This revealing history of the American film musical synthesizes the critical literature on the genre and provides a series of close analytical readings of iconic musical films, focusing on their cultural relationship to other aspects of American popular music.\u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eOffers a depth of scholarship that will appeal to students and scholars\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eLeads a crucial analysis of the cultural context of musicals, particularly the influence of popular music on the genre\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eDelves into critical issues behind these films such as race, gender, ideology, and authorship\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eFeatures close readings of canonical and neglected film musicals from the 1930s to the present including: \u003ci\u003eTop Hat\u003c/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSingin' in the Rain\u003c/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWoodstock\u003c/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eGimme Shelter\u003c/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWest Side Story\u003c/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eAcross the Universe\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e
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