Art, Popular Culture and the Classical Ideal in the 1930s: Two Classic Films

Dr. David Soren examines Art, Popular Culture and the Classical Ideal in the 1930s in this beautifully illustrated book. The book takes an in-depth look at Roman Scandals and Christopher Strong and, as an added bonus Dr. Soren received permission to publish the unfinished autobiography of pioneering female filmmaker Dorothy Arzner. The 1930s were a time of contrasts. At a time when Americans had less money than at any time in their history, most movies revealed the obsession of the American people with elegance, wealth and beautiful people, so that an alien from Mars seeing most of these films would imagine that the society that had made them was entirely wealthy and not in the depths of the Depression. The 1930s was also an era of innovation in technology and design, when form began to follow function and everything streamlined, curvy and blonde was “in.” Anyone unfamiliar with the 1930s can nonetheless instantly Recognize that the hairstyles, costumes and sets have a particular look to them. The 1930s were tragic, elegant, fascinating and fun. Enjoy discovering them a posteriori through the magic of the movies and the crutch of this book.