American Cinema 1940s Flashcards

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the evolution of the Hollywood studio system, the De Havilland Decision, and the characteristics of Film Noir in the 1940s.

Studio System Contracts

A system where stars were signed to long-term contracts, required to work $6$ days a week for long hours, and could be suspended without pay for refusing roles or studio loans.

Suspension Clause

A practice where the length of an unpaid suspension was added to the total duration of an actor's contract, effectively extending their term of service.

Olivia de Havilland

The actress from Gone With The Wind who sued Warner Bros. in $1943$ for breach of contract, arguing that a contract should not be indefinitely extended by suspensions.

The 'De Havilland Decision' ($1944$)

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling stating that standard $7$-year contracts could not be lengthened by suspensions, leading to the rise of $1$-year or multiple-picture deals ($2-3$ films).

Film Noir

A major postwar genre characterized by a pattern of betrayal, deception, and violence, often filmed with few sets but many shadows and dark alleys.

Low-key lighting

A characteristic technique of Film Noir that balances the use of shadows to create a sense of mystery and suspense.

Hard boiled

A descriptor for the flawed and morally ambiguous male protagonists typically found in Film Noir.

Voice Over

A narrative technique in Film Noir often used to provide a 'just the facts' approach to the story.

Femme Fatale

A vicious and manipulative character trope in Film Noir that reflected male anxiety toward strong, independent women in the postwar era.

Postwar Gender Roles

The shift after WWII where women were encouraged to leave the workforce to give jobs to returning veterans, a transition considered 'patriotic' at the time.