With a Song in My Heart: A History of Singing in the Movies

From the moment movies learned to talk, they learned to sing. Audiences back in 1927 were electrified when they heard Al Jolson belting out the top tunes of the day in The Jazz Singer, and through movie history some of our greatest vocalists have been star attractions in Hollywood musicals. The film industry did its best to showcase these performers with a variety of creative techniques, from elaborate production numbers to imaginative camerawork, all designed to enhance the emotional power of seeing and hearing singers like Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Lena Horne, and Frank Sinatra come alive on the big screen. This talk will look at the varying ways Hollywood captured its star vocalists through the decades, and provided audiences then and now with an invaluable record of indelible performances.