Chapter 08: The Sound Film and the American Studio System
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The most significant genre to emerge from the coming of sound to the American cinema was
a. the gangster film. d. the melodrama.
b. the screwball comedy. e. the musical.
c. the biopic. f. none of the above
2. Which of the following is NOT characteristic of the Busby Berkeley cinematic style?
a. sophisticated montage techniques
b. swooping crane shots
c. expressive camera movement
d. greater integration of music and narrative
e. abstract geometric compositions
f. All of the above are characteristic of Berkeley’s style.
3. Fred Astaire
a. worked at MGM during the 1930s.
b. directed the dance sequences as well as the dramatic sequences in his films.
c. was a silent film star before becoming a musical star.
d. made the camera part of the dance through movement and editing.
e. all of the above
f. none of the above
4. Perfect frame-by-frame synchronization of sound and picture in animation was pioneered by
a. Warner Brothers animators. d. Fred Astaire.
b. Busby Berkeley. e. Walt Disney.
c. Winsor McCay. f. none of the above
5. Which of the following is the correct match between film and post–sound era genre?
a. Little Caeser—prison film
b. The Front Page—gangster film
c. Palm Beach Story—newspaper film
d. His Girl Friday—biopic
e. Lloyd’s of London—screwball comedy
f. none of the above
6. Which of the following genres did NOT emerge with coming of sound?
a. the musical d. the biopic
b. the gangster film e. science fiction
c. screwball comedy f. all of the above
7. Films such as Viva Villa!, Lloyds of London, and Dr. Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet fit into the genre of
a. the biopic. d. the musical.
b. the socially oriented crime film. e. the melodrama.
c. the screwball comedy. f. none of the above
8. Screwball comedy is characterized by
a. minimal dialogue.
b. a slower narrative pace.
c. a high sense of realism.
d. the use of sight gags held over from slapstick.
e. a narrative focus on large groups within some professional arena.
f. all of the above
9. The style of Preston Sturges can best be described as
a. versatile, in that he directed films in all genres.
b. musical comedies with slight social significance.
c. dark social satires of political and personal corruption.
d. patriotic, populist, and optimistic.
e. melodrama with a strong visual sensibility.
f. none of the above
10. The great Hollywood studios were founded
a. in the first decade of the invention of cinema.
b. before World War I.
c. in the mid-1920s.
d. immediately after the coming of sound.
e. in the mid-1930s.
f. none of the above
11. Wall Street investment in Hollywood resulted in
a. the center of power in the film industry remaining in Los Angeles.
b. a more artisanal production method with each film treated as a unique entity.
c. an increase in the importance of both the director and the screenwriter.
d. standardized, assembly-line production.
e. bigger budgets and more lavish production values.
f. none of the above
12. The Payne Fund studies found that
a. movies had little influence on the behavior of children.
b. Hollywood films were immoral and so were bad for society.
c. over ninety million tickets were being sold each week.
d. movies had a positive influence on the behavior of children, making them more sociable.
e. movies did influence the thinking and day–to-day conduct of children.
f. none of the above
13. The Production Code Association (PCA) was developed due to the pressure created by
a. the economic effects of the Depression.
b. Legion of Decency boycotts.
c. the Payne Fund studies.
d. Our Movie Made Children.
e. all of the above
f. none of the above
14. Joseph Breen was the head of the
a. MPPDA. d. Legion of Decency.
b. PCA. e. Hays Office.
c. Motion Picture Research Council. f. none of the above
15. Which of the following was permissible under the PCA code?
a. married couples sharing a bed
b. police dying at the hands of criminals
c. discussions of weapons in the film’s dialogue
d. surgical operations
e. excessive drinking
f. none of the above
16. The studios voluntarily adhered to the Production Code
a. because it created a more efficient framework for production.
b. because they were forced to by federal law.
c. to disband the MPPDA.
d. to creatively challenge screenwriters and directors.
e. both b and c
f. all of the above
17. Which of the following is NOT an aspect of vertical integration?
a. exhibition
b. production
c. distribution
d. Only b and c are aspects of vertical integration.
e. Only a and c are aspects of vertical integration.
f. none of the above
18. Which of the following was NOT one of the five vertically integrated major studios in the 1930s?
a. RKO
b. Warner Brothers
c. 20th Century-Fox
d. Universal
e. Paramount
f. All of the above are Big Five companies.
19. Foreign rental accounted for what percentage of the Hollywood studio’s revenue?
a. 50
b. 10
c. 90
d. 25
e. Foreign rentals were never significant to the studios.
f. none of the above
20. The percentage of theaters in the United States owned by the major studios and their percentage of
market revenue was roughly
a. 90 and 25 percent. d. 25 and 50 percent.
b. 75 and 15 percent. e. 15 and 75 percent.
c. 50 and 50 percent. f. none of the above
21. The largest, wealthiest, and most productive of the Hollywood studios was
a. 20th Century-Fox. d. Universal.
b. Paramount. e. RKO.
c. Warner Brothers. f. none of the above
22. Which of the following is LEAST characteristic of the MGM style?
a. opulent production design d. romantic escapism
b. high-key lighting e. the musical
c. fast-paced dialogue f. All of the above are characteristic.
23. The studio responsible for both Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz in 1939 was
a. Paramount. d. United Artists.
b. MGM. e. Universal.
c. Warner Brothers. f. none of the above
24. The Hollywood studio that was considered to be the most “European” was
a. Universal. d. Warner Brothers.
b. Columbia. e. RKO.
c. Paramount. f. none of the above
25. Paramount
a. gave its directors less control over their films than any of the other major studios.
b. was particularly known for its lavish musicals.
c. made more films per year than any other studio.
d. only owned a small number of theaters relative to its competitors.
e. was known for its baroque visual style.
f. none of the above
26. The only director in Hollywood history to be given complete control of a studio’s film output was
a. Cecil B. DeMille. d. Howard Hawks.
b. John Ford. e. Rouben Mamoulian.
c. Ernst Lubitsch. f. none of the above
27. The studio of the working class that specialized in gangster films and musicals with a Depression-era
setting was
a. Columbia. d. Warner Brothers.
b. Universal. e. United Artists.
c. RKO. f. none of the above
28. The Warner Brothers style featured
a. spare sets. d. flat, low-key lighting.
b. minimal production values. e. tight narrative construction.
c. fast-paced editing. f. all of the above
29. Directors at Warner Brothers
a. were generally unable to pursue a personal vision.
b. had more creative freedom than at other studios.
c. also worked as screenwriters and producers.
d. included Cecil B. DeMille and Preston Sturges.
e. were required to make 1–2 films per year.
f. none of the above
30. 20th Century-Fox was run for an extraordinary two decades by
a. William Fox. d. Samuel Goldwyn.
b. Winfield Sheehan. e. Darryl Zanuck.
c. Irving Thalberg. f. none of the above
31. The studio that employed John Ford and Shirley Temple and produced the Charlie Chan series was
a. 20th Century-Fox. d. RKO.
b. MGM. e. Columbia.
c. Warner Brothers. f. none of the above
32. The films of 20th Century Fox
a. were characterized by hard, glossy surfaces produced through careful budgeting.
b. were often spectacular, lavish musicals.
c. featured flat lighting and spare sets.
d. were the most sophisticated and “European” of the Hollywood studios.
e. were often horror films and gangster films.
f. none of the above
33. The smallest and LEAST financially stable studio of the five majors was
a. Columbia. d. Warner Brothers.
b. RKO. e. Universal.
c. 20th Century-Fox. f. none of the above
34. RKO
a. was the studio best known for horror films like Frankenstein and Dracula.
b. avoided the production of musicals because they were too expensive.
c. distributed the films of Samuel Goldwyn and Walt Disney.
d. was the only studio that did not make B-films for the second half of double-bills.
e. Both b and c are true.
f. none of the above
35. The studio known for its Expressionist-influenced horror films was
a. Columbia. d. Universal.
b. RKO. e. Paramount.
c. Warner Brothers. f. none of the above
36. Universal
a. was one of the five majors in the 1930s.
b. made exclusively low-budget B-films.
c. was a major studio in the 1920s but declined in the 1930s.
d. owned a large theater chain.
e. was known for its lavish sets and high key lighting.
f. none of the above
37. The studio where Frank Capra and Robert Riskin made their New Deal comedies was
a. 20th Century-Fox. d. Warner Brothers.
b. Paramount. e. United Artists.
c. Columbia. f. none of the above
38. Samuel Goldwyn was
a. the head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. d. an important director in the 1940s.
b. the head of 20th Century-Fox. e. an independent producer.
c. the head of Columbia Pictures. f. none of the above
39. The company that was NOT truly a studio in the formal sense but rather a distribution company for the
films of independent producers was
a. RKO. d. Columbia.
b. United Artists. e. the Producer’s Releasing Corporation.
c. 20th Century-Fox. f. none of the above
40. In the 1930s, United Artists
a. had a large, well-equipped production facility.
b. had many top stars under contract.
c. grew dramatically during the decade.
d. owned a small but powerful theater chain.
e. was run by Harry Cohn.
f. none of the above
41. The United States vs. Paramount Pictures lawsuit was about
a. monopolizing the film production business.
b. immorality in the studio’s films.
c. charges of financial impropriety regarding actor salaries.
d. real estate owned by the studio.
e. writers and directors demanding creative freedom.
f. none of the above
42. “Divestiture” in the Paramount Decrees of 1948 refers to
a. the studios selling their theater chains.
b. the studios selling their stock to the public.
c. the studios giving up their exclusive contracts with stars.
d. the studios selling their production facilities.
e. both c and d
f. none of the above
43. In order to combat declining attendance in the middle of the 1930s, Hollywood invented
a. color cinema.
b. ethnic cinema.
c. the all-star spectacle.
d. the serial.
e. the double bill.
f. None of the above; attendance was still rising.
44. The films made by such studios as Monogram Pictures and Republic Pictures were referred to as
a. race films. d. newsreels.
b. exploitation films. e. documentaries.
c. B-films. f. none of the above
45. Race films during the 1930s and 1940s
a. were necessary since Hollywood studios made no films featuring all African American casts.
b. were produced primarily on the East Coast and never in Hollywood.
c. were almost always produced for companies that were African American owned and operated.
d. did not operate in the standard genres like the western or the horror film.
e. were almost all musical comedies.
f. none of the above
46. The most important African American director of the 1920s and 1930s, whose films often dealt with
important social issues, was
a. Noble Johnson. d. Oscar Micheaux.
b. Paul Robeson. e. Joseph Green.
c. Spencer Williams. f. none of the above
47. The Yiddish cinema
a. was produced almost entirely in the United States.
b. was active throughout the 1940s.
c. expanded dramatically after the coming of sound.
d. remained characterized by poor production values throughout the 1930s.
e. was produced exclusively in Poland and the Soviet Union.
f. none of the above
48. The “grandfather of Yiddish cinema” and the director of the first Yiddish-language talkie was
a. Jacob Gordin. d. Edgar Ulmer.
b. Sidney M. Goldin. e. Joseph Seiden.
c. Maurice Schwartz. f. none of the above
49. Producer Roman Rebush’s film Green Fields
a. was directed by Edgar Ulmer, who had Hollywood experience.
b. was a commercial hit with the non-Yiddish-speaking public.
c. was based on small-town Jewish life in Eastern Europe.
d. was influenced by the success of Joseph Green’s Polish films.
e. was made at the end of the Yiddish “quality” cycle.
f. all of the above
50. Underworld, the first modern gangster film, was directed by
a. Howard Hawks. d. John Ford.
b. Ben Hecht. e. Fritz Lang.
c. Josef von Sternberg. f. none of the above
51. Von Sternberg’s The Blue Angel
a. stars Greta Garbo.
b. is mostly a silent film with a few musical numbers.
c. was produced by Paramount.
d. was shot at the UFA studios in Germany but was not produced by that company.
e. fills foreground space with nets, veils, posters, and streamers to combat cinematic “dead space.”
f. all of the above
52. Josef von Sternberg
a. is credited as cinematographer on all his feature films.
b. was more interested in narrative and character than mood or atmosphere.
c. worked for MGM and RKO after leaving Warner Brothers.
d. is known for erotic, exotic films shot on elaborately decorated sets.
e. made hard-hitting social issue films with very contemporary themes.
f. none of the above
53. Von Sternberg’s Shanghai Express
a. takes place in a stark, empty mythological world.
b. features an uncharacteristically drab mise-en-scène.
c. is one of the few von Sternberg films not to star Dietrich.
d. takes place on a boat sailing from Europe to China.
e. all of the above
f. none of the above
54. Von Sternberg’s The Scarlet Empress
a. was a commercial failure that diminished the director’s status at the studio.
b. features a scaled down set design and a simplified mise-en-scène as compared to von Sternberg’s
previous films.
c. was set in nineteenth-century England among the decadent aristocracy.
d. was the last film von Sternberg made at Paramount.
e. was made on a dramatically reduced budget as compared to his previous films.
f. none of the above
55. In his early career, John Ford
a. worked as an assistant to Griffith.
b. made the classic The Iron Horse, the first film he ever directed.
c. started out directing Harry Langdon comedies.
d. was influenced by Murnau, and many of his films show an Expressionist style.
e. started as a stunt man and then became a western star before turning to directing.
f. all of the above
56. John Ford’s The Informer
a. was influenced by Soviet montage in terms of both style and subject matter.
b. was the first honest film about American organized crime.
c. used Expressionist camera techniques to portray the hero’s tortured mind.
d. was popular but not highly regarded by critics of the time.
e. was produced for 20th Century-Fox.
f. none of the above
57. Which of the following is NOT one of John Ford’s classic films from 1939?
a. Stagecoach d. Drums Along the Mohawk
b. The Searchers e. Only c and d are from 1939.
c. Young Mr. Lincoln f. All of the above are from 1939.
58. Between the coming of sound and World War II, the majority of John Ford’s films were
a. Americana comedies. d. social problem films.
b. westerns. e. action-adventure films.
c. war films. f. all of the above
59. During World War II, John Ford
a. joined the navy.
b. made the classic documentary Battle of Midway.
c. contributed to the war effort in the South Pacific.
d. shot films of battles, bombing raids, and other military operations.
e. all of the above
f. None of the above; Ford stayed in Hollywood during the war.
60. Which of the following is NOT emblematic of the worldview expressed in John Ford’s films?
a. community d. sophistication
b. loyalty e. all of the above
c. discipline f. none of the above
61. Which of the following is true of the later films of Ford’s career?
a. He continued to make a significant number of westerns.
b. They are universally considered to be the worst of his career.
c. He maintained a consistent interest in developing the art of cinema.
d. He continued to work for 20th Century-Fox.
e. only a and d
f. all of the above
62. Which of the following is LEAST descriptive of John Ford’s films?
a. Working within the studio system did not restrain his individual vision.
b. He shot many of his best films in the same location—Monument Valley.
c. They stressed community, discipline, and courage.
d. They reveal a great technical virtuosity, particularly in terms of camera and editing.
e. They are based on an accurate depiction of history.
f. all of the above
63. Howard Hawks
a. worked for 20th Century-Fox for almost his whole career.
b. never worked in any other capacity than producer or director throughout his career.
c. dealt with primarily international themes in his films.
d. directed Scarface for producer Howard Hughes.
e. directed The Grapes of Wrath for producer David O. Selznick.
f. none of the above
64. The Howard Hawks film that is considered the prototype for screwball comedy is
a. Ball of Fire. d. His Girl Friday.
b. Bringing Up Baby. e. It Happened One Night.
c. Twentieth Century. f. none of the above
65. Howard Hawks’s The Road to Glory
a. was about Hawks’ experiences as a pilot.
b. was a follow-up gangster film to his hit Scarface, written by Hawks and Howard Hughes.
c. was about automobile racing and written by Ben Hecht.
d. was a boxing film cowritten by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
e. was an antiwar film cowritten by William Faulkner.
f. none of the above
66. Which of the following is LEAST descriptive of Hawks’s film style and career?
a. He worked in every major American film genre including the musical and the horror film.
b. His themes were consistently professionalism, self-respect, and the masculine woman.
c. He favored elaborate camera movement and montage editing.
d. He worked on the screenplays of almost every film he directed.
e. He worked with several of Hollywood’s best cameramen, but his films are not visually stylish.
f. All of the above are true.
67. During the early portion of Hitchcock’s career
a. he started in the industry immediately as a director for Famous Players-Lasky.
b. his first successful films were comedies.
c. he did not develop his characteristic style until the coming of sound.
d. he was one of the few directors not influenced by German Expressionism.
e. he directed his first two films at UFA.
f. none of the above
68. The director who most successfully combines Expressionistic mise-en-scène with montage-style
editing is
a. John Ford. d. Howard Hawks.
b. Josef von Sternberg. e. Frank Capra.
c. Alfred Hitchcock. f. Ernst Lubitsch.
69. Hitchcock’s Blackmail
a. was intended from the beginning to be Hitchcock’s first sound film.
b. did not use sound as a dramatically significant element.
c. introduced the recurring Hitchcock motif of chases through famous places.
d. features a static camera as a result of the needs of sound recording.
e. utilizes horrific and nightmarish locations.
f. all of the above
70. Hitchcock’s series of films for Gaumont British in the 1930s
a. were not very popular with British audiences.
b. are not considered among his best films by critics and scholars.
c. include The 39 Steps, Strangers on a Train, and Rope.
d. were primarily espionage thrillers.
e. both a and b
f. none of the above
71. Sabotage
a. features a chase scene on the roof of the British Museum.
b. features a shocking audience alienation effect as a bomb carried by a young boy explodes on a bus.
c. deals with an innocent man being pursued by the police.
d. was based on Somerset Maugham’s “Ashendon” adventure stories.
e. has a greatly simplified editing style as compared to Hitchcock’s previous films.
f. none of the above
72. Hitchcock’s move to America was motivated by
a. his feeling unappreciated by the British audience and critics.
b. the kinship he felt with American culture, and he had always wanted to emigrate.
c. the British film industry, which was in one of its periodic states of crisis and contraction.
d. the production facilities in the United States, which were the best-equipped in the world.
e. Both c and d are true.
f. all of the above
73. Rebecca
a. was Hitchcock’s first American film.
b. was produced by Walter Wanger for United Artists.
c. earned Hitchcock his first Academy Award for directing.
d. was an espionage thriller of the type that made Hitchcock so successful in England.
e. was made quickly and cheaply accounting for its relatively unpolished quality.
f. None of the above are true.
74. The film that Hitchcock constructed entirely from eleven elaborate tracking shots, each averaging over
seven minutes in length, was
a. The Paradine Case. d. Notorious.
b. Rope. e. Rear Window.
c. Lifeboat. f. none of the above
75. The film Hitchcock produced in 3–D, though it was ultimately only released “flat” when the 3-D craze
died, was
a. Strangers on a Train. d. Shadow of a Doubt.
b. Rope. e. I Confess.
c. Dial M for Murder. f. Hitchcock never made a film in 3-D.
76. The Hitchcock film that investigates questions of voyeurism and the film viewer’s implication in this
psychological dysfunction is
a. Rear Window. d. Shadow of a Doubt.
b. I Confess. e. Strangers on a Train.
c. The Wrong Man. f. none of the above
77. Of the following, who was NOT one of Hitchcock’s regular collaborators during the final two decades
of his career?
a. cinematographer Robert Burks
b. composer Bernard Herrmann
c. screenwriter Ben Hecht
d. agent/executive Lew Wasserman
e. editor George Tomasini
f. All of the above were regular collaborators.
78. Vertigo
a. features oblique 360-degree cutting to create an impossible space.
b. uses a reverse tracking/forward zoom to convey the feeling of vertigo.
c. constructs its image, sound, and narrative in the form of descending spirals.
d. uses a subtle tracking camera to create identification with Scottie.
e. all of the above
f. none of the above
79. In Vertigo,
a. Hitchcock destroys the suspense by revealing the murder plot two-thirds of the way through the
movie.
b. there is a conventional happy ending with Novak and Stewart together.
c. Jimmy Stewart plays an injured photographer who spies on his neighbors.
d. the same actress plays two different characters.
e. the plot is quite straightforward, but the mise-en-scène is complex.
f. none of the above
80. Vertigo
a. was popular with audiences and critics at the time of its release.
b. is a romantic and idealistic film despite its dark tone.
c. celebrates the Hollywood narrative tradition.
d. is among the most personal and deeply felt films of Hitchcock’s career.
e. both a and d
f. all of the above
81. Psycho
a. was a big budget film for Hitchcock.
b. seems to prove Kuleshov’s editing principles.
c. has the heroine die at the end.
d. was a failure at the box office.
e. was widely applauded by critics upon its release.
f. none of the above
82. After becoming the third largest shareholder in the conglomerate that owned this studio, Hitchcock
produced all his films for
a. Paramount. d. 20th Century-Fox.
b. MGM. e. Columbia.
c. Universal. f. none of the above
83. The Alfred Hitchcock Presents television show
a. did not feature Hitchcock in every episode.
b. was only marginally popular with audiences.
c. was always directed by Hitchcock.
d. made Hitchcock extremely rich.
e. all of the above
f. none of the above
84. The Birds
a. was one of Hitchcock’s most expensive and successful films.
b. featured an experimental electronic music sound track.
c. featured special effects by a former Disney animator.
d. took nearly three years in preparation.
e. only b and c
f. all of the above
85. Marnie
a. is considered by most critics to be Hitchcock’s last important film.
b. was praised by critics for its naturalism.
c. was Hitchcock’s last great popular success.
d. was the first film on which Hitchcock collaborated with Bernard Herrmann.
e. is about a man so obsessed with a dead woman, he attempts to re-create her in another woman.
f. all of the above
86. Hitchcock returned to London to shoot which film, representing a return to form after a period of
creative decline?
a. Topaz d. Torn Curtain
b. Frenzy e. The Short Night
c. Family Plot f. none of the above
87. The director who used carefully conceived storyboards to preplan the shooting and editing of his films
in minute detail prior to production was
a. Ford. d. Von Sternberg.
b. Hawks. e. Capra.
c. Hitchcock. f. none of the above
88. A filmmaker of wit and elegance who was known as a “woman’s” director during his long tenure at
MGM was
a. William Wyler. d. George Cukor.
b. Howard Hawks. e. Preston Sturges.
c. Josef von Sternberg. f. none of the above
89. The director who enjoyed a fine reputation for literary adaptations featuring deep-focus photography
was
a. Frank Capra. d. John Ford.
b. George Cukor. e. William Wyler.
c. Howard Hawks. f. none of the above
90. The director who began his career as a slapstick gag writer before becoming a three-time Academy
Award winner for his trademark populist comedies at Columbia was
a. George Cukor. d. Howard Hawks.
b. William Wyler. e. Ernst Lubitsch.
c. Preston Sturges. f. none of the above
91. Frank Capra
a. was head of the U.S. Army’s film propaganda unit in World War II.
b. was known primarily for directing tense political thrillers.
c. wrote most of his films himself.
d. unlike most successful directors, never attempted to start his own production company.
e. was disillusioned by the war and retired from filmmaking soon after World War II.
f. all of the above
92. The first attempt by the American film industry to overcome the language barrier to international
distribution that arose with the sound film was
a. subtitles.
b. simultaneous production of the same film in many languages.
c. dubbing.
d. releasing films only in their original languages until the problem could be solved.
e. both a and c
f. none of the above
93. The mechanism by which corporate interests exerted ideological control over the Hollywood film
industry was
a. government censorship.
b. the production of propaganda films.
c. the Production Code.
d. hiring screenwriters based on their ideological beliefs.
e. a secret agreement between the studios, Wall Street, and the U.S. government.
f. none of the above
94. Hollywood’s response to the reality of the Depression during the 1930s was
a. with a few notable exceptions, to completely ignore it.
b. to make many films with economic hardship as the subject matter.
c. to offer progressive solutions to the social problems afflicting the nation.
d. to act as an instrument of social control.
e. both a and d
f. none of the above