Wonderful Design: Glamour in the Hollywood Musical [Paperback]

As one of the most beloved and beguiling genres of entertainment, the film musical wears its style ostentatiously. The genre allows for hyperbolic expression, extravagant sonic and visual decor, and extremely stylized forms of movement and performance. By staging a glittering spectacle, by releasing a current of lush sentiment, by unveiling a world of elegance and romance, the film musical woos us with patterns, textures, finesse and sensory display.

In this book, author Lloyd Whitesell asks what, exactly, makes film musicals so glamorous. As he argues, glamour projects an aura of ethereality or sophistication by way of suave deportment, sensuous textures, elevated styles, and aesthetically refined effects. Glamour, in other words, is what unites Cheek to Cheek from Top Hat and the title song from Beauty and the Beast, each a sonic evocation of luxury, sparkle, grace, and finesse. Whitesell redirects our attention from visual cues like sequins and evening gloves to explore how glamour resides in the sonic. Discussing dozens of musical numbers, analyzing ingenious orchestration, and appraising the distinctive styles of favorite musical stars, Whitesell illuminates fundamental traits of the genre, its aesthetic strategies, and cultural ambitions.

Acknowledgments

A Note on the Repertoire

I . DISCERNING GLAMOUR

1. Style Modes
2. Concepts and Parameters

II. ARTIFICE
3. A Sonic Lexicon
4. Viewing Patterns

III. ALLURE
5. Tropes of Desire
6. Beautiful Uselessness

IV. ENCHANTMENT
7. Stardust
8. Tricks of the Light

Filmography
Bibliography
Permissions

Considering nearly 100 films across time periods, the author analyzes musical numbers in such works asLove Me Tonight(1932),Top Hat(1935),Follow the Fleet(1936),Ziegfeld Follies(1946),The Band Wagon(1953), andDreamgirls(2006). The inclusion of music examples is a plus. That sailó&