New York City and the Hollywood Musical

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-ix

   PDF

2. Introduction: A Wonderful Town?

   • Martha Shearer

   Pages 1-13

3. Urban Space and the Origins of the Musical

   • Martha Shearer

   Pages 15-44

4. The Neighbourhood Musical

   • Martha Shearer

   Pages 45-74

5. The Nostalgia Musical

   • Martha Shearer

   Pages 75-111

6. Fabulous Invalids: Broadway and Times Square

   • Martha Shearer

   Pages 113-151

7. A New Way of Living: Post-war Musicals and the New New York

   • Martha Shearer

   Pages 153-192

8. Epilogue: Death or Metamorphosis?

   • Martha Shearer

   Pages 193-213

9. Back Matter

   Pages 215-230

   PDF

In examining the relationship between the spectacular, iconic and vibrant New York of the musical and the off-screen history and geography of the real city—this book explores how the city shaped the genre and equally how the genre shaped representations of the city. Shearer argues that while the musical was for many years a prime vehicle for the idealization of urban density, the transformation New York underwent after World War II constituted a major challenge to its representation. Including analysis of 42nd Street, Swing Time, Cover Girl, On the Town, The Band Wagon, Guys and Dolls, West Side Story and many other classic and little-known musicals—this book is an innovative study of the relationship between cinema and urban space.

• cinema
• Film
• genre
• urban culture
• city
• film architecture
• cinematic city
• New York City
• musical
• space
• place

• King’s College London, London, United Kingdom

  Martha Shearer

Martha Shearer teaches in the Department of Film Studies at King’s College London, UK. She has published articles in Screen and The Soundtrack and her research focuses on the city in American cinema and media, particularly in relation to genre, gender and the history of the Hollywood film industry.

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