the attitudes on race and the culture comments, but if the plot was hard to follow, I wouldn't have noticed them unless I had to for class. But I had to laugh at when Tibbs tells Gillespie sternly that "they call me Mister Tibbs", I remembered in The Lion King Pumba says that "they call me Mister Pig", so it was nice to know where that finally came from and also that a little bit of the movie's message can be carried through the years. Also, I think Sidney Poitier was absolutely fantastic in the film, as his quiet but passionate character of Virgil Tibbs was absolutely perfect. Overall, I think I'd need to watch the film again but it wasn't bad.

The Girl Can't Help It [1956] (Directed by: Frank Tashlin)

• Q1: How does the film relate to the chapter in Foner?

The Girl Can't Help It is a comedic look at a film that really related to Foner's chapter very well. First, there was a great deal of mentioning the television and commercials, when television was really starting to be a part of everyday homes. Also, Foner states that "In a sense, the 1950s represented the culmination of the long-term trend in which consumerism replaced economic independence..." (Foner 877) and this is personified very well by Marty "Fats" Murdock spends money like it's absolutely nothing. The major relation to the chapter in Foner was the tie to women and being a housewife and "Fats" Murdock (talking about Jerri) says "dumb broad, all she thinks of is cooking".

• Q2: What can we learn about American culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary historical source?

The most flagrant thing we can learn about culture during the early 1950s is what women were expected to be in society. While Georgiana "Jerri" Jordan was forced by Murdock into a singing career, helped by a washed-up agent Tom Miller, she didn't want to be a part of the glamorous show business. She even says to Miller "I just want to be a wife" and when she's called pretty she says "pretty is just as good as you apply your base". This really epitomized the place of women in American society during this time period.

• Q3: What does the film reveal about attitudes toward gender, class and race?

Race and class were not really a part of this film, but gender definitely was. It was quite clear that A Girl Can't Help It was showing that women were supposed to be the motherly, homemaker figures that Jerri wanted to be. While describing her adoringly, Fats calls her "domestic" as a good and attractive quality in a woman for this time period. Also, all throughout the beginning of the film, Tom parades Jerri around like an object to all the clubs and bars in town and realizes that her body will her her noticed and get him the fame that he misses.

• Q4: What was the most important scene in the film?

In regards to the relation to culture or the Foner chapter, there wasn't really an important scene that connected them. However, I had two favorite scenes in this film. The first was when Mousie is tapping in on Jerri and Tom's phone conversation for Fats and when he hears them talking romantically, he gets surprised because that's what Fats told him to listen for. But when he lets Fats hear the recording, he cuts all the romantic parts out to save Jerri. It was really cute that an old gangster could have a soft spot like that. My other favorite was at the end when Jerri comes out to sing her signature squeal in the song that made her famous, and all of a sudden she belts out a song with the most beautiful voice. It was just funny that she hid her voice all this time, and her voice was absolutely gorgeous.

• Reviews

Rotten Tomatoes Review
movietome Review

• My Review

The Girl Can't Help It was very funny, and actually tied in very well to the chapter in Foner. When I read the chapter, I really didn't think there would be a movie that could capture what was said about women during this time period, but the way Jerri just wanted to be the housewife that Nixon said every woman should be was an exact parallel. This movie receives my review of 5 out 5 because not only did it relate almost identically to the chapter we read about in class, it was hilarious and entertaining. It also featured many then up and coming musical artists and all in "gorgeous lifelike color" as Tom Ewell put it in the very beginning of the movie. Not to mention that Jayne Mansfield is gorgeous throughout the whole movie, and just lights up the screen and makes me laugh. I'd watch it again, most definitely.

Pickup On South Street [1953] (Directed by: Samuel Fuller)

• Q1: How does the film relate to the chapter in Foner?

Pickup On South Street relates most to the chapter in Foner by emphasizing the anti-communist movement that was very evident in American society. This really supported Foner in that in the film, they made sure everything "good" was anti-communist, and that nothing good could be seen as communist, and all the communists that were in the film were low people in society, like when the main communist Joey beats up his soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend Candy. It also supported that society didn't know much about the thing they were supposed to dislike, all they knew is they were supposed to dislike them. "Previous membership in organizations with communist influence or even participation in campaigns in which communists had taken part...suddenly took on sinister implications" (Foner 864) really goes along well Candy saying "I know nothing about commies, I just don't like 'em". Communists were hated because they were supposed to be, and that was that. "There undoubtedly were Soviet spies in the United States . Yet the tiny Communist Party hardly posed a threat to American security" (Foner 864).

• Q2: What can we learn about American culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary historical source?

Most evidently, I learned about the scary, almost freakish, way that society feared the Communist Party even when there wasn't much known about them. It bears an eerie parallel to the fear today's society has on Middle Eastern people, that we don't know much about them, we "just don't like 'em", which relates to Foner's chapter very well. Also, in the very beginning of the film, Joey makes Candy out to be a stupid, naive girl for losing the microfilm, yet Joey counts on her completely to catch Skip McCoy, the man who stole the microfilm. Women were being counted on a little more in American culture, but not 100% quite yet.

• Q3: What does the film reveal about attitudes toward gender, class and race?

This film revealed little tidbits of insight on gender, class, and race. First, Candy, whose name itself makes her seem like just a piece (maybe of candy), gets called all these weird pet names like "Muffin", which shows a little disrespect for women. However, Moe redeems, minimally, the thoughts on women nicely by offering valuable information to anyone that will pay her. One thing I caught in the film dealing with race was that "Lightning Louie", one man that Candy went to to find out where Skip McCoy was, was eating Chinese food and this commented more on the Chinese/Japanese link to communism, much like The Purple Heart film. When dealing with class, communists were seen as lower than poor criminals. Skip McCoy was a "three time loser" but even the police made deals with him to catch the communists.

• Q4: What was the most important scene in the film?

Arguably, the most important scene in the film was when Skip McCoy is explaining the Candy why he didn't sell out to the communists. She asks him why he didn't just take the money, because he's a "three time loser" and grifter, and all he wants is to earn what he thinks is a decent living. McCoy says "even in our kind of business, you gotta draw the line somewhere". While I don't support or condemn the Communist Party, it was admirable to see a kind of criminal who somewhat of a moral conscience and saw what he thought was the right thing to do, and he did it.

• Reviews

TCM Review
NY Times Review

• My Review

Pickup On South Street receives my review of 4.5 out of 5. I really liked this movie, and I thought it was an entertaining way to look at what was a fanatic culture of communist fear. It's hard to imagine people actually acting like that about something they don't know too much about, and this movie really made me see it. It was funny, dramatic, and sometimes scary, which are all the criteria for a good movie. The only reason it didn't receive a 5 was mostly because I didn't like the way Candy fell for Skip McCoy. I know he was supposed to be a turned-around criminal, and I'm a little sympathetic because for a criminal he was handsome, but still, he was a criminal! And he hit her and stole from her! So I just thought that was a terrible ending. Other than that, it was a good movie that I really enjoyed.

The Purple Heart [1944] (Directed by: Lewis Milestone)

• Q1: How does the film relate to the chapter in Foner?

The chapter in Foner really illustrates a great coming together for all of America when it comes to it's soldiers, so The Purple Heart really makes a statement about people who receive purple hearts. It brings about a respect for soldiers and what they are willing to do for their cause and for their country, and this was relevant to this chapter and this time period. Even though it is clear at the end of the film Capt. Harvey Ross and his men do not make it out of this "trial" alive, it is very evident the sacrifice they made for their cause and to follow orders, which is to be commended, because honestly, I don't know if I could have kept my mouth shut under threat of torture. Also, another interesting note is at the beginning of the film, when the delegates from other countries are being let into the trial, the representative from Moscow was not allowed in, which comments also on America's fear of communism.

• Q2: What can we learn about American culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary historical document?

Like stated above, America came together in a great war effort so this film relaly personified that in a big way. However, more can be learned about what really happened in the war from this film. The Purple Heart shows Sgt. Jan Skvoznik meeting with Capt. Harvey Ross, because Skvoznik is seen as the "weakest link", and he promises to his commanding officer that he will follow orders and keep his secret. In the trial, Skvoznik comes back traumatized from the torture that the Japanese put him through. This continued for most of Ross' men, which was a real look inside what happened in this war, which gives even more triumph for American soldiers. It was interesting to note that toward the end of the film, Ross calls Japan "undemocratic" and this was seen as a bad thing. I think this fed into the "democracy is best" way of thinking, but it was interesting that it really was in a mass media item, such as a movie.

• Q3: What does the film reveal about attitudes toward gender, race, and class?

Class and gender were really not explored in this film, but race was. Clearly the Japanese are made out to be evil, sneaky people. It even goes farther when the Chinese governor lies to keep the soldiers there and makes up ridiculous lies in the court trial. The film really begins to say that all Asians are to be seen as unfair and barbaric because they refuse to give the prisoner's of war any rights that are listed in the Geneva Convention.

• Q4: What was the most important scene in the film?

To me, there were two important scene's. The first had to do with what was said in the scene. In the scene where Capt. Harvey Ross meets with Gen. Ito Mitsubi and they are talking about the soldiers and the way that they fight in the two different countries. Mistusubi then says that they are "willing to sacrifice 10 million lives, how many lives is the white man willing to sacrifice?", it was really important because it really personified what I read in all the textbooks from history classes, that the Japanese government really didn't care all that much about the lives of their military, that it was just a number to them. The other important scene was the very end of the film after the American soldiers have essentially been condemned to a death sentence begin walking down the hallway out of the court room. The way they are walking and the looks on their faces really portray a sense of pride to be dying for their country and for the right cause, even if they don't think they're going to win the war.

• Reviews

IMDb Review
NY Times Review

• My Review

The Purple Heart really spoke to me because both my paternal Grandparents were in World War II. My Grandfather was a medic in the 99th infantry division and my Grandmother was a nurse in the army. Being that my Grandmother had just recently died, it was especially interesting, sad, and enlightening to see a film that was supposed to realistically depict the hardships of overseas World War II. However, it receives my review of 3 out of 5. While it was an average movie and related moderately to the chapter in Foner, it was mostly just mundane talking between Motsabi and Ross with an occasional emotional and meaningful outburst. And it was really hard to understand the Japanese and Chinese people in the movie with their accents. But overall, the movie was okay.

The Gold Diggers of 1933 [1933] (Directed by: Mervyn LeRoy)

• Q1:How does the film relate to the chapter in Foner?

First of all, I have a soft spot for Busby Berkeley films, but the film The Gold Diggers of 1933 was a fantastic way to relate the chapter of the Great Depression and the New Deal to a real life film. The opening dance showed society's willingness to put their faith in FDR's "New Deal" of stimulating the economy, and a good way that showed society's way of being very optimistic about what was happening to their economy. The movie related well in that the characters always found a good in their bad situation. The plot of the film related directly to what was happening to society, out of work people searching for work when there was no work to be had yet still having the courage to wake up everyday and look for work. And the way the girls all blindly followed Barney Hopkins, the musical producer, directly correlated to a quote in Foner, "The country...was in such a state of confused desperation that it would have followed almost any leader anywhere he chose to go" (Foner, 762).

• Q2: What can we learn about American culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary historical source?

Using this film as a source for seeing the culture, I would say that it was fairly accurate to what Foner put forth in his chapter. There was a lot of emphasis on money in this soecity, but once someone had an upper had, they helped out their close friends and family, like when Fay told Polly, Trixie and Carol about Barney Hopkins' new show and once Carol was deemed the winner and allowed to go audition and find out more about the show, all the girls helped her by getting her a dress and cab fare. Also, this showed that society was able to make do with what they had, for example, when the dress rehearsal for the show used pillows and blankets for their actors. This movie truly showed that the people of the American culture were ready to look on the bright side of things and move on with their best foot forward.

• Q3: What does the film reveal about attitudes toward gender, class, and race?

The film doesn't do much in revealing about gender, as toward the end of the chapter, Foner mentions The Second New Deal in that women were looked down upon for working, and clearly these "showgirls" were looking and needed for work on shows. And all of these girls lived alone, so they were the heads of the household. Race was not an issue in this movie at all, but easily the funniest part in the film is when "Brad"'s (really Robert Treat Bradford) brother J. Lawrence Bradford comes to the house to pay Polly to not marry him, he calls these showgirls parasites and gold diggers, and lets what he thinks is Polly know that these girls are low class. Even though these high class people went to the Broadway shows that featured these "gold diggers", they were still viewed as a lower class of people.

• Q4: What is the most important scene in the film?

I think the most important scene in the film is the opening dance scene. The girls are all dressed up with gold coins, with Fay as the lead singer decked out in millions of shiny gold coins, and they are singing about money and how things are looking up and are going to get better. This says alot about the society during this time, they were very optimistic because they had already hit rock bottom so things could only get better. They were also very optimistic about FDR's New Deal and all that he was doing to help stimulate the economy and offer many opportunities for jobs, so everything was looking up in America at this time. The lyrics to the song are an uplifting ode to getting over the worst and looking forward.

We're in the money, we're in the money;

We've got a lot of what it takes to get along!

We're in the money, that sky is sunny,

Old Man Depression you are through, you done us wrong.

We never see a headline about breadlines today.

And when we see the landlord we can look that guy right in the eye

We're in the money, come on, my honey,

Let's lend it, spend it, send it rolling along!

Songs of the Great Depression

• Reviews

TCM Review
NY Times Review

• My Review

The Gold Diggers of 1933 receives my review of 5 out of 5. In my opinion, this film was a perfect way to depict the culture and society of the Great Depression in America. The plot of the film was exactly what was happening, as well as what the film itself did for the economy. After a minimal amount of research, I found that this movie employed what was then "out of work actors" like Ginger Rodgers and the many extras and chorus girls it took to make this movie a success. Also, this movie, like others, gave audiences a inexpensive way to stimulate the steadily improving American economy. As well as giving what I thought an accurate portrayal of social moral, the plot was easy to follow and extremely funny, especially the plot to confuse J. Lawrence Bradford, and at the end of the movie, everyone ends up getting married. It was funny, cute, and was a happy ending to a movie about the Great Depression. Maybe this is all because I love Busby Berkeley's work in movies, but this movie was great, I loved every minute of it.