1
VIDEO
TITLE SEQUENCE:
Clip from Moulin Rouge of
characters on stage. The
Ziddler is seen and his
dialogue interrupts the
narrator by yelling "the show
must go on." Movie title and
year in lower left third.
SHOT :
Clip of title sequence of
Dames showing the name Busby
Berkeley. Blackout. Cut to
clip of Barbara and Jimmy
talking and singing in the
park. Title and date in lower
left third.
Continuation of the clip of
Barbara and Jimmy singing
and talking at the picnic
. Cut to a clip of Barbara
dancing. Multiple Barbaras
can be seen, all wearing the
same white dress on large
moving objects and walking
around.
Cut to a clip of Satine and
Christian singing together
atop the elephant from Moulin
Rouge. Title and date in the
left lower third.
AUDIO
Baylee Ventura
DOC SCRIPT
NARRATOR VO:
The greatest musicals begin with the
stage. In a land revolved around
the phrase "the show must go on".
Where actors sing on and offstage.The
world of the backstage musical.Title
underscore from Dames plays softly
underneath.
NARRATOR VO:
Busby Berkeley is acclaimed to be the
father of the backstage musical. His
choreography and directing skills in
the 1930s set and defined the standards
for the backstage musical. Berkeley was
the first to produce this new kind of
film. Which involved singing and large
dancing numbers.
NARRATOR VO:
In the older style of musical, it
was more common to see separate large
dance production numbers with creative
aerial shots, while singing pieces were
initiated in a way that would make
sense for characters to be singing.
Like Jimmys song to Barbra as he
confess his love and attraction for
her.This convention of revealing ones
emotions through song is timeless.
NARRATOR VO:
However, even in newer, contemporary
films, two characters can be found
singing intimately, regardless of the
time.

VIDEO
A clip from Moulin
Rouge of the first dancing
scene in the Moulin Rouge.
Large movements and vulgar
actions shown.The audience
can see and hear the music
they actors are singing.
Montage of Clips of singing
and dancing from Dames and
Moulin Rouge. Cut to footage
of sound machines in theaters
with people walking into
the theater. Cut
to Vaudeville performance and people
in the audience
Clip of dancing ans singing
from Moulin Rouge and a clip
of only singing and only
dancing from Dames.
Clip of Barbara and Jimmy
talking with their dialogue
leading into the song they
sing. Cut to Christian and
Satine talking with their
conversation leading into
song when they are in the
elephant.
Clip of Christian on the
mountain while the Bohemians
around argue frantically.
Christians belts a note to
gather attention and begins
to sing.
2
AUDIO
NARRATOR VO:
In modern musicals, numbers of song
and dance are incorporated. Unlike,
separate dance productions of the past
modern audiences require singing and
dancing together to create a specific,
more powerful mood.
NARRATOR VO:
The 1930s became the Golden Age of
the Musical because newly developed
in house sound systems. Ironically,
the Age of the Musical developed
from the Age of Silence. Sound
technology
allowed for film theaters
laughing
and Vaudeville routines to give sound
to audiences everywhere.
NARRATOR VO:
Musicals did not recognize singing
and dancing synchronously until the
production of "The Broadway Melody" in
1929 and changed the face of musicals
forever.
NARRATOR VO:
Classic musicals incorporate songs into
the film naturally. Most instances
occur between two characters smitten
with each other talking. Their
conversation then leads into a song
purposefully sung by the character.This
does occur in more contemporary films,
but not as often.
NARRATOR VO:
A characters powerful singing voice
does not go to wast either. In a couple
cases, Christian settles disputes
by belting a note and carrying on
with attention on him. His ways are
effective and break the classic rules
of transitioning into song. However,
in both situations it is not wrongfully
placed as a situation where singing is
okay.

VIDEO
Clip from Moulin
Rouge showing the cast
rehearsing the Spectacular
Spectacular. Cut back
and forth with a clip
from Dames of actors on
stage during the final
performance.
Cut to a clip of Dames of the
performance where the men are
in character, discussing how
to make a play great.
Cut to a clip from Dames of
Barbara and Jimmy talking.
Barbara is angry and the
words "But thats my song!"
are heard. Cut to a clip
from Moulin Rouge of Satine
and Christian singing and
discussing their song. Cut to
the picnic scene of Dames.
Cut to a clip of Barbara
auditioning for a role
in Dames. Cut to the
dispute after her audition
with dialogue between her and
her father.
Cut to a clip of Satine
discussing her aspirations
of being a real actress with
the Ziddler backstage after
her performance in the Moulin
Rouge.
3
AUDIO
NARRATOR VO:
Both films portray a common convention
of the production of a play proving to
be a pivotal role. In Dames, the moral
crusading uncle Ezra changes his mind
about the evils of plays leading to a
hefty $10 million inheritance.
NARRATOR VO:
Musicals began onstage in theaters
and were adapted to film. Seeing a
character having a desire in writing a
play about a play is the filmmaker and
script writers way of paying homage to
theater.
NARRATOR VO:
The couples share something special
within the film. But through the filter
of backstage musical, the special song
is a convention. Although, a large
production of a couples song strays
from commonplace. The song usually
is only found to be sung in a quiet
setting between the lovers.
NARRATOR VO:
The backstage musicals tends to follow
a young girl trying to make her way in
the world. But Dames does not follow
that path. Instead it focuses on the
changing of heart and letting go of a
grudge towards theater. As well as love
conquering over hardship.
NARRATOR VO:
Satine joins Barbara in her defiance
in avoiding convention. Satine instead
would like to be a real actress instead
of the "Dazzling Diamond" but is caught
up in the world of love and sickness.

VIDEO
Cut to a clip of Jimmy
directing his play. Cut to
a clip of the rehersal where
The Lord, The Ziddler, and
Christian are in the room
discussing the play.Montage
of characters as their
position is called from
Moulin Rouge with a cut back
to Jimmy.
Cut to montage of clips of
Barbara tap dancing, the
large dance number, the
scene of the girl at the
ironing board, and ending
dance scene.
ENDING SEQUENCE:
Montage of clips showing
sing, dancing, productions,
characters on stage, and
characters singing to each
other.
4
AUDIO
NARRATOR VO:
While musicals usually follow a
young woman trying to make her way
in show business, men are typically
seen with having power. These gender
roles are true for both films. Men
are seen in dominant figures such as
director,owner, and playwright.
NARRATOR VO:
Busby Berkeley began with the concept
of a backstage musical and added
grand dance productions and complex
locations to the once play like shows.
His choreography signed contracts for
him with large companies. Audiences
of the Golden Age of Musicals were
thrilled to experience films with sound
and captivating choreography.
NARRATOR VO:
The journey that film brings is
endless. Song and dance will continue
to capture the interest of the audience
throughout the ages. Film conventions
do not tell the audience the greatness
of a story, but they do help to
identify the genre and sub genres of
film.