Hollywood Representations of Women in 1930s Film - Assignment Example

Hollywood Representations of Women in 1930s Film Introduction Since its inception in late 19th and early 20th centuries, scholars have categorised the film industry as among the industries that have evolved tremendously, and women have played a central role in this growth. The manner in which women are presented in films shows how these films are used to reflect and reinforce the dominant ideology, although, at first, women seemed underrepresented, many later emerged as directors, writers, actors and audience members. Arguably, women in the film industry have often been celebrated more because of their appearance than their ability to act. In addition, irrespective of certain female stars’ legendary statuses, gender roles have been firmly reinforced by the roles these women, who are judged on their appearances, have played (Dawson 1995, p.71). This research paper provides a detailed analysis of how Hollywood portrayed women in film, focusing particularly on the 1930s, using Gold diggers of 1933 as a framework. Four themes will be discussed in the paper: the representation of women in early 1930s film, the portrayal of women, and the real-life role of women and criticism of women’s role in 1930s films. The 1930s is infamous as the era of the Great Depression and, therefore; it provides an interesting backdrop to research how women were portrayed as a result of the globally changing morals and cynicism. Representation of Women in 1930s Film Kaplan (1994, p.3) states that Hollywood cinematography in many instances objectified women for the pleasure of men. Mulvey (1989, p.56), argues that the role women played is worth looking at but not worth giving a listening ear. As these scholars indicate, during this era men viewed women in limited dimensions, referred to as the Madonna (housewives) or whore complex. To many, women were objects of sexual fulfilment, hence sexually active whores, or simply pristine and powerless Madonnas. Arguably, it is for this reason that Gates (2011, p.23) argues that the manner in which images of women are presented in Hollywood film aims solely at gratifying male viewers. As evident in Gold diggers of 1933, the role of women as sex objects in films is displayed freely and fully. Ginger Rogers, Joan Blondell and Ruby Keeler play the major roles and appear as stereotypical bombshells, slender and beautiful, in many of their appearances where they are dressed in skimpy costumes. Another example of how the characters are presented as sex objects is the presentation of Rogers and Blondell as platinum blonde. Aline MacMahon is the only female character not part of this characterisation. She serves as the sole voice of cynicism and the hard-boiled attitude that prevailed from the start of the 1930s as a result of the Depression. Further, she appears to have a superior intellect as compared to the other female characters. Aside for MacMahon, all female characters in the movie represent the characterisation of Madonna/ whore. For instance, they appear independent, and Lawrence Bradford views their morals from a negative perspective. As the embodiment of the 1930s elite, Bradford indicates the elite opinion on the female role during this era. Interestingly, as the film ends, all the women become Madonnas, since they are no longer showgirls filled with loose morals, but wives. Trixie marries Lawrence’s lawyer, Carol marries Lawrence and Polly marries Brad, therefore, it is arguable that their transformation from whores to Madonnas is thus complete. In short, women’s roles in the 1930s were often stereotypical, with women portrayed in a sexualised manner for the benefit of men. The way women were shown to choose love instead of career is a clear indication of how they were stereotyped, an issue that is explored in the next section. Portrayal of Women in 1930s Film Scholarly research shows that the main role of films is to reinforce and reflect a society’s dominant ideology, which in 1930s; America was from the male point of view (Deccan Herald 2012). As such, the patriarchal view that women must make a choice between love and career was frequently the focus of 1930s film. The underlying message of these movies was that a woman had to choose between a career and romance (Gates 2009, p.29), and ultimately should sacrifice their career for love. Along these same lines, also reflecting the patriarchy of the era, women were portrayed as easily manipulated sex goddesses, as embodied by the various characters played by Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo (Kaplan 1994, p.118). These types of portrayals of women were pre-code, meaning Hollywood films could, and did, show women’s overt sexuality. However, the introduction of the code changed this through censorship (Doherty 1999, p. 3). Hollywood was forced to portray women in a different way, which, in effect, gave women characters a chance to break away from the standard Hollywood patriarchal portrayals. This change is illustrated in Katherine Hepburn and Bette Davis films in which female characters are shown to be more than equal to men in the working environment (Women in Hollywood 2008). Nevertheless, the pre-code ethos, that women seek love and must sacrifice their career for love, is implied in the movie Gold diggers of 1933. As noted earlier, at the beginning and throughout most of the film, the women are portrayed as independent, relying upon themselves and their girlfriends for support. However, by the end, the tables have turned each of the women finds love and marriage with a wealthy man, and so these women’s financial problems, which are highlighted at the beginning of the film. Therefore, it can be argued that, in the 1930s, Hollywood did not portray women in America realistically (Smedley 2011, p.13). While real women were in the workforce, in increasing numbers, because they had to support their husbands, Hollywood was portraying them as having to make the choice between love and career. One argument is that Hollywood moved away from the representation of women as independent career girls in an attempt to recapture the idealised housewife image and feminine values (Dawson 1995, p.71). However, as the next section explains, the Depression era also led to other roles for women that were more in line with the female experience during this time. The Real-life Roles of Women in 1930s Film Despite the fact that in many Hollywood films women were portrayed only through the eyes of men, in the late 1930s these depictions started taking a positive direction towards what scholars termed the real-life role of women (Smedley 2011, p.13). During this time, a number of willing, strong and intelligent actresses, many of whom continue to be celebrated, took full control of the film industry. These women were empowered and self-governed and had reputable morals (Haskell 2002, p. 65). They acted as role models for the ordinary American woman due to their admirable and rational natures, while also being strong willed and capable of developing their careers (Siegel 2009, p.105). For instance, the film series Free souls: The complicated women of pre-code Hollywood by Castro Theatre, a 2003 documentary exploring the provocative role of women between the years 1929 to 1934, is an example of their recognition. As the Great Depression ended, the role of women in society in almost all aspects of life changed. This change was pioneered, among other reasons, by the emergence of new ideologies in education, social, cultural and economic sectors. The media—specifically films—acted as the most effective medium through which to address these changes (Berry 1997, p.45). As a result, women entered the industry in order to explore their talent, intelligence, fashion and the diversification of beauty (Haskell 2002, p.68). Successful actresses encouraged women to feel empowered and fight for their rights in education and other fields. Many of the films produced during this time aimed at creating awareness about the discriminatory nature of a male-dominated society. Watkins (2001, p.85) explains that the Depression era led to the development of a wide range of characters for women. These included those portrayed by actresses such as Norma Shearer, who was a sophisticated, liberal, and Mae West, a lusty comedian. Shearer is an example of an actress who was transformed by the Depression. Watkins documents that Shearer was forced by the Great Depression to become an individual with an increased awareness of her sexuality. As an example of her pre-Depression career, she was turned down from the famous Ziegfeld follies for having squat legs and being a ‘dog’ (Watkins 2005, p.85). However, she continued on to have a healthy career, and an analysis of her many films shows her as an icon of change and a pioneer in both content and portrayal. Shearer was an inspiring female role model and style icon because she embodied a can-do, never-give-up attitude, and displayed the fashionable bobbed haircut and casual outfits of her day (Kaplan 1994, p.20). Eventually, Shearer became one of American’s favourite actresses, replicated by many. When re-examined, many of Shearer’s films had themes that are still relevant to today’s culture. For instance, in the film The divorcee, produced in 1930, she raises the topic of unfaithful husbands. Previously, it was a taboo for a woman to complain about their husbands, irrespective of their affairs. This is because it was believed that women had no control over the actions taken by their husbands. Such cultural notions were eradicated with the emergence of this new era in films, as married women began to work for themselves and make decision, head institutions with men as junior staff and raise families as single parents. In the film, Let us be gay (1930), Shearer clearly proves that, in cases of dissatisfaction with marriage, women had the chance to seek better situations than mere housewives, provided they felt comfortable. This is evident when Shearer, acting as Mrs Katherine, divorces her husband and re-invents herself, venturing into fashion. Shearer is arguably considered as one of the trailblazers of cinema because she represented women who were independent and able to care for themselves. Over time, other female actresses have emulated Shearer, discussing their career experiences in magazines and television. These women have inspired other women, and sectors that had previously been considered purely for men, such as the military, law and engineering industries, making them slowly accessible to women (Kaplan 1994, p.21). Criticisms of Women’s Roles in 1930s Film The roles of women in the pre-code era have been described as great and successful (Siegel 2009, p.110). However, these same actresses portraying such characters have faced criticism for accepting their societal roles without showing society the challenges they faced as a result of their gender. Because they did not voice the challenges of women, they never sought to liberate women from negative cultural ideologies. On one hand, films played a critical role in the establishment of women’s freedom. This was because; the media enabled people to see what women had endured in order to establish their careers. Norma Shearer, who overcame great odds, such as crossed eyes and a broken home, to become a major star is a good example (Siegel, 2009, p.107). Despite efforts to end these stereotypes, some films continued to reinforce negative stereotypes and reverse progress, such as The sex goddess in America (1930). It could be argued that, if the films of the 1930s had reflected the female experience and embodied the ethos of the actresses in the roles, these films would be greatly improved and would have been more of a catalyst for the feminist movement. Conclusion As this paper has shown, Hollywood’s representation of women in the film industry was objectifying, with actresses intended to satisfy men’s sexual desires. Women were portrayed as worth being seen, but not worth being heard or allowed to express themselves. As a result, Watkins (2005, p.4) denotes that the male-dominated society instilled, within actresses, a feeling that their roles did not reflect their real-life experiences and feelings. During the 1930s, women’s roles were exposed to discrimination, and the few who succeeded in their careers lacked a favourable environment in which to express their views (Kaplan 1994, p.26). They subsequently portrayed the stereotyped characters of domestic mothers and romantics. This can be seen in the film Gold diggers of 1933, where the women end up in domestic roles, having earlier been portrayed as being independent and self-sufficient. However, this trend did not last; as women came to realise the strong discrimination against them, they took decisive action to change society’s perception of women’s abilities. As a result, actresses became role models to women and led the way to inspire women to improve their lives. Bibliography Berry, Sarah E 1997, Screen style: Consumer fashion and femininity in 1930s Hollywood, New York University, New York. Dawson, JE 1995, Hollywood’s image of the working woman, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Doherty, T 1999, Pre-code Hollywood: Sex, immorality, and insurrection in American cinema, 1930–1934, Columbia University Press, New York. Gates, P 2009, ‘Conversation with scholars of American popular culture: Featured guest Philippa Gates’, Americana: The Journal of American Popular Culture 1900 to the Present, vol. 8, no. 2. Retrieved from http://www.americanpopularculture/journal/articles/fall_2009/gates.htm. Gates, P 2011, Detecting women: Gender and the Hollywood detective film, State University of New York Press, Albany, NY. Haskell, M 2002, From reverence to rape: The treatment of women in the movies, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York. Kaplan, A 1994, Women and film: Both sides of the camera, Methuen, New York. Kolbjornsen, Tone Kristine 1998, ‘Dansingi Hollywood: punktnedslagi film-musikalenshistorie’, dissertation (Villanova University). Retrieved from https://library.villanova.edu/Find/Summon/Record?id=FETCH-proquest_dll_7356761111. Mulvey, L 1989, Visual and other pleasures, Indiana University Press, Bloomington. Rowe, K 2000, The unruly woman: Gender and the genres of laughter, University of Texas Press, Austin. Siegel, MB 2009, ‘Busby Berkeley and the projected stage’, Hudson Review, vol. 62, no. 1, pp. 106-114. Smedley, N 2011, A divided world: Hollywood cinema and émigré directors in the era of Roosevelt and Hitler, 1933–1948, Intellect, Bristol. Watkins, J 2005, From fallen women to risen heroines: Representations of gender and sexuality in American film, 1929–1942. Retrieved from http://www.marshall.edu/etd/masters/watkins-jessica-2005-ma.pdf. Watkins, T 2001, The Great Depression: America in the 1930s, Little, Brown and Company, Boston. Women in Hollywood 2008, ‘Stereotypical roles of women in films’. Retrieved June 18, 2012, from http://ksmith-hollywoodwomen.blogspot.com/2008/12/stereotypical-roles-of-women-in-films.html. Deccan Herald 2012, ‘Good films mirror of society’. Retrieved June 18, 2012, from http://www.deccanherald.com/content/220635/good-films-mirror-society.html. Proposal for Research Project—Portrayal of Women in 1930s Film In this research project, I will examine the many different ways that women have been portrayed in Hollywood film. I will explore how women were portrayed in 1930s Hollywood, using Gold diggers of 1933 (1933) as a framework for exploring this topic. The project will comprise five sections and an introduction. The first section will explore the representation of women in 1930s film, concentrating on how women were objectified. The second section will focus on how 1930s cinema, pre-code, portrayed women as having to choose between career and love. Section three will look at the role of women in 1930s film and will theorise that some women, notably Norma Shearer, could transcend stereotypes, and will explore how women’s roles in the cinema evolved from the beginning to the end of the Depression; section four will examine criticisms of women in 1930s cinema; and section five will be the conclusion. Annotated Bibliography Berry, Sarah Elizabeth 1997, Screen style: Consumer fashion and femininity in 1930s Hollywood, New York University, New York. This book details how Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford and Marlene Dietrich influenced women filmgoers as role models for self-determination. This book also shows why the public is fascinated with these strong-willed women and others. Dawson, Jody Elizabeth 1995, Hollywood’s image of the working woman, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. In this PhD dissertation, Dawson explores the roles that women have taken on the silver screen, concentrating upon how working women are portrayed. Also, this dissertation explores the psychological aspects of working women in film, and how these images of working women have psychologically affected the women who view these films. Feuer, Jane 1982, The Hollywood Musical, Indiana University Press, Bloomington. The Hollywood Musical explores the origin and evolution of the Hollywood musical, as well as how the Hollywood musical has effected society over the years. The chapter ‘Dream worlds and dream stages’ specifically details how the Hollywood musical was able to transform the audience by escapist entertainment, which was especially important during trying times in the nation’s history, including times of war and depression. Kolbjornsen, Tone Kristine 1998, ‘Dansingi Hollywood: punktnedslagi film-musikalenshistorie’, dissertation (Villanova University). Retrieved from https://library.villanova.edu/Find/Summon/Record?id=FETCH-proquest_dll_7356761111. This dissertation explores musical film aesthetically, and how spectators are transformed by the experience of watching these musicals, also included is an exploration of dance as an aesthetic sign and how women are transformed into kinetic ornaments. It focuses on three different periods for Hollywood musicals and films centred around music: Busby Berkeley shows in the 1930s, Gene Kelly in An American in Paris and John Travolta in Saturday night fever. Lovasz, Katalin 2007, Technologies of self-presentation: Women’s engagement with mediated representation from the era of silent film to the internet age, dissertation, Princeton University, New Jersey. In this dissertation, Lovasz explores identity theory, which explains how women relate to patriarchal culture, by exploring a woman’s imagined and virtual cultural experiences, including that of film. Richard, Christopher & Davies, Lawe 1988, New women, new culture: The Women's Weekly and Hollywood in Australia in the early 1930s, Griffith University Press, Queensland. This book explores how the new woman came to be, and how the new woman affected culture, including how women are portrayed on the silver screen. Additionally, it shows how the Hollywood portrayal of women in the 1930s affected women in Australia. Siegel, Marcia B 2009, ‘Busby Berkeley and the projected stage’, Hudson Review, vol. 62, no. 1, pp. 106-114. Busby Berkeley is one of the filmmakers of the 1930s who pioneered dance movies. Siegel discusses some of the movies that show Berkeley's projected dance dreams. Streb, Jennifer L 2004, Minna Citron: A socio-historical study of an artist’s feminist social realism in the 1930s, Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania. This dissertation explores the work of Minna Citron, who was a Depression era feminist artist. In particular, the dissertation explores how Citron’s dual roles of homemaker and artist was affected by feminist concerns. Also explored is how Citron’s body of work was woven into the social fabric of the Depression era, and how her work reflected her feminist leanings. Watkins, Jessica 2005, From fallen women to risen heroines: Representations of gender and sexuality in American film, 1929–1942, thesis submitted to the Graduate College of Marshall University. Retrieved from http://www.marshall.edu/etd/masters/watkins-jessica-2005-ma.pdf. This dissertation explores the fallen woman and screwball comedy genre during the golden age of motion pictures, and focuses on how the issues of economics and culture affected these films and how gender is portrayed in these films, showing how the portrayal of women became more conservative in the 1930s, due to outside pressure. It also explores how the Great Depression changed the portrayal of women in cinema. Read More