Some Like It Hot (1959) Film Analysis PDF

Billy Wilder Some Like It Hot 1959  Auteur The idea of the auteur is that films are ‘authored’ by individuals, most obviously the film’s director, rather than being generic studio products. Can you think of a director who has their own distinctive style? ...

Billy Wilder Some Like It Hot 1959  Auteur The idea of the auteur is that films are ‘authored’ by individuals, most obviously the film’s director, rather than being generic studio products. Can you think of a director who has their own distinctive style?  Auteur The idea of the auteur is that films are ‘authored’ by individuals and that distinctive characteristics derive from a principal creative individual (most commonly the director, but it may also include cinematographers, performers or institutions). Which modern directors have a distinctive style?  Auteur: Key Questions How auteurs determine the look and style of a film how auteurs, through the imprint of their ‘signature’ features, can make a significant impact on a film’s messages and values. Billy Wilder  Wilder and Authorship Billy Wilder, one of American cinema’s premier writer- directors, has always maintained that movies are “authored,” and has always felt that much of a film’s direction ideally should take place in the writing  Some Like It Hot Watch the film Micro Elements Making Meaning  Soundtrack Sound design - 'strong musical element’ Soundtrack created by Adolph Deutsch It has an authentic 1920s jazz feel using sharp, brassy strings to create tension in certain moments, for example whenever Spats' gangsters appear.  Soundtrack: Music There are three songs sung by Marilyn Monroe: "Runnin' Wild"/ "I Wanna Be Loved By You"/ "I'm Thru With Love” All three songs dated from the period of the film: 1922, 1928 & 1931 respectively These are important to the narrative development of the film Jazz running throughout the film also helps set a fun, lively and rebellious tone and the music during the Tango scene adds comedy and contrast to the parallel love scene on the yacht  Diegetic Sound Diegetic sound is key to the film especially in terms of the emphasis on dialogue and fast paced delivery of witty lines The maracas were added to Daphne’s engagement announcement scene to allow the audience pauses to laugh so they wouldn’t miss dialogue Other dramatic sounds (sound stings) such as gunshots add real drama shock Diegesis = the world we see on screen  Mise-en-Scene: Costume The dress was considered a scandal; an intelligent design by Orry-Kelly that allowed Monroe to be practically naked without taking any of her clothes off The dress also had a daring plunge back, which stops…well just in time. Heart-shaped embroidery completes the rear, a reference perhaps to Sugar’s tendencies to wear her heart visibly Accessorised with diamante earrings, a double strand cuff, embellished pumps and fur stole, Monroe personifies sex appeal  Mise-en-Scene: Costume Orry-Kelly won an Oscar for his costumes Apparently Kelly achieved the sensual fit by sewing Monroe in to the costumes Success of the costumes lie in their ability to accentuate Monroe’s unique sex appeal It’s almost impossible to take your eyes off her, from the moment she appears on- screen she is magnetic and alluring – a modern day goddess with a scandalous wardrobe to match.  Mise-en-Scene: Costume Other costumes also play a big part in communicating meaning and character Eg The Joe and Gerry, Josephine and Daphne, Jnr , Spats and the gangster costumes  Mise-en-Scene: Props, Sets Objects connote social status; Spats/toothpick Transport, such as the train, bicycle, yacht and motorboat, are key motifs emphasising the theme of journeys and transformation Key sets/locations help move the story along e.g. Chicago in the winter, Florida in the sun for transformation and the funeral parlour/speakeasy as deception  Editing Adheres to Classical Hollywood continuity editing A more complex scene is the yacht/tango sequence Whip-pans propel us from one location to another Plus contrasting mise-en-scene, music, performance the effect is successful in communicating the difference between the situations  Cinematography In terms of cinematography and aesthetics, Billy Wilder chose to shoot the film in black and white as Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis in full drag costume and make-up looked 'unacceptably grotesque' in early colour tests Charles Lang was known for shooting romantic films in black and white – not for a ‘noir’ style “We shoot only from angles that help us take the story forward.” Billy Wilder Cinematography Charles Lang's gorgeous black-and- white cinematography “We shoot only from angles that help us take the story”  Performance Use of non-verbal communication including physical expression and vocal delivery The interaction between actors The significance of casting It’s a tossup whether Curtis beats out Lemmon or whether it goes the other way ’round. Both Performance are excellent  Performance “Her performance as “Sugar,” the fuzzy blonde who likes saxophone players “and men with glasses” has a deliciously naive quality. She’s a comedienne with that combination of sex appeal and timing that just can’t be beat.”  Homework Read the PowerPoint ‘Institutional Context’ How important is the representation of gender in making Some Like It Hot an important film? – Consider what is conventional and unconventional about how genders are presented – Consider how this might have been viewed when the film was first released – Consider ways in which an individual film can become historically important  Wilder Auteur Bullet Points Themes: con/swindle/deception/disguise Themes: pushing boundaries, controversy Versatility: Screwball comedies, noirs etc. Primacy of writing: detailed scripts, simple cinematography Tight plotting: complex and interesting Artists: visualise the characters, moulding characters to actors Women: often shows a cynical attitude  Billy Wilder: Overview Working with Charles Brackett and then with I.A.L. Diamond, he co-wrote/directed films that have become the standard by which others are judged He made films in a range of genres including screwball comedy (‘Seven Year Itch') romantic comedy ('Ninotchka') to the darker film noirs ('Double Indemnity') and social-problem pictures ('The Lost Weekend') In 'Sunset Boulevard' he made the ultimate Hollywood-on-Hollywood film as well."  Billy Wilder: Early Life Samuel Wilder, born June 22, 1906, in Poland His mother had lived in the US and nicknamed her son "Billy" because of her fascination with the American frontier hero Buffalo Bill Cody After moving to Vienna with his family in 1914, young Billy developed a love for American jazz, westerns and the satirical films of gifted German director Ernst Lubitsch  Billy Wilder: Starting in Film One night in Berlin he agreed to help his landlady's daughter, Lulu, out of a jam. When her boyfriend suddenly appeared at their apartment house Wilder agreed to hide the sometime-prostitute's client in his room. He recognized his naked guest as the president of Maxim Films, and offered him a script to read. Hearing the raging boyfriend next door say he would slit the throat of any man he caught with Lulu, Galitzenstein hefted the script in his hand and said: "I'll buy it. It feels like a good story."  Billy Wilder: Early Film Career Wilder was soon writing screenplays for UFA, Germany's top movie company Although he ghostwrote several other films, Wilder considered his film debut to be “People on Sunday" in 1929 He became popular overnight and remained in demand until 1933, when Adolf Hitler came to power and Wilder fled to the USA.  Billy Wilder: In America Arrived in Hollywood in 1934 and after a six- month contract with Columbia expired, he was out of work for two years "I kind of starved for a little bit," he said. "I shared a room with Peter Lorre, and we lived on a can of soup a day” Taught himself English by listening to baseball games on the radio and going to movies, forcing himself to learn 20 new words a day  Billy Wilder: Paramount Contract In 1936, Paramount hired Wilder and teamed him with Charles Brackett, a novelist and former New Yorker drama critic. The temperamental, often warring pair wrote 14 consecutive hits, including the innovative "Ninotchka," "The Lost Weekend" and "Sunset Boulevard"  Billy Wilder: Controversy "I'm not a born director," he told Crowe. "I became a director because so many of our scripts had been screwed up” Wilder made "The Lost Weekend," which pioneered movies about social problems Paramount was under intense pressure to drop the completed project. Lobbyists for the liquor industry reportedly offered as much as $5 million for the print of the movie  Billy Wilder: Controversy Paramount shelved the film indefinitely Wilder was so humiliated that he fled Hollywood returning to Germany to aid in the reconstruction of the German film industry, theaters and radio after World War 2. At that time that he learned his grandmother and stepfather and had been killed at Auschwitz  Billy Wilder: Success Paramount later decided to release the film. It opened to critical acclaim in New York. Moviegoers packed theaters there and in California, and the film's success was sealed. The film won Wilder his first two Oscars—for writing and directing But of all Wilder's films, perhaps the most revered by Hollywood itself was the 1950 dark tale of Hollywood "Sunset Boulevard"  Billy Wilder: Success Louis B. Mayer stormed out of the theater cursing Paramount and shouting, "We should horsewhip this Wilder, we should throw him out of this town! He has brought disgrace on the town that is feeding him!“ The film won worldwide acclaim and brought Wilder his third Oscar, for his screenplay.  Billy Wilder: Leaving Paramount "Stalag 17" (1953) about a German prisoner- of-war camp, caused Wilder to depart Paramount. Preparing a dubbed version for German release, the studio suggested he change the Nazi spy to a Polish prisoner of war. Wilder refused and said he would leave if the studio failed to apologize.  Billy Wilder: Winning Streak After Paramount (1953-57), Wilder worked for several smaller studios – “The Seven Year Itch”, (Charles K. Feldman Productions, 1955) a romantic comedy with Marilyn Monroe, – "Love in the Afternoon," (Allied Artists, 1956) with Gary Cooper and Hepburn, a rare flop; the courtroom drama – "Witness for the Prosecution,“ (Edward Small Productions, 1957) with Marlene Dietrich, Tyrone Power and Charles Laughton Then, in 1959 with Mirisch Productions, what many consider his masterpiece, "Some Like It Hot."  Billy Wilder: Mirisch Films Remember this! Mirisch Productions The three Mirisch Brothers left Allied Artists in 1957 and set up their own studio. Securing Wilder to direct a new movie was a benefit to Mirisch.  Billy Wilder: Mirisch Films Mirisch Productions In return, Wilder was given plenty The Apartment (1960) of creative “In 1957, he and his brothers Harold and freedom on Marvin formed an independent company, the Some Like it Hot Mirisch Corporation. Offering unparalleled creative autonomy and generous profit sharing…” Museum of Modern Art, Manhattan  Billy Wilder: Mirisch Films Mirisch Productions In 1959 Mirisch signed a key distribution deal with United Artists for 20 films. Some Like it Hot became the breakthrough hit for Mirisch Context Certification – how did they release without a cert? Before 1968 films were awarded a ‘MPAA Certificate’ This was often referred to as a ‘Production Code certificate’ Some Like It Hot was deliberately released without one because the distributors knew it would not pass This was a VERY risky strategy Certification – how did they release without a cert? Releasing without certificate was very RARE Director Otto Preminger had done it previously The Moon is Blue was released in 1953 without a certificate because it contained the words ‘virgin’ and ‘pregnant’ There is a myth that Hitchcock released Psycho in 1960 without a certificate but this is not true. Certification – how did they release without a cert? SLIH was released in six key US cities first This was to test public reaction Cities were likely to be more tolerant and sophisticated than rural areas It did very well in the first few weeks eg grossing $45,000 in Chicago where Marilyn Monroe made an appearance From just 6 cities it was the third highest grossing US film that week It was then released in 100 cities A wider release was then gradually built up across the country Kansas banned the film completely because United Artists refused to cut the yacht scene  Wilder as Auteur Some Like It Hot was Wilder’s second co- writing project with I.A.L. Diamond, which may also have encouraged his creative freedom.  Wilder as Auteur He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood's Golden Age. With The Apartment, Wilder became the first person to win Academy Awards as producer, director, and screenwriter for the same film  Wilder as Auteur Billy Wilder wrote and directed a diverse range of commercial Hollywood films – including films noir (Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard) – Comedies (The Seven Year Itch, The Apartment). What unifies Wilder’s diverse films are the themes of deception and disguise, a tight script and witty, memorable dialogue  Wilder as Auteur Some Like It Hot epitomizes the themes Wilder explored throughout his career. Many of his pictures revolve around some sort of con or swindle -- a murder-for-profit scheme in Double Indemnity; a reporter's opportunistic manipulation of tragedy in The Big Carnival; the double lives of adulterous business executives in The Apartment.  Wilder as Auteur Wilder's directorial choices reflected his belief in the primacy of writing Remember this! He avoided, especially in the second half of his career, the exuberant cinematography of Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles because, in Wilder's opinion, ‘shots that called attention to themselves would distract the audience from the story.’  Wilder as Auteur Wilder's pictures have tight plotting and memorable dialogue Despite his conservative directorial style, his subject matter often pushed the boundaries of mainstream entertainment Wilder holds a significant place in the history of Hollywood censorship for expanding the range of acceptable subject matter  Wilder as Auteur Once a subject was chosen, he would begin to visualize in terms of specific artists His belief was that no matter how talented the actor, none were without limitations and the end result would be better if you bent the script to their personality rather than force a performance beyond their limitations The screenplay for Some Like It Hot was incomplete even when filming started, indicating how it was being shaped to the already cast actors. The famous last line of the movie was written the night before it was shot.  Wilder as Auteur - collaboration Wilder was also one of the three producers on the film – the others being I.A.L. Diamond and Doane Harrison This gave Wilder much more control as an auteur than a director working for a more detached producer representing the interests of the studio I.A.L. Diamond was co-writer with Wilder for the screenplay so was likely to collaborate well Wilder’s production partnership with Doane Harrison (who began his career as an editor) went back to 1939 so the two were very familiar with what made a Wilder movie work.  Wilder as Auteur - collaboration Billy Wilder cultivated Marilyn Monroe’s star persona, having previously directed her in The Seven Year Itch (1955) This film, along with Some Like it Hot, contributes to Monroe’s persona as a combination of naivety and alluring sexuality.  Some Like it Hot: Writing The plot is based on a screenplay by Billy Wilder from the 1935 French film Fanfare of Love, re-made as Fanfaren der Liebe (1951) in Germany, scripted by Michael Logan Wilder created the gangster subplot that kept the musicians on the run, for Some Like It Hot.  Some Like it Hot: Writing Focus on the witty dialogue rather than gaudy cinematography, keeping the audience’s eye on the interaction between the characters ‘It’s very nice, very artistic,’ he says about an overhead angle shot, ‘but who sees the scene from this angle? … It does not push the story along. We shoot from only the angles that help us tell the story.’  Some Like it Hot: Writing His talent at writing was well known, and he wrote his scripts in great detail, ‘insisting that his scripts be spoken ‘exactly as written’ with no ‘on the spot improvisations’ or ‘method actor mumbling  Some Like it Hot: Genre Using his talent, he overtly displays and creates connections between other films George Raft in Scarface continuously flips a coin. In Some Like It Hot, Spats sees a hood flipping a coin; he snatches the coin out of the air and says ‘Where’d you pick up that cheap trick?’ Taking elements out of widely acclaimed Hollywood films, Wilder places them within and deliberately, yet subtly, parodies them.  Some Like it Hot: Themes He takes American culture and Hollywood and questions them, pushing the boundaries Wilder pushes the idea of homosexuality and same-sex marriage beyond what was acceptable Jerry and Joe often have trouble remembering that they are meant to be women, and ogle at Sugar which implies a pseudo-lesbianism  Some Like it Hot: Stardom/Star Image His use of the cross-dressing/disguises directly refers to and questions the construction of the star image It questions the star and stardom, calling ‘stardom’ a role, then subverts it by making the characters step outside of it  Some Like it Hot: Human Nature A theme that Wilder frequently revisits is the idea of human nature, an issue that confronts ordinary people every day In Some Like It Hot, Joe and Jerry are looking for a job as musicians, but their outlook is grim. For musicians, or artists in general, searching for a job is virtually impossible  Some Like it Hot: Human Nature The exploration of human nature is also apparent in the exchanges between Joe and Sugar Joe is attracted to Sugar, the gorgeous bombshell who is running away from her own life, like him, but his own true identity must remain a mystery  Some Like it Hot: Women When Sugar follows Joe – yet another saxophone player who will likely be just another man who’ll disappoint her – reveals Wilder’s pessimism towards women A view he held which is widely realised, which ‘explains the hard-bitten, cynical females who turn up in his movies’  Billy Wilder: Auteur Legacy Four films directed and co written by Wilder have been selected by the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress for recognition and preservation. Only director John Ford, with five, has more Some Like it Hot Sunset Boulevard Lost Weekend Double Indemnity  Wilder Auteur Bullet Points Themes: con/swindle/deception/disguise Themes: pushing boundaries, controversy Versatility: Screwball comedies, noirs etc. Primacy of writing: detailed scripts, simple cinematography Tight plotting: complex and interesting Artists: visualise the characters, moulding characters to actors Women: often shows a cynical attitude  Essay practice To what extent does Some Like It Hot reflect Billy Wilder’s Auteur signature? This task looks at auteur style and at context Task To what extent does Some Like it Hot reflect Billy Wilder’s auteur signature? Consider where you can see his distinctive style Consider where you see links to his other films Consider limiting factors (studio system etc.) Three Sections – not necessarily paragraphs, not necessary to be equal lengths – Section 1 might be much longer than 2&3 Auteur style To what extent does Some Like it Hot reflect Billy Wilder’s auteur signature? Consider where you can see his distinctive style Themes: con/swindle/deception/disguise – example? Themes: pushing boundaries, controversy – example? Primacy of writing: detailed scripts, simple cinematography – examples? Tight plotting: complex and interesting – example? Women: often shows a cynical attitude – example? Consider where you see links to his other films Double Indemnity Consider limiting factors (studio system etc.) Show you understand that the Studio System and Hays (or’Production’) Code limited film makers But show you know that Wilder had signed up with Mirisch Productions which was more independent and gave him some freedom to push the boundaries Quote from the film If you are talking about simple cinematography driving the plot forward, give some specific examples and describe Wilder uses many simple two and three shots because dialogue is so important Other examples – the millionaires, the train wheels, Spats Colombo’s feet Quote from the film If you are talking about simple cinematography driving the plot forward, give some specific examples and describe Wilder uses many simple two and three shots because dialogue is so important Wilder believed a film should ‘show not tell.’ Quote from the film If you are talking about witty dialogue, give some specific examples and explain Sugar: Water polo, isn’t that dangerous? Joe: It sure is, I had two ponies drowned under me Search for quotes online eg Some Like It Hot Quotes Auteur style To what extent does Some Like it Hot reflect Billy Wilder’s auteur signature? Consider where you can see his distinctive style Themes: con/swindle/deception/disguise – example? Themes: pushing boundaries, controversy – example? Primacy of writing: detailed scripts, simple cinematography – examples? Tight plotting: complex and interesting – example? Women: often shows a cynical attitude – example? Consider where you see links to his other films Double Indemnity – choose a couple of the above and apply to Double Indemnity You could weave this into the previous section of the essay Consider limiting factors (studio system etc.) Show you understand that the Studio System and Hays (or’Production’) Code limited film makers But show you know that Wilder had signed up with Mirisch Productions which was more independent and gave him some freedom to push the boundaries Context To what extent does Some Like it Hot reflect Billy Wilder’s auteur signature? Consider where you can see his distinctive style Themes: con/swindle/deception/disguise – example? Themes: pushing boundaries, controversy – example? Primacy of writing: detailed scripts, simple cinematography – examples? Tight plotting: complex and interesting – example? Women: often shows a cynical attitude – example? Consider where you see links to his other films Double Indemnity – choose a couple of the above and apply to Double Indemnity You could weave this into the previous section of the essay Consider limiting factors (studio system etc.) Show you understand that the Studio System and Hays (or’Production’) Code limited film makers But show you know that Wilder had signed up with Mirisch Productions which was more independent and gave him some freedom to push the boundaries  Essay practice To what extent does Some Like It Hot reflect Billy Wilder’s Auteur signature? This task looks at auteur style and at context Task To what extent does Some Like it Hot reflect Billy Wilder’s auteur signature? Consider where you can see his distinctive style Consider where you see links to his other films Consider limiting factors (studio system etc.) Three Sections – not necessarily paragraphs, not necessary to be equal lengths – Section 1 might be much longer than 2&3 This task looks at auteur style and at context Task – overall responses Good work Some great quotes from the dialogue – many individual ideas eg (Sugar) ‘real diamonds – they must be worth their weight in gold’ or (Jerry) “We won’t breathe a word,” (Spats) “You won’t breathe nothing, not even air.” Some very good close analysis of a sequence Some very good background research eg researching Andrew Sarris, who first used the term ‘auteur theory’ Some very good detail reference to other Wilder films including Double Indemnity and Sunset Boulevard This task looks at auteur style and at context Task To what extent does Some Like it Hot reflect Billy Wilder’s auteur signature? Consider where you can see his distinctive style Consider where you see links to his other films Consider limiting factors (studio system etc.) Don’t ignore the phrasing of the question – ‘to what extent’ implies that SLIH was not completely an auteur film. In some ways it is a product of the Golden Age, not New Hollywood eg the way women are shown in soft focus, or the screwball style of comedy in the chase sequence at the end Auteur style To what extent does Some Like it Hot reflect Billy Wilder’s auteur signature? Consider where you can see his distinctive style Themes: con/swindle/deception/disguise – example? Themes: pushing boundaries, controversy – example? Primacy of writing: detailed scripts, simple cinematography – examples? Tight plotting: complex and interesting – example? Women: often shows a cynical attitude – example? Consider where you see links to his other films Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard Consider limiting factors (studio system etc.) Show you understand that the Studio System and Hays (or’Production’) Code limited film makers But show you know that Wilder had signed up with Mirisch Productions which was more independent and gave him some freedom to push the boundaries and that without United Artists as distributor being prepared to release without a certificate, the film was anon-starter. Quote from the film If you are talking about simple cinematography driving the plot forward, give some specific examples and describe Wilder uses many simple two and three shots because dialogue is so important Other examples – the millionaires, the train wheels, Spats Colombo’s feet Quote from the film If you are talking about simple cinematography driving the plot forward, give some specific examples and describe Wilder uses many simple two and three shots because dialogue is so important Wilder believed a film should ‘show not tell.’ Quote from the film If you are talking about witty dialogue, give some specific examples and explain Sugar: Water polo, isn’t that dangerous? Joe: It sure is, I had two ponies drowned under me Search for quotes online eg Some Like It Hot Quotes Auteur style To what extent does Some Like it Hot reflect Billy Wilder’s auteur signature? Consider where you can see his distinctive style Themes: con/swindle/deception/disguise – example? Themes: pushing boundaries, controversy – example? Primacy of writing: detailed scripts, simple cinematography – examples? Tight plotting: complex and interesting – example? Women: often shows a cynical attitude – example? Consider where you see links to his other films Double Indemnity – choose a couple of the above and apply to Double Indemnity You could weave this into the previous section of the essay Consider limiting factors (studio system etc.) Show you understand that the Studio System and Hays (or’Production’) Code limited film makers But show you know that Wilder had signed up with Mirisch Productions which was more independent and gave him some freedom to push the boundaries Context To what extent does Some Like it Hot reflect Billy Wilder’s auteur signature? Consider where you can see his distinctive style Themes: con/swindle/deception/disguise – example? Themes: pushing boundaries, controversy – example? Primacy of writing: detailed scripts, simple cinematography – examples? Tight plotting: complex and interesting – example? Women: often shows a cynical attitude – example? Consider where you see links to his other films Double Indemnity – choose a couple of the above and apply to Double Indemnity You could weave this into the previous section of the essay Consider limiting factors (studio system etc.) Show you understand that the Studio System and Hays (or’Production’) Code limited film makers But show you know that Wilder had signed up with Mirisch Productions which was more independent and gave him some freedom to push the boundaries Context Certification Before 1968 films were awarded a ‘MPAA Certificate’ This was often referred to as a ‘Production Code certificate’ Some Like It Hot was deliberately released without one because the distributors (United Artists) knew it would not pass This was a VERY risky strategy This could only be done with the co-operation of the production company (Mirisch) and the distributors (United Artists – who had been founded in 1918 on the principle of giving directors more freedom) Certification – how did they release without a cert? SLIH was released in six key US cities first This was to test public reaction Cities were likely to be more tolerant and sophisticated than rural areas It did very well in the first few weeks eg grossing $45,000 in Chicago where Marilyn Monroe made an appearance From just 6 cities it was the third highest grossing US film that week It was then released in 100 cities A wider release was then gradually built up across the country Kansas banned the film completely because United Artists refused to cut the yacht scene Certification – how did they release without a cert? Releasing without certificate was very RARE Director Otto Preminger had done it previously The Moon is Blue was rejected in 1952 by the MPAA because it contained "an unacceptably light attitude towards seduction, illicit sex, chastity, and virginity" The distributor, like SLIH, was United Artists and they used the same strategy of releasing in a few cities before going nationwide It was also banned in Kansas, as well as New Jersey, Maryland and Ohio. Several of these bans were overturned by higher courts. Some small town cinemas showed the film to single sex audiences! There is a myth that Hitchcock released Psycho in 1960 without a certificate but this is not true. Certification – how did they release without a cert? Releasing without certificate was very RARE An article in Saturday Review, 27 June 1953 illustrates the debate: "the question here is neither one of great art nor even of particularly good taste. It is rather a question of whether American movies are continually to be hamstrung by rules that confine picture themes, picture morals, and picture language to what is deemed fit for children, or for childlike mentalities.” Context The Studio System You need to show an understanding of how the studio system worked in the Golden Age The Studio system worked on the industrial principle This meant that powerful studio bosses would trust their own teams of producers to know what would sell – ie tried and tested genre based films that did not cause controversy. These producers put more faith in their own teams of writers, editors and directors This made it very difficult for individual directors to get original, auteur style ideas approved by producers in the big studios Context Mirisch Productions The website for the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in Manhattan has a page on Walter Mirisch Offering unparalleled creative autonomy and generous profit sharing, the Mirisches nurtured the careers of directors such as Hal Ashby, Blake Edwards, Norman Jewison, John Sturges, Billy Wilder, and Robert Wise, and actors such as Charles Bronson, Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Joel McCrea, Steve McQueen, Sidney Poitier, and Peter Sellers. Context Mirisch Productions The website for the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in Manhattan has a page on Walter Mirisch Offering unparalleled creative autonomy and generous profit sharing, the Mirisches nurtured the careers of directors such as Hal Ashby, Blake Edwards, Norman Jewison, John Sturges, Billy Wilder, and Robert Wise, and actors such as Charles Bronson, Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Joel McCrea, Steve McQueen, Sidney Poitier, and Peter Sellers.