American Cinema 1940's

Flashcards covering the collapse of the studio system, the De Havilland Decision, and the characteristics of Film Noir in the 1940s.

Studio System Contract

A long-term agreement where stars worked six days a week for long hours and could be suspended without pay for refusing roles or loan-outs.

Suspension Policy

A studio practice where time spent suspended for refusing a role was added to the total length of an actor's contract.

Olivia de Havilland

The 'Gone With The Wind' actress who sued Warner Bros. in 1943, arguing her seven-year contract was legally finished regardless of suspension time.

De Havilland Decision (1944)

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling that a standard seven-year contract could not be indefinitely lengthened by suspensions when an actor refused a project.

Post-De Havilland Contracts

The industry shift following the 1944 court ruling where one-year contracts or multiple-picture deals (2-3 films) became the norm.

Film Noir

A postwar genre characterized by betrayal, deception, and violence, often featuring dark alleys, shadows, and a cynical tone.

Low-key lighting

A characteristic of Film Noir used to create a sense of mystery and suspense through the heavy use of shadows.

Hard boiled

A term describing the flawed and morally ambiguous male protagonists typically found in Film Noir.

Femme Fatale

A Film Noir character trope depicting women as vicious and manipulative, reflecting male anxiety over changing gender roles.

'Just the facts' approach

The specific style of voice-over narration often used in the Film Noir genre.

Postwar Patriotic Labor Expectation

The social pressure for women to give up their wartime jobs to returning veterans after WWII.