Cowboys, Frontiersmen, and Sailors: Iconic Figures of American Culture in Cold War Era Film Musicals

• Other Authors: Boche, Kathaleen E. R. (authoraut)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: Dance; Theater
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-4640

From the end of World War II through the 1950s, the American film industry produced many musicals, especially of the western and naval-themed variety. The iconic cowboy, frontiersman, and sailor figures in these film musicals express elements of the American character through posture and dance. Rugged individualism, improvisational ingenuity, expansionism, and the provider-protector ideal are all expressed through these singing, dancing figures. By appealing to patriotism, these western and naval musical films wrapped up the idealized social models that they presented in an attractive package. The social model that they presented was a conservative one—men were in the workplace as breadwinners and women in the home as homemakers and caregivers. This period coincides with the early years of the Cold War, a time of intense anxiety for many reasons. With the communist Soviet Union as its primary adversary, the United States was involved in a competition to maintain world superpower status. One point of anxiety hinged on shifting gender roles. While women had entered the workplace during WWII to assist in the war effort, they were expected to return to the domestic world of home and family when the men returned from the war. These western and naval musicals were a part of the popular culture of the era which counteracted shifting gender roles by presenting social models that were strictly delineated along gender lines. === A Thesis submitted to the Department of Dance in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. === Spring Semester, 2009. === April 3, 2009. === Social drama, Oklahoma, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Anchors Aweight, On the Town, Calamity Jane, Annie Get your Gun, South Pacific === Includes bibliographical references. === Tricia Young, Professor Directing Thesis; Sally Sommer, Committee Member; Patty Phillips, Committee Member; Jennifer Atkins, Committee Member.