Movie Milestones & History

The 1940s

1940 - “Pinocchio”

releasedThis was Disney’s second feature-length

animated film, following after “Snow White and the Seven

Dwarfs” in 1937.“Pinocchio” is one of the best examples of the Disney studio’s animation talent.

1940 - “Fantasia” introduced

Disney’s groundbreaking

“Fantasia” introduced “Fantasound,” a stereo-

like, multi-channel soundtrack.

First Hollywood Agents

1940The first agents

began to assemble creative talent and stories in exchange for a percentage of

a film’s profits.

“Grapes of Wrath”

1940The classic adaptation

of John Steinbeck’s 1939 Pulitzer Prize-

winning novel, was the most popular left-leaning, socialist-

themed movie of pre-World War II Hollywood.

“Tom and Jerry” introduced

1940Tom and Jerry,

created by Hanna & Barbera, made their debut in “Puss Gets

the Boot.”Tom was called Jasper and Jerry didn’t have

a name yet.

Japan bombs Pearl Harbor

Dec. 7, 1941The world changes forever in a day of

infamy as Japan bombs the U.S. Navy installations at Pearl Harbor. America enters World War II.

1941 - “Citizen Kane” released

One of the most highly regarded movies in cinema history, with

many ground-breaking film techniques –such

as overlapping dialogue, layered sound

and non-linear storytelling

(flashbacks).

Mount Rushmore completed.

1941

Took 14 years to complete.

“The Maltese Falcon” released.

1941The first generally acknowledged film noir was released.

It was the first detective film to the shadowy noir style in

a definitive way.

Hollywood “goes to war.”

The Office of War Information (OWI) stated that film makers should

consider seven questions before producing a movie, including this one: "Will

this picture help to win the war?"

The War Production Board imposed a $5,000 limit on

set construction.

U.S. government eases restraints

on Hollywood.The U.S. government eases initial restraints

on the depiction of brutality by the Japanese.

D-DayJune 6, 1944

Allied soldiers from the United States,

England and Canada storm the beaches off

the coast of Normandy, France.

The operation eventually freed

Western Europe and led to the defeat of

Germany.

1945World War II

ends.Nazi Germany surrenders

on May 8.

Japan surrenders on Aug. 15.

World War II ends.

1945 – Government eases Hollywood

restrictions.At the conclusion of the

war, the federal government ended restrictions on the

allocation of raw film stock, midnight curfews, and

bans on outdoor lighting displays as well as

censorship of the export and import of films.

1945 – HUAC begins witch

hunt.The House Un-American Activities

Committee (HUAC), an organization created in 1938 with the goal of domestically stopping subversive activities, un-Americanism and communism, was made into a

permanent standing committee. By 1947, the Hollywood motion picture industry became one of its main targets

when the committee initiated an investigation of Communist influence

there.

Slinky is born!

1945One of the most

popular toys ever is born this year.

Post-war Hollywood censorship

The Motion Pictures Code allowed films to

show drug trafficking so long as the scenes did

not "stimulate curiosity."

HUAC strikes.In Washington, D.C., the HUAC (House Un-American Activities

Committee) subpoenaed 41 witnesses in an investigation of alleged communist influence in the Hollywood movie industry.

In 1948, the "Hollywood 10" was charged with contempt of

Congress and jailed for refusing to cooperate with its inquiries and answer the question, "Are you now or have you ever been

a member of the Communist Party?"

HUAC strikes. (cont.)Eighty-four of 204 supporters of the

Hollywood 10 were blacklisted. Many promising and established careers

were destroyed by anti-Communist blacklisting – reflected during the 1950s in the growth of sci-fi films showing paranoia

of aliens and anything foreign.

More Hollywood censorship

The Motion Pictures Code forbade derogatory

references to a character's race.

Actors are freed from the studios’

grip.Now that the big studios

were forced to divest themselves from owning lucrative theater chains, many Hollywood stars were making their last films (or were about to make their final film)

under long-term contracts with the studios.

Famous Movies of the 1940s

Citizen Kane Red RiverCasablanca The Third ManDouble Indemnity The Ox-bow IncidentGrapes of Wrath Miracle on 34th StreetIt’s A Wonderful Life Sergeant YorkBambi The Big SleepTreasure of the Sierra Madre Laura

Film History

The 1950s

Television Affects Hollywood

Early 1950sMovie attendance

drastically declined due to

the rise of television.

By 1951, 50% of U.S. homes had a

television set.

Television Affects Hollywood (cont.)

Early 1950sBecause television

had become more affordable and

permanent, movies fought back.

Hollywood began to develop ways to counteract free

television’s gains by the increasing use

of color and by introducing wide-screen films and

gimmicks.

Korean War1950-1953

Began when the North Korean Communist army crossed the 38th Parallel and

invaded non-Communist South Korea. Russia supported North Korea and the U.S.

supported South Korea.The Korean War was one of the first

episodes of the Cold War.

Decline of Studio System

1950sStudios were

ordered to sell off theaters.

They had to separate different

companies for production,

distribution and exhibition.

Average ticket price for a movie: $0.51

Censorship Challenges

1951The Motion Pictures

Production Code specifically

prohibited films dealing with abortion or narcotics.

Groundbreaking Film

1951“The Day the Earth

Stood Still”

Hailed by many as one of the finest science fiction

films ever.

Congressional “Witch Hunts” Continue1951

Two of the Hollywood 10 were imprisoned and the

eight remaining members of the 10 were convicted of contempt of

Congress. HUAC opened a second

round of hearings in Hollywood to investigate communism in the film industry, leading to the

blacklisting of 212 individuals actively

working in Hollywood at this time.

Groundbreaking Film

1952“Singin’ in the Rain”

Has been voted one of the greatest films of

all time in international critics'

polls, and is routinely called the greatest of

all the Hollywood musicals.

Television and Film

1953The Academy Awards (Oscars)

were televised for the first time, on black-and-white

NBC-TV.

More Actors Become Free Agents

1953Following the lead of

James Stewart a few years earlier,

seven-year contracts with

actors were replaced by single-

picture or multi-picture contracts.

Godzilla Is Born

1954Godzilla makes his

screen debut.

Movies Reflect Cold War Tensions

Mid-1950sReflecting Cold War tensions, the Red

Scare and paranoid anxiety, fear of Communists began to appear on screen.

Movies Reflect Cold War Tensions (cont.)

mid-1950sLots of science fiction,

horror, and fantasy films reflected this Cold

War paranoia. This is the Monster movie

decade, and Sci-Fi films about outer space and

traveling to other worlds.

Other sensationalist sub-genres like beach party

films, kung fu films, biker films, juvenile

delinquency pictures, etc., would proliferate.

Censorship Challenges

Mid-1950sTwo film adaptations of author George Orwell's cautionary novels, the animated feature film

“Animal Farm” and the film noirish “1984” were

altered. The U.S. government modified

and softened the message in both films to make the tone of each film more overtly anti-

Communist. Both works were changed to include more upbeat endings.

Civil Rights

1955Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a public bus in Montgomery, Ala.

Groundbreaking Film1955

“Rebel Without A Cause”Was enormously

influential, a milestone in the creation of new

idea about young people, it altered the way young men could

be seen in popular culture. They could be more feminine, sexier, more confused, more

ambiguous.

Censorship Challenges

1956The Motion Pictures

Production Code forbade racial

epithets in films, but began to permit

references to abortion, drugs, kidnapping, and

prostitution under certain

circumstances.

Television and Film

1956Movie studios

opened their vaults for television

rentals and sales. Studios began

selling their film libraries to TV.

“Wizard of Oz” was the first feature-

length film broadcast on TV in

prime time.

Groundbreaking Film

1956“Rock Around the

Clock”

The first film dedicated entirely

to rock ‘n roll.

Technological Advances

1956The first practical videotape recorder

(VTR) was developed by the AMPEX

Corporation in 1951. The first commercially-

feasible ones (with 2-inch tape reels) were sold for $50,000 in

1956. Videotape became a

staple of TV productions.

Groundbreaking Film

1956“The Searchers”

Voted one of the greatest movies of all time. Arguably one of the most

influential movies in American

history.

Groundbreaking Film

1956“The Ten

Commandments”

The epic of epics.

Disney RulesDisney dominates the 1950s

“Cinderella” 1950“Treasure Island” 1950

“Alice in Wonderland” 1951“Peter Pan” 1953

“20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” 1954

“The Lady and the Tramp” 1955

Disneyland opens 1955“Mickey Mouse Club” debuts

1955“Old Yeller” 1957

“Sleeping Beauty” 1959

The U.S. Grows

1959

Alaska and Hawaii become the 49th and

50th states.

Up next…

The 1960s!