The contemporary notion that it's somehow inherently bad for a film to be 'talky' has done grave damage to the culture of American movie-making, enough so that a growing number of people, myself among them, have all but given up on Hollywood. Terry Teachout americanbadcontemporary share on social
It's certainly no secret that American students are taught less and less about the canonical literary masterpieces of the past, and there is no shortage of people who believe that what little they're required to learn in school is still too much. Terry Teachout americancanonicallearn share on social
Plays are not written but rewritten, and much of the rewriting takes place at the behest of the director, whose job it is to grapple with the myriad complexities of moving a play from the page to the stage. Terry Teachout behestcomplexitydirector share on social
As late as the early '50s, jazz was still, for the most part, a genuinely popular music, a utilitarian, song-based idiom to which ordinary people could dance if they felt like it. Terry Teachout 50sbasedance Change image and share on social
Copland was one of the first American composers to forge a truly modern style of American classical music while also making use of American popular music - including jazz. Terry Teachout americanclassicalcomposer Change image and share on social
It's said that most Americans under the age of 30 reflexively dislike movies made before 1970, especially those that were shot in black and white. If this is so, I suspect it's because such films portray an America that no longer exists. Terry Teachout ageamericaamerican share on social
If you're looking for light entertainment, you can't get much lighter than 'Bye Bye Birdie,' a flyweight farce about the coming of rock n' roll to small-town America. Terry Teachout americabirdiebye Change image and share on social
Americans of all ages embraced TV unhesitatingly. They felt no loyalty to network radio, the medium that had entertained and informed them for a quarter-century. When something came along that they deemed superior, they switched off their radios without a second thought. Terry Teachout ageamericancentury share on social
Fred Astaire never let you see him sweat, but he sweetened his deceptively casual virtuosity with just enough charm to make it irresistible. Terry Teachout astairecasualcharm Change image and share on social
If I ever see another Shakespeare production where somebody drives a Jeep on stage, I'm going to run screaming up the aisle. Terry Teachout aisledrivejeep Change image and share on social