Course Description

Coming this Summer, sign up for the newest online film course from TCM and Ball State!

TCM is excited to announce our new online class in partnership with Ball State University: TCM Presents: MAD ABOUT MUSICALS! A free online course dedicated to the history of the Hollywood Musical. Running from June 3-30, this FREE interactive experience will give you an entertaining deep-dive into the Hollywood musical, from the 1930s to the 1970s, with addictive multimedia course materials, digital games, ongoing interactions with your fellow film fans on the TCM message boards, and more!

We invite movie lovers and online learners from around the world to join us for this fun, flexible online learning opportunity, TCM Presents: MAD ABOUT MUSICALS (#TCMusicals). This is the fourth free online course to be offered by TCM and Ball State, following Film Noir (2015), Slapstick Comedy (2016) and 50 Years of Hitchcock (2017).

Contribute to the conversation using #TCMusicals

Course Syllabus (Course Dates: Jun 3 - Jun 30, 2018)

WEEK 1: Introduction / Musicals of the 1920s & 1930s The beginnings of sound technology and the first film musicals in the 1920s and 1930s: The Great Ziegfeld, Top Hat, Broadway Melody, and other films

and other films Important musicals that set the standard for the decade: The Great Depression

The transition from Broadway to Hollywood

New stars in musicals, directors, editors, and other creatives that influenced the decade: Ernst Lubitsch, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and others

Key song numbers that typify the movie musical in the 1930s

WEEK 2: Musicals of the 1940s The changing terrain of the 1940s movie musical surrounding WWII: Yankee Doodle Dandy, On the Town, Meet Me in St. Louis, and other films

and other films Performers who developed during the 1940s, choreographers who direct and musicians who produce: Busby Berkeley, Ester Williams, Red Skelton, Judy Garland and others

Studios, stars, and stories for wartime America: the transition to nationalism

Pre-recording, post-sound, and location scenes

The emerging films of diversity: Cabin in the Sky, Showboat, and other films

WEEK 3: Musicals of the 1950s The high times of the 1950s and the Blacklist: The Bandwagon, An American in Paris, High Society, and other films

and other films The development of camera, sound, and exhibition

Glamour and the expanded role of design

The broadening of the composer, producer, and editor

Key figures who expand their scope: Gene Kelly, Vincente Minnelli, Elvis Presley, and others

WEEK 4: Conclusion / Musicals of the 1960s and 1970s The disruption of the studios: independent film influences

Turbulence in the country and cultural challenges: Tommy, Cabaret and other films

and other films Changing musical tastes, youth, and historical films: Funny Girl, 1776, My Fair Lady, and other films

and other films The British Invasion: The Beatles and A Hard Day’s Night

Directors, stars, and producers who transitioned into the 1960s

Course Format

Each week will feature weekly lecture videos, content pages, quizzes, discussion forums, digital games, live tweeting events, optional readings, and the Daily Doses of Musicals. The Daily Doses are brief, five minute learning modules involving a short video clip that will unlock inside of your Canvas course on Mondays through Thursdays during the length of the course.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need access to TCM to participate in this course?

No. For non-TCM subscribers, we will have free links to online public domain films and/or provide access to brief film clips, so anyone can participate fully in this course. But it is advisable, if you do not have access to TCM, to try to rent certain key films – a short list of essential films that students should rent on their own will be provided in the course.

How long is the course and TCM's Mad About Musicals?

The online course is 4 weeks long, and the TCM on-air spotlight airs Tuesdays and Thursdays in June, featuring over 90 musicals including 42nd Street (1933); Swing Time (1936); Wizard of Oz (1939); Meet Me in St. Louis (1944); Singin’ in the Rain (1952); Jailhouse Rock (1957); A Hard Day’s Night (1964); and Cabaret (1972).

What kind of time commitment may I expect?

For students who seek to complete the course, it will take between two to four hours each week, and that does not include the additional time to watch the musicals on your own or on TCM. For students who would like to audit the class or can only participate occasionally, you are encouraged to participate as much as possible, especially on social media (#TCMusicals) and on the TCM message boards.

Can I earn a Certificate of Completion?

Yes, students who successfully complete all of the course requirements will receive a certificate of completion. If you only want to audit the course, you will not be eligible to receive the certificate, but you are still welcome to take part in the course activities.

Are there any synchronous or live events in the course?

Yes. The course will use Facebook Live or Twitter's Periscope to have a few live events. But in case you are not available when an event is occurring, an archived video copy will be available for later viewing.

Will the instructor be involved in the course?

Yes. This is not a self-paced course. The instructor will be involved each week of the course, and new modules will be released every Monday during the course.