We discussed how Vaudeville lost its popularity as broadcasting became central to American culture. Which genres of television seem most influenced by Vaudeville and how? How do you relate this week's screenings to the types of performances exhibited here? Feel free to share a clip of a contemporary show that exhibits some of these influences and compare the two types of entertainment.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Vaudeville and Television
We discussed how Vaudeville lost its popularity as broadcasting became central to American culture. Which genres of television seem most influenced by Vaudeville and how? How do you relate this week's screenings to the types of performances exhibited here? Feel free to share a clip of a contemporary show that exhibits some of these influences and compare the two types of entertainment.
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ReplyDeleteVaudeville fell out of style as television gained popularity; however, early television programs closely resembled Vaudeville acts as they were filmed in front of live audiences and they contained a variety of acts designed to shock or humor the audience. Early television shows such as the Milton Berle Show used the Vaudeville style in how they offered many different segments of the show, including dancing, skits, music, and comedy interludes offered by Berle or a guest comedian. In the episode we watched this past week, Berle introduces and participates in a sort-of circus act, with a trampoline and jumprope. In the Vaudeville video, there are several acts that very closely resemble this style of "awe and shock the audience" and gag humor. Berle was dubbed "Mr. Television" by America, so it is not surprising that his show was incredibly influential for the line of variety shows and late night shows that followed, and continue today. In that vein, variety shows such as the Ed Sullivan Show, the Tonight Show, and Saturday Night Live all resemble this early Vaudeville-style television.
The Ed Sullivan show combined interviews, comedy stand-up, and music performance to spur the widespread popularity of shows like this. He brought the country acts that were popular, such as The Doors, Elvis Presley, and also introduced newcomers such as Joan Rivers, and lesser-known musical acts. The Tonight Show, beginning in 1954 on NBC, is the longest running late night talk show in the world. While hosted by Johnny Carson for the longest stretch, 1962-1992, it developed into a necessary-visit for any popular musician, comedian, actor, or political big shot. Its style during that time resembled the Berle Show, albeit without the overt Vaudeville style and circus acts, through its quick pace and live-studio audience. Today, the Tonight Show is hosted by Jimmy Fallon, who is reviving its fun spirit after several years of dragging feet on the show. Fallon is a comedian himself and he fills the spaces between musical acts, interviews and games with guests much like Milton Berle did. Saturday Night Live is a modernized Vaudeville act; its many pre-filmed sketches and the fact that it isn't technically "Live" set it apart, but the alternating host, fast-paced skits, and musical numbers compare it to Vaudeville and early television.
Segment from Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voCxOZCNRJ0
Television has been greatly influenced by Vaudeville. Specifically the genres of sketch-comedy, late night variety and reality talent shows. The Texaco Star Theater: Milton Berle screening appeared to have been inspired by Vaudeville. A huge reason it appeared to be so closely inspired was the great variety of the different acts such as comedy, acrobatic and talent routines. In addition to that, The Martha Raye Show and The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show also appear to been influenced by Vaudeville. This is because of their focus on the importance physical comedy such as pouring something on a person’s head, falling, and overly exaggerated physical movements. Similar to the live theatre aspect of Vaudeville, all of these early television shows were filmed in front of a live audience. In television today, inspiration from Vaudeville can be seen with shows such as Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and America’s Got Talent. These modern shows, similar to both Vaudeville and early television, have a live audience. All of these shows either include short comedic sketches, musical guests, various acrobatic acts, or unique talents. Although the Vaudeville excitement started to dwindle as technology started to advance, inspiration from it can be seen throughout television history.
ReplyDeleteTV variety shows are definitely most influenced by vaudeville performance as it is where the idea of everyone can have a front row seat of a live show come alive with the invention of broadcast TV. Especially for the show like Texasco Star Theater, the adaptation of vaudeville performances is obvious where they just put on a trampoline circus skit. And those variety shows are live at the early age which is very much resemble with vaudeville shows with the exception of greater viewing seat. The live show combining with silly humor scripted skits and musical guest performances remind me of Saturday Night Live in contemporary TV genre. In a way, SNL is based on the essence of variety shows. And the early variety shows were influenced by vaudeville entertainment. Thus SNL is a representation of modern day vaudeville show on TV. Because of the live feature of SNL, there are often situations when hosts or guests forgot lines or improvise, which is just like the live performance of vaudeville shows. And musical guest's performances are introduced by the host near the set up stage, which is like vaudeville's singing performances.The beginning's monologue and etc can be traced back to stage performance in vaudeville.
ReplyDeleteWhen broadcast first come to live, the technology inspires experiments. But at the time, it is only smart to borrow from the most popular form of entertainment--vaudeville. Even nowadays, the best part of vaudeville shows reserved on television on shows like SNL.
Here is Justin Timberlake Veganville SNL Skit!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPex-MJ2Gls
Vaudeville was the main way for people to view their films in between the years of 1880 through the early 1900s. However, cinema was not the main focus of Vaudeville, the novelty acts, such as juggling or acrobatics were. Mostly between 1905 through 1915 Nickelodeon began to take over Vaudeville. In Vaudeville the variety acts were the main source of entertainment, but with Nickelodeon the films were the main attractions. Vaudeville was mostly for the upper class, costing twenty-five cents per entry, whereas Nickelodeons only cost a nickel. Since Nickelodeons were cheaper to get into more working class and immigrant people came to watch the films. Although Nickelodeon contributed to the demise of Vaudeville, there are still many shows today that have similar aspects of Vaudeville in them. Most of the shows I see Vaudeville characteristics in today are late night television episodes of The Tonight Show or Saturday Night Live. Even some reality shows like America’s Got Talent has that Vaudeville variety show feel to it at times. Not only is Vaudeville present in shows today, but ever since its creation in the late 1800s, it has been influential to television and film. In the 1950s the show Texaco Star Theater had many variety show qualities. From the episode we watched in class we saw that the acrobats on the trampoline, the singers, and the comedians all combined, gave us the sense of being related to Vaudeville. Now that television can be broadcast live, Vaudeville inspired shows seem to do the best with the ratings in comparison to other shows on television. This shows that although the technical Vaudeville period is over, many successful and thriving television shows still include Vaudeville characteristics.
ReplyDeleteClip From America’s Got Talent aerobic act. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR_w6n5Bc5U
The allure of Vaudeville was not just the variety of acts but in seeing them live. The acts included comedy skits, musical performances, animal shows, and other events. Early television was able to capture this experience and allow people to watch it from their own homes. The spirit and influence of vaudeville shows is most apparent in variety shows which showcase multiple acts usually tied together by a host introducing them. In screenings the variety show Texaco Star Theatre/The Milton Berle Show showed its vaudeville influence with a plethora of performances which included multiple comedy skits, musical performances, and even acrobatics. A large aspect of the energy and humor of the show could be handed to its live broadcasting which adds a sense of unpredictability, anything can happen. Most early television shows had these live influences like The Grace and Allen Show and The Martha Raye Show. The Martha Raye Show in particular had some vaudeville influences as it utilized vignette type skits and musical performances that were interspersed in its narrative.
ReplyDeleteToday variety shows, with the most famous being Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with David Letterman, Conan, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. Saturday Night Live is probably the most traditionally vaudeville utilizing comedic skits and musical performances with a new host every week. The other three have talk show formats, interviewing celebrity guests, and usually include a musical or standup performance, monologue by the host, and a game or skit. Jimmy Fallon with his energetic interactions with guests and variety sketches is incredibly reminiscent of Milton Berle. All of these variety shows are filmed in front of a live audience but are edited and filmed later in the evening. This keeps some of the live energy and allows for a tighter show, by cutting out major mistakes through editing.
The vaudeville might have faded but the idea of live acts still entices audiences and has led to the success of the variety show.
The Variety of Jimmy Fallon's show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBld0BTFlVQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTpn30Pms8I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6Q1UHxt4dk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOK4aBYNh3s
Martha Raye as a Transitional Text.
ReplyDeletePreviously other students have commented on vaudeville and its relation to the variety show, particularly in the types and range of performances. The Texaco Star Theater, specifically with its trampolines and other performances which resemble modern day talent shows, also features the very important figure of Milton Berle. As a host he was able to switch personae and get involved in the performances of his guests. He facilitated the transitions between different vaudevillian acts and lent a sense of cohesiveness.
This host, or mediator, evolved, or was adapted, to the sitcom as well. We see this in someone like Ricky Ricardo of I Love Lucy- someone who can appeal to the popular thirst for variety, for song and dance, while also having plot-motivated reasons to do so. As a bandleader, the audience is aware of his capabilities, of his role, and filmic/television techniques can be used to facilitate transitions between acts or skits without the need for direct address of the audience.
In this sense the episode of Martha Raye that we watched seemed like a median between the two poles of host-involvement and its relation to presentation of vaudevillian elements. The plot which saw Martha Raye mocking the expectations of the Hollywood starlet and consequently becoming one of sorts, used this plot as a motivation for the "variety" it also provided. The comedy throughout the show is very slapstick and physical and Martha's face is in constant contortion, providing one side of the show's entertainment value. Similarly, Martha sings and dances, dresses up and flashes back to her childhood and even impersonates Charlie Chaplin. Martha herself facilitates some of these transitions, by simply being talented and plot motivated, but also a television technique like the flashback shows evolution on the possibilities put forth by the vaudeville show.
Television in these early stages then was working in elements of vaudeville entertainment and largely these exaggerated, physically impressive acts were suitable for the basic, limited visual presentation that the television technology at the time ascribed. However as it evolved from the pure variety show to the sitcom, an expansion of television technical language allowed for more subversive inclusion of these elements, even as they remained crucial for entertaining the masses.
Vaudeville, from a contemporary standpoint, is fragmented into many genres but most prominently in comedy, music television, and variety shows. Comedy shows such as Seinfeld or Friends depict characters facing outrageous situations drawing audiences to laughter. Music television and variety shows are similar in the aspect of displaying bizarre, odd, entertaining, and often serendipitous acts that are enticing to viewers. The screening “Texaco Star Theater” starring Milton Berle was hugely influenced by the theatrics, exaggerated facial expressions (often zoomed-in for emphasis), and vividly expressive body language so prominent in vaudeville theaters. Similarly, The Martha Raye show was also heavily influenced by the vaudeville genre. There is such a genuine vibe in the acting as Martha Raye puts heavy stress on facial expressions. It is no wonder why vaudeville theaters were so dominant throughout the 19th and 20th century, in an era before broadcast television quality entertainment was only affordable to the upper class. The community aspect of these vaudeville theaters were also a good selling point, audience reactions are now done by laugh-tracks on top of live-audience laughs. It is unfortunate to lose such a community driven source of entertainment. Vaudeville theaters are ultimately outsourced to third parties such as carnivals, renaissance festivals, circuses and other niche forms of entertainment.
ReplyDeletewho was the host of that show?
ReplyDelete