Casablanca: The Exemplification of Film in the 1940s and 50s

In the 1950s, cars became very important. People living in the suburbs needed a car to drive everywhere. They drove to work, to shop, and to have fun. People drove to national parks. They drove to drive-in theaters to watch movies. They ate at drive-in burger restaurants and ice cream shops. Shopping centers outside of cities became very popular. Cars made it easy for people to go to new places. Now television made it easy for people to see places without leaving their homes. On television, people could see faraway events as they happened. They watched soap operas and comedy

The movie Casablanca tells the story of Rick Blaine, a bar owner in Casablanca. His heart breaks when Ilsa, his sweetheart, fails to join him in his escape from Paris before the Nazis invaded. Rick’s relationship fall-out begins the movie journey depicted in an authentic World War II time period. It was on a stormy night that Rick received a letter from Ilsa telling him that she wouldn’t be coming with him to Casablanca. Realizing he has been dumped, he sadly hops onto the train and rides off to Casablanca by himself.

Film has revolutionized the world as we know it. In the current day and age film is quite advanced. You can watch movies with special effects and insane resolution there were never thought possible before. But film has not always been this way. Over the decades since around the 1900s when the first film was made there been amazing advances in technology and in acting. An examination of the past hundred or so years will show the amazing advances film has taken to come to what we know of it today.

During the 1950s, American society developed a conformity and obeyed social norms. Television, Music, Movies and the suburbs contributed to the standardizing development by giving an experience exhibiting approved social patterns. The new style of music, Rock-n-Roll gave a clear definition of youth and adulthood during this period. Suburbia and Television became symbols of an era. People got their relaxation and enjoyment by watching movies and TV. The life in 1950s was portrayed as a decade of conformity, prosperity and consensus in the United States.

The film establishes this setting throw many ways , first the script give us some word that give us a lot of information of what was occurring and the time in which the story is taking place for example ‘’World war ll ‘’ , ‘’Nazis’’ etc. . The clothes show a description of the people from that time used to wear. The setting for Casablanca from minute 00:00 to 38:50 is set during World War II If I was going to create a theatrical production about the setting of this first part of the movie I would tried to create the same

And with these new things brought new jobs, more money being made, the economy was growing, and that’s only a small portion of what some things affected. Some of the things that changed the 50’s were hit movies such as: Superman and The Lone Ranger.(4) Aside from that a huge hit was Walt Disney’s creation of Disneyland which was opened up in 1955.(4) Teen culture was sparked by the new sound of “Rock ‘N Roll”, and a huge icon in that genre was the hip swinging Elvis Presley.(Silverman 5)

1960s cinema reflected the good and the bad of the decade. 1960s cinema influenced many of the films we have today. 1960s cinema brought attention to movie musicals, which were movies that had many song and dance numbers along with dialogue and blocking. Three of the biggest hits of the decade were movie musicals. Some of the decade’s biggest hits, including the movie musicals, are still popular today. In the 1960s, there were many popular movies, both in theaters and on television, which were produced with money and lots of work. However, 1960s cinema also had a downfall.

Many believe that as a society, cultural norms and morals have changed with the times. However, it can be argued that although many new innovations have brought mankind into the 21st century, the same values have remained. Humans cling to things that throughout the generations have influenced our everyday lives. As an audience in 1942 to today’s audience, three things have remained the same; the love of a good romance, war time issues, and loyalties. This essay will compare what the audience in 1942 saw in these cultural norms to the audience today within the movie Casablanca.

By the 1960s the studio system was all but over. Many cinemas were closed down and several of the production back lots sold. Society had changed dramatically particularly with the rise of youth and the youth market, and the old Hollywood product seemed stale to the rising youth audience. Times were changing and the industry had to change with it. The studio system had declined rapidly in the 1950s and by the late 1960s was all but over. The audience had segmented into different social groups with increased leisure options rather than the mass habit audience of the golden age. Many of the films the studios produced to compete with television seemed to many people old fashioned and part of a different world which led to a significant drop in

The rapid changes in America throughout the 1920s were defined by a multitude of events, people, and advancements. An increase in immigration brought new values and customs to the United States, as there were people coming from all over the world. New lines of work, such as big bureaucratic agencies, changed the workplace, creating an impersonal work culture. Mass media also affected the changes in the 1920s because movies, television, radios, and newspapers allowed for celebrities and heroes to gain success. These celebrities and heroes affected the lives of Americans and made major impacts of American society and culture. They gave Americans hope for their future successes and showed them that anyone can gain success and fame by working hard.

Throughout Casablanca, there is a definite sense of patriotism and nationalism from the American side. Although the marketing team focused on the action, romance, and movie stars, the underlying political themes of Casablanca are eminent; the film’s intention was to get people to support the war. Rick, played by Humphrey Bogart, is the representative of the Americans in the film. He is, after all, called a patriot by Captain Renault after the murder of Mayor Stasser. In the film, America is shown as a safe place for refugees; this further promotes American involvement in the war, because Americans should want to keep fighting for their land to stay safe.

In contrast, Rick's lighting creates an exhausted image of the older night club owner. His key light casts shadows which emphasize wrinkles. This wearied picture of, complicates the relationship between Ilsa and Rick. Clearly Ilsa, who has wronged Rick, sympathizes and wants to reach out to him. However, her relationship with Lazlo precludes the possibility of Ilsa consummating her love for Rick. Thus, the lighting places a difference between Rick, a pathetic bachelor, and Ilsa, the innocent, angelic lady. The characters posses qualities that are both acceptable, however in this particular instance it's easy to believe that the audience still is glued to Rick and isn't fooled by the angelic portrayal of Ingrid Bergman's Ilsa.

In the film Casablanca they show various different aspects of American culture during the wartime forties. These things are cumulated in the films sole American, whose name is Rick. However this film not only shows the culture of Americans but also shows a look into what Americans viewed the war as. The values of people and what was considered obtuse for society are ever changing, and you can see this as plain as day within the movies and films of the time. Casablanca is an amazing example for this because it is special in the fact that it’s the only play written during the time that was never played but was instead turned straight into a movie. Now let’s take a more in-depth look into the movie and how it’s connected to the people who were meant to watch it.

Hollywood has influenced American history since it began. It boosted and shaped the morale of a nation for almost a century. But Hollywood has not only been the influencing American society, it has been influenced by American society. In the 1920s, American society was booming; people were getting rich, spending and borrowing money, and they thought life was looking good. Then in October of 1929 the stock market crashed. Many people lost all they owned. People had invested all their money into the banks before the Crash. After the Crash, the banks had nothing. People were destitute. They had no money to pay for their houses, electrical bills, and food. It became the Great Depression. Likewise, Hollywood was impacted by the Great

What role do audiences play in creating popular culture? Explain how Hollywood both manipulated and reflected the popular culture of the 1950's and 60's.