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A Fine Romance: Adapting Broadway to Hollywood in the Studio System Era by Geoffrey Block (review)

2024; Music Library Association; Volume: 80; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1353/not.2024.a919037

1534-150X

Megan Woller,

Theater, Performance, and Music History

Reviewed by: A Fine Romance: Adapting Broadway to Hollywood in the Studio System Era by Geoffrey Block Megan Woller A Fine Romance: Adapting Broadway to Hollywood in the Studio System Era. By Geoffrey Block. New York: Oxford University Press, 2023. [xxiii, 344 p. ISBN 9780197501733 (hardcover), $35; also available as ebook, ISBN and price vary.] Music examples, illustrations, bibliography, index. Since the beginning of sound film, the relationship between the Broadway musical and Hollywood has been profound. In recent years, many scholars have begun to explore this connection in more depth, as evidenced by The Oxford Handbook of Musical Theatre Screen Adaptations, edited by Dominic McHugh (New York: Oxford University Press, 2019). In A Fine Romance, Geoffrey Block, one of the genre's leading scholars, presents a welcome addition to the growing body of work on film musical adaptations. Block centers his study around the studio system, providing a clear delineation of time in which to delve into case studies. Given the major industry changes that occur within these decades, beginning with the 1930s and ending with Cabaret in 1972, his self-imposed limit works well to highlight trends and changes in Hollywood musical adaptations. Block addresses the idea of adaptation and quality up front, taking issue with the somewhat dated view within adaptation studies that the source material "does it better." In fact, he often espouses his own highly informed opinion that several of the adaptations within A Fine Romance actually improve upon their stage sources. And this assessment forms the central argument for the analysis of Roberta, Call Me Madam, and Flower Drum Song, for instance. For those who unapologetically share Block's love of film musical adaptations (present author included), his critical frame is welcome. At the same time, the focus on quality can sometimes feel like adherence to older models within adaptation theory. Nevertheless, Block's assertion that there is a golden age of Hollywood film musical adaptation offers a refreshing perspective; additionally, his incisive discussion of trends in fidelity during this time frames an important analysis of these musicals. In A Fine Romance, Block takes twelve musical adaptations as case studies in order to explore the process and [End Page 489] products of adaptation in the Hollywood studio era. With his meticulous attention to detail, close comparison of stage and film versions, and extensive archival work, he provides a rich examination of each musical. Chosen for being "historically and aesthetically significant" (p. xviii), the case studies range from niche musicals known by connoisseurs or scholars to some of the most famous film musical adaptations of the twentieth century (West Side Story and Cabaret). The resulting book includes a fascinating mixture of less-familiar and well-known material, giving readers with varying levels of base knowledge something to grab onto throughout. Block begins with a brief survey designed to orient readers chronologically, to give an overview of the studio system, and to outline the basic trends in adaptations during these decades. For students or musical-theater scholars with less background in Hollywood especially, Block offers a good foundation. He then proceeds to case studies with a trio of film adaptations of musicals by Jerome Kern: Show Boat (1936), The Cat and the Fiddle (1934), and Roberta (1935). While his analytical approach varies from film to film (as appropriate, based on the varying levels of familiarity as well as each filmmaker's individual approach), Block uses the case studies in chapter 2 to illustrate some significant themes throughout his book. For example, his discussion of Show Boat delves into the complexities of the show's treatment of race. While an important landmark for the time, on both stage and film, Block does not shy away from the problematic aspects of the depiction of Black people. Yet he also illustrates how changes made for the film, including a new song for Joe and Queenie that shows a stable, loving marriage between Black characters, add a richness to their characterization. Indeed, Block sensitively contextualizes yet calls out problematic material from these films throughout A Fine Romance. Block's inclusion of The Cat and the Fiddle deserves further consideration, as he points out that the show has received limited scholarly...