In the Heat of the Night

How does the film relate to the chapter in Foner?

Foner’s chapter speaks about the rising tides of protest from the black community and the progression in the civil rights movement. The film however, does not portray protests or sit-ins, but it does give prime example of the southern white communities’ attitude toward African Americans. With the way Virgil is automatically arrested for a murder without being questioned or read any rights (which Foner mentions were ruled upon in Miranda v. Arizona 1966), it is easy to see that racism is very prevalent in the setting of this film just as it was in the sixties. It is a shock to the police department in this film when they learn that Virgil is in fact a police officer from the north. This is very similar to the shock that was experienced by racist whites in the sixties when blacks began to protest for equal civil rights.

What can we learn about American culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary historical source?

Southern American culture during this time period was not that exciting, however it was extremely racial. With the murder of the head of a company that was going to provide jobs for blacks killed for that reason, and one of the only black men in town producing angry mobs out for his murder, racism is no small subject in this small town of Mississippi. But what we learn from the south being extraordinarily racist, we learn that the north (wherever Virgil happens to come from) is far less caught up in racism. We know this because Virgil is employed as not only a police officer, but the best homicide detective in the area.

What does this film reveal about attitudes towards gender, class, and race?

Again, this film is very racially based. It shows that regardless of the civil rights movement that was going on nationally, people in the south especially were very angry and hateful towards blacks. The mobs that attack Virgil are prime examples of this, as well as the comments that Virgil encounters. When he is in the jail with Harvey, Harvey, before he realizes Virgil is a police officer, asks him why he is wearing “white man’s clothes” which consist of a suit and tie. When Virgil says to the black man who owns the auto shop that lends him a car “I’ll just get a motel”, the black man laughs like this would not be possible and tells him he should stay with him.

What was the most important scene in the film?

The most important part of the movie, without any direct relation to the murder plot, is the very ending where Virgil finally gets on the train to go home. As the sheriff and Virgil approach the train, the sheriff is carrying Virgil’s suitcase. He turns and gives it to Virgil and then shakes his hand. This is miles above the treatment the sheriff first gave Virgil in the beginning of the film, and even throughout the film. Then as soon as Virgil is boarding the train, the sheriff tells him with a smile to make sure he takes care. It is an inspiring moment of the film, because it give hope that racism can eventually learn to be overlooked.

The Girl Can't Help It

How does the film relate to the chapter in Foner?

This film relates to Foner in the sense that people of American culture were becoming affluent through consumerism. While Foner writes about everybody purchasing televisions and tv dinners, the film focuses on “Fats” trying to make his girl famous so Americans can “consume” her singing talents by purchasing them for their juke boxes. It is then after she becomes famous that Fats himself will then commit to “consuming” her by making her his famous and wealthy wife. While the elements consumed are not exactly the items Foner talks about in his chapter, the general theme of happiness from wealth and items owned exists between both.

What can we learn about American culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary historical source?

We can learn that American culture was about music, music and more music! Everything to do with this film is somehow related back to music. Tom is trying to make Jerri into a famous singer so she can become famous and marry “Fats”. Then “Fats” finds himself as the writer of a new hit song. Among these main things happening in the film, not a full five minutes of the film goes by with out a full length performance by a single artist or group. Whether it’s Julie London Haunting Tom during one of his drunken stupors, or the Platters performing at a night club while Tom is showing Jerri of to the owners, music is always prevalent.

What does this film reveal about attitudes towards gender, class, and race?

Beautiful women are definitely itemized in this film. When Tom brings Jerri to night clubs, all of the owners are marveled by her beauty and even more excited when they learn she is a singer. Race, although not really mentioned, shows both a mixture of black and white in the entertainment industry. However, in the rest of society that is enjoying the entertainment, there are really no African Americans involved. As far as class is concerned, a lower class is not represented through this film, but the importance of being on the top is definitely stressed through “Fats” and his obsession with making the girl he wants to marry famous first.

What was the most important scene in the film?

I believe the most important scene in this film is when Tom goes to see “Fats” because Fats is inquiring about an agent for his girl Jerri. This scene really points out the necessity for affluence amongst society. Although Jerri is beautiful and a wonderful homemaker, Fats refuses to marry her unless she is a “somebody” or a star. It is as if he wants to collect her, but she is not worth anything yet so she is not worth anything to him.

Pickup on South Street

How does the film relate to the chapter in Foner?

Since there is no mention of pickpockets or “cannons” in Foner’s chapter on the Cold War, the connection between this film and the chapter comes from the conflict between communism and anticommunism. Going along with section four in Foner’s chapter, the anticommunism aspect of this film is huge. When skip picks candy’s wallet on the train and discovers that it had secret government information on it, he immediately classifies her as a “red” or communist. She is unaware of this entirely, because Joey has been keeping his acts of treason and involvement with the soviets a secret from Candy. (Secrecy is another connection to Foner’s chapter). When Skip the cannon and Moe the woman who has all the information on the cannon’s and sells ties find out that Skip’s most recent pick pocket it involved with the communists, Moe says, “What are you doing with the commies skip?” This implies that working along side the communist party is even low in a cannon’s line of work. This relates to Foner because as he writes in his chapter on anticommunism, it seemed that everyone put communist relations at the top of the very bad to do list. Foner makes a statement that even members of the Hollywood elite were convicted and hated for conspiracy with the reds, and even in the film the lowest of the “class” do not want any involvement with it.

What can we learn about American culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary historical source?

By interpreting this film as a primary historical source, we can assume that American culture revolved around pick pocketing. While the police are usually involved with cannons like Skip, and learn there whereabouts from useful cannons like Moe, we learn that the police also are deeply involved in catching those who were passing government secrets on to the Soviets. This film doesn’t include too much culturally, other than the fact that both levels in class society are trying to make money. People like Skip and Moe make their money by stealing or conning, and people like Joey and his cronies make money by selling secrets to foreign governments.

What does this film reveal about attitudes towards gender, class, and race?

Attitudes about race are not revealed in this film. Class however, makes up the substance of the movie. Both class descriptions provided in this film look down upon each other, except of course Candy who has an undying love for Skip. The cannons look down upon law enforcement and those who make the money they steal, because they can profit from them just by reaching into their bags or pockets. The “upper class” frowns upon cannons because they are freeloading off of their hard earned money. Although Joey has a substantial amount of money, one might consider him a cannon because of his line of communist work. Also, the violence towards women (particularly Candy) was very extreme. This shows that women were viewed as less equal than men, because if she said something or did something the men didn’t approve of, she got slapped around.

What was the most important scene in the film?

The most important scene in this film is the epic fight between Joey and Skip. With one criminal fight against the other, you would expect to hope neither of them come out on top. However, with Skip’s charm and distaste for communism, you end up rooting for him to pull through to A) beat Joey because he’s a mean communist and beat the crap out of Candy, and B) because you don’t want Joey to successfully pass on secrets about nuclear weapons to enemy countries for profit.

The Purple Heart

How does the film relate to the chapter in Foner?

The Purple Heart tells the story of a group of US soldiers who to their misfortune, find themselves being tried by the Japanese for murder of civilians and the bombing of hospitals. As Foner often does, he connects his chapter on World War II to ideas of freedom. However, throughout the film the soldiers concepts of freedom are constricted greatly by the Japanese Court. They stand strong throughout horrendous tortures and refuse to give into the “un-American” ways of the Japanese General Mitsoubi. This hard headed effort put forth by the American soldiers represents Foner’s idea of using the country to spread democracy. By not revealing whether or not the US carrier was in a Japanese bay even under scrupulous watch and intense torture, the soldiers back up Foner’s notion that by example, the US would lead and teach about democracy, trust, liberty, and freedom. Foner’s chapter speaks strongly of the fight for the four freedoms. In relation to the film, the soldiers being tried are fighting for their individual freedom, which the concept of the four freedoms greatly emphasizes.

What can we learn about American culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary historical source?

By interpreting The Purple Heart as a primary historical source, we really cannot learn much about American culture except what is portrayed by the captured group of soldiers who are on trial in Japan. However from this we can conclude that all American soldiers are very loyal to their country and even when faced with death, they will keep national secrets safe and guarded. The film can also express the strong distrust and disgust American people had for the Japanese government at this time. With representation of the Japanese as people who fabricate evidence and do not allow for the American soldiers to be equally represented. Also, the torture the American soldiers were subject to by General Mistsoubi acts as an item to portray dislike for the methods of the Japanese government in World War II.

What does this film reveal about attitudes towards gender, class, and race?

As far as gender and class are concerned, there is not much mention of either throughout this film. Unless of course that the military of both the Japanese and the Americans are all male, and the only instance of a woman being present is that of the one on the jury. Race however is the big issue in this film because of the competing countries of Japan and America in the war. This film portrays the Japanese and their government as deceptive and heartless. It also pinpoints some of the Chinese as dishonest because the Chinese man that they stayed with after sold them out to the Japanese government even after he promised he wouldn’t. This dishonesty of the Chinese is however remedied by the Chinese man’s son, when he kills his father and claims loyalty to the United States.

What was the most important scene in the film?

The most important scene in this film would definitely be the ending in which the soldiers decide to put their wings in a jar, whole if they weren’t going to disclose the location of the hornet, and broken if they were. Even though broken meant their freedom, none of the soldiers broke their wings and placed them in their jar. This is important because it signifies the loyalties and perseverance of the American soldiers who were fighting for our country in World War II. They would give up their own freedoms for the benefit of America and the freedom and wellbeing of its citizens.

The Gold Diggers of 1933

The Crowd

How does the film relate to the chapter in Foner?

The film the crowd relates greatly to the chapter on the 1920's in Foner. The main features of the 1920's according to Foner are capital and labor, the losers of the twenties, and consumer culture and women. The strong emphasis on leisure culture and the sexualization of women that Foner marks as the new way Americans are changing their values to personal pleasure in visible even in the first few scenes of the film. When Johnny grows up to "become one of the 7 million men that believed new york depended on them." However it is evident that John and the 6,999,999 other men have lost their love for work and as Foner dictates in his chapter, only use work as an avenue to experience leisure. Consumer culture is a huge underlying element of this film, as Foner tells about in his chapter. So huge in fact that the basis of and advertisement, John and Mary get married. Another way this film relates to Foner is that it reveals the "losers" who were not allowed to participate in the luxuries of the twenties. Mary and John move into a small flat next to the noisy EL, with a fold away bed, poor plumbing, and things that fall apart. Although it seemed that Mary and John participated greatly in lavish things like coney island and new clothing, they struggled to make ends meet in the home. As Mary and John's marriage progressed, the toils of consumer culture wreak havoc on their marriage. The "dying" need to get into consumer ends up being costly to life during the twenties. Foner dictates this in his chapter and it if reflected throughout the film.

What can we learn about american culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary historical source?

For the first portion of the film, it was apparent that consumer culture was vastly on the rise and you did not fit into society until you participated. Money and the things that it could buy were a hot commodity. American culture was ruled by consumerism. It becomes apparent through this film that women were on the rise of using their sexuality to express their individuality and sense of freedom. They have short bobbed hair and even shorter dresses. They go to coney island and have men wrapped around their fingers. Although Prohibition is in full effect at this point, alcohol is still a major player of the 1920's. It's a way to "have fun and be free," as well as serving as a symbol of status.

What does this film reveal about attitudes towards gender, class, and race?

Race was not an issue presented in this film. Gender, on the other hand is a major subject of this film. The sexualization of women was something both men and women encountered on a daily basis. Men we affected not only by women's clothing in the 1920's, but their scandalous and new outgoing attitudes. Women smoked cigarettes and chewed gum just like men did. This was a new sense of freedom that ladies hadn't experienced until the rise of consumerism. Direct class division was never mentioned in the film The Crowd, however it was definitely necessary to have money and a job because your family life would not succeed.

What was the most important scene in the film?

I believe the most important scene in the film is the ending when Mary walks out on John, but John bought show tickets and a flower and Mary decides he's worth staying with. It may be that she decides to stay with him because he's changed his ways and finally got a job, however I find it ironic that there is such a focus on consumerism throughout the twenties, and when Mary is about to walk out on him, John is able to persuade her to stay with material things.

The Heart of Humanity

How does the film relate to the chapter in Foner?

This film does relate to parts of the chapter, however I found that there is more dissent between what Foner articulates and what we see in the film. The Heart of Humanity's major underlying tone is that of the anti-german crusade, which Foner touches on briefly in chapter 19. The Germans are portrayed as nasty brute soldiers that murder families, rape women, and make children cry. This representation did not by any means give any of the persons who saw this film a good impression of Germans and especially German soldiers. However aside from that connection, I noticed that there wasn't much else to relate between the film and Foner, unless of course its main intention was to encourage the support the war thereby being a propaganda film The film encouraged involvement in the war on all accounts although death by gun seemed inevitable. Nanette left her child and family to become a red cross nurse and the 4th brother out of the 5 joined although he just got word that one of his other siblings had been killed. The adoring looks at the American Flag in conjunction with the blaring sounds of the Star Spangled Banner also give the feeling that this film was intended to manipulate rather than inform.

What can we learn about American culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary historical source?

We can learn that war was difficult on the home front as well as in the middle of battle itself. It was easy to understand that the loss of a son overseas was something that occurred quite often, as was represented by the deaths of four of the five sons. We can also learn that American culture was filled with courageous and outgoing men and women that, despite death awaiting them, thought it fitting to help the war effort by physically lending a helping hand. This film makes it seem that we should have an "inner calling", like Nanette did with the "baby voices calling from afar", to go and help in anyway we can.

What does this film reveal about attitudes toward gender, class, and race?

As far as gender goes, this film is supporting of either sex that is willing to donate time and effort to the war effort. Nanette is a hero because not only does she brings smiles to the faces of the the poor refugee children, but runs into burning buildings to save them! John is of course a war hero because he ends up making it through the dangers of war to Nanette and defeating the Germans both on the small scale (the German who is attacking his wife) and the larger scale (the war in general). Any attitudes concerning class were not really expressed in this film. The German race really took a beating in the film, The Heart of Humanity. As I mentioned earlier, they are depicted as brutal murders and people who make babies cry. In one scene, the German soldier throws an infant out of the window while he is in pursuit of raping Nanette. Even while Nanette is trying to give a German soldier aid, he is rude and forceful to her and ultimately get defeated by her dog. These scenes give the general attitude that the Germans are utter scum and we should support their down fall.

What was the most important scene in the film?

I believe the most important scene in this film is the very end where the "yanks, yanks, YANKS!" came and relieved John and Nanette as well as the refugee children, where they stand smiling at the large waving flag. I think this shows the true propaganda-ality of the film, where it's expressed that hard work and hard ships will pay off for the American Home front.

Traffic In Souls

How does this film relate to the chapter in Foner?

I would say that in relation to the various ideas Foner expresses in this chapter, Traffic In Souls most represents the rise of mass consumer culture. The film's underlying story consists of the very prevalent trafficking of girls, "white slaves", that occurred during the progressive era. This connects to Foner's idea of mass consumption in a way that those who were in charge of the trafficking profited from their exploitation of the girls, while those who payed for the girls "consumed them". Foner expresses the connection between consumer culture and the meaning of freedom and although at first the trafficking of women does not seem to relate to freedom, there is a connection. Those who profited from trafficking as well as those who purchased the trafficked, experienced mass consumption as a new meaning of freedom. They were participating in a culture where goods were connected to the idea of freedom (as Foner expresses) and therefore succeeding in personal fulfillment. Smaller trends throughout the film also related to Foner, such as immigration and women in the workplace.

What can we learn about American culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary historical source?

We can learn that white slave trafficking was very prevalent during the progressive era with around 50,000 girls missing each year. Also, the fact that this film revolves around a female character who, aside from being coerced into being trafficked, represents a normal female role in the progressive era shows that it was not that out of the ordinary for a female role to be involved in society during this time period. It also expressed the disregard for the intelligence of immigrant women as well as the systems of class in both the social and work realms.

What does the film reveal about attitudes toward gender, class and race?

Race was not addressed in this film, and the general focus is on gender and class. Although women were included in the working world in this film, ie- the woman and her little sister working in the candy shop, they are for the most part shown as "trafficked souls" in which there is definitely a feel of slavery. Immigrating women are tricked and then not so subtlety forced into slavery and prostitution, while upperclass men and a few women run the rings. The wealthy who ran the trafficking rings in the film are shown trying to buy out the police when they are confronted about the "Swedish Employment Agency". This shows that the wealthy saw themselves above the girls they enslaved as well as the law.

What was the most important scene in the film?

I believe one of the most important scenes in the film was when one of the men who was running the trafficking ring went into the candy store in attempts to woo the little sister and trick her into trafficking. I think this is important because it was expressing to the audience that not only confused and impressionable immigrant girls were part of these horrible abductions. All women in a way, at least reflected in this film, were not very far away from being either involved, afflicted, or associated with trafficking.