A typical reflection of the Hollywood luxury style prevalent in musicals in the 1930s

Dance is a unique feature of musicals compared to other types of movies.

Musicals are a special type of film. It is similar to an opera - many musicals can be said to be movie versions of operas - but it is different from operas because of its film characteristics - musicals can use various narrative techniques of movies, while operas in this respect The means of expression are extremely limited.

Musals are similar to operas, which made them popular when they appeared in the 1930s, because what people at that time usually liked to hear and see was operas! Even early studio films were largely operatic recreations. Méliès, who held the view that "the screen is the stage", made movies in this way.

Like operas, musicals have particularly high requirements on music and songs. Especially songs with lyrics - most other movies only need opening and ending songs, and some can even omit these; while musicals also need a large number of songs to fill in the film to make it worthy of the title of " Musical" is the name.

The popular history of musicals

Musals emerged in Hollywood in the late 1920s. It was born almost at the same time as the talkies. The first talkie "The Jazz Singer" in 1927 marked the birth of the musical. However, due to the lack of sound requirements, people regarded MGM's "Broadway Melody" in 1929 as It is the first true musical.

Musals became popular in the 1930s and became a popular fashion in the 1930s and 1940s. A series of classic musicals appeared, such as the well-known "Wizard of Oz" and "Number 42". Street" etc. It reached glory in the 1950s and 1960s, producing the classics "An American in Paris", "West Side Story" and "The Sound of Music". It began to shrink in the 1970s, and after the 1990s, it appeared in another new form.