Lifelong Learning Institute
Spring 2002
Mondays: April 8 through June 3
Schulz Center 1121: 10am - 11:45 am
Instructor: Barbara Spear
email: spearb@sonoma.edu
Course Syllabus:
April 8: Introduction: finances, history, personnel
April 15: Technology: conversion to sound, deep focus, lighting, color, widescreen:
please note: we will meet in Schultz 2016 for this class only
April 22: Censorship and the Production Code:
April 29: Studio style:
May 6: The star system: Marlene Dietrich, Bette Davis:
May 13: The studios and genre: focus on the western:
May 20: The studios and auteurism: focus on Douglas Sirk:
June 3: A Hollywood production: from conception to movie theater and beyond:
Course Business:
The lecture each week will focus on one main film (indicated in bold within the schedule above), with the other listed films to be used to illustrate specific points about the Hollywood studios as time allows. Because of the constraints of class time, the screening of films in their entirety will not be possible. Class time will be used for lecture, discussion, and the screening of clips from films. Because comprehension of the material covered will be greatly enhanced by familiarity with the films, it is expected that every student will have viewed at least the main film to be covered in each week's lecture before the class meeting time. Group screenings of the films, either in the Library Multi-Media Center (which has such facilities) or arranged privately, are encouraged.
While the main film listed for each week in the above syllabus will most likely stay the same, the other films to be used in class are subject to change and/or revision depending upon the instructor's needs and student feedback. Appropriate notice will be given regarding changes in the syllabus.