Golden Age of Hollywood

ФАКУЛЬТЕТ ИНОСТРАННЫХ  ЯЗЫКОВ

GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD

Е.В. Голубева

Кафедра перевода и переводоведения

Научный руководитель – профессор  Л.И. Крюкова

During the Golden Age of Hollywood, which lasted from the end of the silent era in American cinema in the late 1920s to the early 1960s, films were prolifically issued by the Hollywood studios. The Golden Age began in 1927, when “The Jazz Singer” was released and increased box-office profits for films, as sound was introduced to feature films.

At that time there were a lot of wonderful motion pictures and a great many of exceptionally talented actors and actresses.

One of them is a great actor Clark Gable, who was nicknamed “The King of Hollywood”.

He had a career, spanning 30 years, in which he made 67 films. He was nominated 3 times for the Best Actor Academy Award and won it once in 1934 for “It Happened One Night”. He starred in one of the most famous films in history “Gone With The Wind” and in it he uttered one of the most famous catchphrases “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn”. The American Film Institute placed him at number 7 in their list of the Greatest Screen Legends. He was a magnificent actor and his name still resonates today. He is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood history.

Another brilliant star of that epoch is Vivien Leigh. For most of her life this radiant woman fought mental illness, now known as bipolar disorder. She played 2 Oscar-winning roles 12 years apart: in “Gone With The Wind” in 1939 and in “A Streetcar Named Desire” in 1951. In addition, she was a prolific stage performer. Vivien Leigh died of tuberculosis in her London apartment in 1967. She was only 53. But in her short life she achieved greatness as an actress. In tribute, the lights in London’s theater district were blacked out for an hour.

One more grand actress is Audrey Hepburn, who, after becoming one of the most successful film stars in the world, went on to a well regarded career as an international diplomat for UNICEF. She also became an elegant fashion icon for millions of women. Her looks and style were extremely influential. She played in many famous films, such as “Roman Holiday”, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, “My Fair Lady” and so on. She won an Oscar, a Tony, an Emmy and a Grammy Award. When she retired from acting, she dedicated herself to charity work.

Another actress, who was not just a popular film star, but an international icon, is Marilyn Monroe, the most famous woman of the century. She had a brief career of only 29 films, spanning just 16 years, before she committed suicide at the age of 36. She was a very talented actress, and her abilities were shown to the full in such classic films, as “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and “How to Marry a Millionaire”. She won the Golden Globe Award for her performance in “Some Like It Hot” in 1959. In 1999 the American Film Institute ranked her at number 6 in their list of the Greatest Female Stars of All Time. She became the personification of the allure and glamour of the Hollywood’s Golden Age.

There were only 4 representatives of famous film stars of that epoch. There were a great many of talented actors and actresses, and each of them was unique.

That period came to the end, because Hollywood classicism gradually declined with the collapse of the studio system, the advent of television, the growing popularity of auteurism among director, and the increasing influence of foreign films and independent filmmaking.

So, the era was over, but we still remember the names of wonderful actors and actresses and still watch the films, produced thenadays.