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9780190843816

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This book, lovely in its evocations of so many wonderful musical sequences, achieves at least three remarkable things. It unpacks that taken for granted yet unexamined notion, glamour, providing a rich and flexible guide to its pleasures and complexities. It does this by concentrating on music, notoriously the art where it is hardest to pin down what is conveyed. And it does both these things with beautiful lucidity, managing to speak of the elusive allure of glamour and the specifics of music in precise and non-obfuscating terms. A breakthrough in analytical understanding and a joy to read. -- Richard Dyer, Professor of Film Studies, King's College London Engagingly and fluidly written, Wonderful Design tackles some of the most compelling creative issues, ones that are often challenging to detail because of their seeming ineffability--they are both/and, in transition and/or transformation, in some way fantastical and yet logical in cultural context. The analysis presented here helps recover the original meaning of 'glamour' as magic, or enchantment. -- Robynn Stilwell, Georgetown University

Considering nearly 100 films across time periods, the author analyzes musical numbers in such works as Love Me Tonight (1932), Top Hat (1935), Follow the Fleet (1936), Ziegfeld Follies (1946), The Band Wagon (1953), and Dreamgirls (2006). The inclusion of music examples is a plus. That said, watching the film clip or listening to the song while reading will make the experience even richer. Appropriate for those interested in cinema, music, or their intersection, this book engages a broad range of scholarship and adds valuable insight to the conversation. Summing up: Highly recommended -- CHOICE This book, lovely in its evocations of so many wonderful musical sequences, achieves at least three remarkable things. It unpacks that taken for granted yet unexamined notion, glamour, providing a rich and flexible guide to its pleasures and complexities. It does this by concentrating on music, notoriously the art where it is hardest to pin down what is conveyed. And it does both these things with beautiful lucidity, managing to speak of the elusive allure of glamour and the specifics of music in precise and non-obfuscating terms. A breakthrough in analytical understanding and a joy to read. -- Richard Dyer, Professor of Film Studies, King's College London Engagingly and fluidly written, Wonderful Design tackles some of the most compelling creative issues, ones that are often challenging to detail because of their seeming ineffability--they are both/and, in transition and/or transformation, in some way fantastical and yet logical in cultural context. The analysis presented here helps recover the original meaning of 'glamour' as magic, or enchantment. -- Robynn Stilwell, Georgetown University

"""Considering nearly 100 films across time periods, the author analyzes musical numbers in such works as Love Me Tonight (1932), Top Hat (1935), Follow the Fleet (1936), Ziegfeld Follies (1946), The Band Wagon (1953), and Dreamgirls (2006). The inclusion of music examples is a plus. That said, watching the film clip or listening to the song while reading will make the experience even richer. Appropriate for those interested in cinema, music, or their intersection, this book engages a broad range of scholarship and adds valuable insight to the conversation. Summing up: Highly recommended"" -- CHOICE ""This book, lovely in its evocations of so many wonderful musical sequences, achieves at least three remarkable things. It unpacks that taken for granted yet unexamined notion, glamour, providing a rich and flexible guide to its pleasures and complexities. It does this by concentrating on music, notoriously the art where it is hardest to pin down what is conveyed. And it does both these things with beautiful lucidity, managing to speak of the elusive allure of glamour and the specifics of music in precise and non-obfuscating terms. A breakthrough in analytical understanding and a joy to read."" -- Richard Dyer, Professor of Film Studies, King's College London ""Engagingly and fluidly written, Wonderful Design tackles some of the most compelling creative issues, ones that are often challenging to detail because of their seeming ineffability--they are both/and, in transition and/or transformation, in some way fantastical and yet logical in cultural context. The analysis presented here helps recover the original meaning of 'glamour' as magic, or enchantment."" -- Robynn Stilwell, Georgetown University"

Author Information

Lloyd Whitesell teaches music history in the Schulich School of Music, McGill University. He is the author of The Music of Joni Mitchell, and co-editor of Queer Episodes in Music and Modern Identity. His published research explores film music, queer biography and aesthetics, whiteness, and modernist culture.

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