A Song in the Dark: The Birth of the Musical Film

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(as of Oct 07, 2026 08:40:10 UTC – Details)

Drawing on meticulous research, sharp wit, and insightful analysis, Richard Barrios illuminates the origins of the movie musical in this extensively revised and updated edition of his highly acclaimed A Song in the Dark. From Warner Bros. and Jolson, to the Oscar-winning Broadway Melody and beyond, here is the whole funny and peculiar history of these films, their creators, and their audiences. Ranging from the smash hits of The Singing Fool and Sunny Side Up to bizarre flops like Golden Dawn and Cecil B. DeMille’s Madam Satan, they form a body of work unlike anything else in the history of popular entertainment. Here too are legendary performers, directors, and composers: from Fannie Brice, James Cagney, and Mae West, to Busby Berkeley, George and Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein, and countless others. With many new rare photographs, some not published in nearly 80 years, this new edition traces the rise and fall, and rise again, of this quintessential piece of the American experience.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ OUP USA
Publication date ‏ : ‎ 26 November 2009
Edition ‏ : ‎ 2nd
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 504 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0195377346
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0195377347
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 726 g
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 23.11 x 15.49 x 2.54 cm
Importer ‏ : ‎ Bookswagon, 2/13 Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi 110002, sales@bookswagon.com, 01140159253
Packer ‏ : ‎ Bookswagon, 2/13 Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi 110002, sales@bookswagon.com, 01140159253
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