Radio, of course, was the mass medium before the advent of television, and was therefore much sought after by performers - singers, comedians, actors, and also it was hugely popular for sports broadcasts. Radio figured in myriad films, very often as background or theme music, and was featured extensively during the second world war as an essential means of communication, particularly from occupied countries (eg: 13, Rue Madeleine 1946, dir: Henry Hathaway, and O.S.S. 1946, dir: Irving Pichel) These are American movies, supposedly taking place in France. You may want to look at Renoir's La Grande Allusion, in case the radio was used during the prison camp scenes. During the thirties Paramount Studios turned out a series of musical comedies with a loose radio background, usually as an excuse to parade their contract performers - The Big Broadcast (1932): The Big Broadcast of 1936: The Big Broadcast of 1937: The Big Broadcast of 1938. Hitchcock's Foreign Correspondent (1940) ends with Joel McCrea broadcasting a warning to the world of Germany's intentions. The Next Voice You Hear 1950, dir: William Wellman, deals with the impact on the population while waiting for God's voice to be heard on the radio. While Woody Allen's Radio Days was made in 1987, out of your time period, it's a nostalgic comedy of radio's halcyon days in the forties. While these are American movies, they may be useful comparisons to radio in French films. How about Orson Welles' 1938 radio broadcast of H.G.Wells' The War Of The Worlds? That was supposed to have frightened segments of the US due to its reality. There was a TV drama made of this some years ago. Good luck with your search. ---------- > From: Kristine Butler <[log in to unmask]> > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: radios in film > Date: Sunday, July 04, 1999 1:48 PM > > I'm compiling a list of films from the 1930s and 1940s in which a radio or > radios make an appearance -- such as the radio broadcast of the aviator's > landing at the beginning of Renoir's RULES OF THE GAME. As this list is > for a project on use of radio in the first decade or so of sound film in > France, I'm primarily interested in French films of course, but any and all > suggestions from other national cinemas will certainly be welcome, at least > for comparative purposes. > > Thanks in advance, > > Kris Butler > > ********** > > Kristine J. Butler, Ph.D. > Assistant Professor of French > Division of the Humanities > University of Minnesota, Morris > 600 E. 4th St. > Morris, MN 56267-2134 > (320) 589-6292 fax (320) 589-6253 > e-mail: [log in to unmask] > > ---- > For past messages, visit the Screen-L Archives: > http://bama.ua.edu/archives/screen-l.html ---- To sign off Screen-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF Screen-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]