FTV30006 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Mike Nichols, Bette Davis, De Havilland
Week 5
The Movie Brats
How the Film School Generation Dominated Hollywood… For a While
Screening: The Graduate (1967) Mike Nichols
Hollywood in Decline
The Paramount Decrees forced studios to sell off their exhibition outlets in the late 60s
Meaning the opening of space for independent or foreign cinema
Actors such as Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilaland fought against the contract system – de
Haviland won.
Jimmy Stewart was one of the first to become ‘independent’ – through an agent he hired
himself out of studios, gave him the capacity to pick and choose projects
Led to a process not so much of the studio having the power over talent, but the agent as
the governing body, and the ‘package deal’ of star, director or other talent as a ‘bundle’ for
hire.
Influence of Foreign Cinema
With exhibition opening up, foreign cinema began to find a market – Italians the Swedes
form France From Japan
These countries had no Code, they offered a challenge to the restrictions imposed by the
Hollywood industry
Rossellini’s The Miracle came under fire – but legal case was won, and it was released in
1950 despite controversial religious material. Ruling based on First Amendment rights –
freedom of speech
Became easier for people to see the more risqué cinema – because cinema owners were
essentially not ‘Hollywood’ any more – and remember, although there were state
censorship laws, the Code itself was not law, but self-regulation.
Sweden’s II am Curious (Yellow) in 1967 caused a sensation (and was banned in
Massachusetts) for its full frontal nudity. Huge success.
Collapse of the Code
Infiltration (and often success) of European art cinema challenged the Code – and people
were going to see these films
Filmmakers increasingly pushed the boundaries – confronted taboo topics (homosexuality,
heroin addiction)
Television had become serious competition for the film industry – especially once the studio
libraries were acquired by TV stations – so that films were shown in totality on television
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf caused a scandal – successful stage play, not all profanity
removed. Huge success.
Blow Up – British made, but US funded, released without the Code approval. Success.
Generational change, financial imperatives and television a threat to the industry as it was
Ultimate recognition that the Code was no longer functional, it eventually collapsed by 1967
with a rating system subsequently implemented.
Document Summary
How the film school generation dominated hollywood for a while. The paramount decrees forced studios to sell off their exhibition outlets in the late 60s. Meaning the opening of space for independent or foreign cinema. Actors such as bette davis and olivia de havilaland fought against the contract system de. Jimmy stewart was one of the first to become independent" through an agent he hired himself out of studios, gave him the capacity to pick and choose projects. Led to a process not so much of the studio having the power over talent, but the agent as the governing body, and the package deal" of star, director or other talent as a bundle" for hire. With exhibition opening up, foreign cinema began to find a market italians the swedes form france from japan. These countries had no code, they offered a challenge to the restrictions imposed by the.
