Ah, the glitzy Golden Age. The Golden Age of Hollywood lasted from the late 1920s to the 1960s and was a time when technology in film began to emerge amongst the Hollywood glamour. The release of the movie The Jazz Singer in 1927 started the new era and marked the end of the silent film era. Although the golden era started off slow due to the great depression, the films provided an outlet for audiences. This era produced many talented and memorable performers. Here are 5 musical stars of the Golden Age that every actor and musical theatre performer should know and be sure to check out our essential list of the top method actors and child actors to better familiarize yourself with the acting canon.

1. Fred Astaire

Talk about a triple threat! This talented man was an actor, dancer, singer and choreographer. His successful film and television career spanned over many years. Astaire is known for dancing with his on screen partner Ginger Rogers, who he starred in many Hollywood musicals with, including the popular Top Hat featuring the sweet song Cheek to Cheek, which Astaire sings to Rogers as they dance. Through his career he made thirty-one musical films including the memorable and popular Ziegfeld Follies, Funny Face, and Swing Time. In 1981 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award from the American Film Institute.

2. Doris Day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxWRlr431Rw

The actress and singer began her career in the late 1930’s as a big band singer. She became a sensation after her recording of “Sentimental Journey,” a song about weary troops who were homeward bound. Day’s wholesome look and talent shot her into the spotlight. The Pajama Game, Lullaby of Broadway and Calamity Jane were among the musicals that she stared in. In Lullaby of Broadway, Day plays Malinda Howard who is an entertainer traveling to NYC to visit her mother who is also a performer. However Malinda learns that her mother is not doing as well as she thought. Doris Day was not only passionate about singing and acting, but was also passionate about the welfare of animals. As a lifelong advocate she started the Doris Day Foundation to help animals in need.

3. Danny Kaye

Mr. Kaye was a comedian, singer, actor and dancer. His first break came when he was cast in a Vaudeville act and two years later he made his film debut in Moon over Manhattan. He made his Broadway debut in the show The Straw Hat Review in 1939. Kaye later starred in a radio program called The Danny Kaye Show. The popular Kaye went on to star in the films including White Christmas, The Kid from Brooklyn, and Wonder Man. Kaye said “I became an entertainer not because I wanted to but because I was meant to.”

4. Judy Garland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U016JWYUDdQ

She was the star of many musical films and captured the hearts of her audience. Garland started singing at a very young age. She studied dancing and acting and performed gigs with her sisters calling themselves The Gumm Sisters. Garland continued on to film, first starring in Pigskin Parade. She starred in many popular musical films including A Star is Born, Meet me in St.Louis, Easter Parade, and as Dorothy Gale singing the memorable song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in The Wizard of Oz. Although Garland’s personal life was not as successful as her professional career she will always be remembered as one of the brightest and talented stars.

5. Bing Crosby

Known for his bass baritone voice and laid back style, Crosby started off in a Vaudeville act which led to him launching a popular radio program. From there he began acting in numerous comedies which helped his career to flourish. Crosby became the best selling recording artist of the 20th century staring in popular films like The Bells of St.Mary’s, Road to Singapore, and Holiday Inn, featuring his biggest hit, “White Christmas,” which you are guaranteed to hear during December every year.

Are there any stars of the Golden Age that we missed? Then be sure to chime in below in the comments!

[su_note]Learn more about the School of Acting at the New York Film Academy by clicking here.[/su_note]

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There are so many different acting techniques and books and teachers that finding a process that works for you can be confusing. Ironically, most acting books and teachers use similar principles as basis of their pedagogy; Stanislavski’s system. This is because Constatin Stanislavski is considered the father of modern acting and every acting technique created in the modern era was influenced by “Father Stan.” For young actors, understanding of Stanislavski’s seven questions is an invaluable foundation upon which to build a character.

1. Who am I?

Start with the basics and then fill in the gaps with your imagination. Pick apart the script to find out what type of person your character is; what they look like, what they believe, how others describe them and so on. Think about your character’s past and the significant events/people that influenced them and made them who they are in the script.

2. Where am I?

The script will usually tell you where you are but the important thing for an actor is to consider how the character feels about the place they are in. Characters act differently in public than they do in private. People move differently when they are cold vs. when they are too hot. The space your character occupies can determine how they behave during a scene.

3. What time is it?

Year, season, month, day, and time of day should all be described. Then, think about how the specific time of the play changes the character’s action. If it’s set in Victorian England, voice and proper etiquette will be different than San Francisco in the 1960s.

4. What do I want?

This is a character’s primary motivation for everything they do in a scene. All actions should be executed with the goal of getting what you want from the other characters in the scene. This is also called a character’s objective.

5. Why do I want it?

There must be a driving force behind your objectives on stage and on screen and that is your justification. We all having reasons for doing what we do and characters are no different. Give your character a convincing reason for acting and you automatically generate high stakes which leads to tension.

6. How will I get what I want?

Use your dialogue, movements, and gestures to try to influence the other characters to give you what you want i.e. accomplish your objective. This is also called a character’s tactic. If one tactic fails, try a new one and see if that works.

7. What must I overcome to get what I want?

There is always something stopping you from achieving your objective. Usually, there is someone or something in the outside world impeding a character’s advancement and also some internal conflict with which they struggle. Find what it/they are and fight against them with the scene. This is also called a character’s obstacle.

These seven simple questions can provide hours of work for an actor to answer fully. The flip side is that an actor who puts in the time and energy will inevitably have a greater understanding of their character and their personal acting technique. Take them, learn them, and think about them. That is why Stanislavski asked them.

[su_note]Learn more about the School of Acting at the New York Film Academy, with campuses in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami.[/su_note]

Sometimes good things come in small packages, both in terms of gifts and art. In the case of these five examples, a great performance came from a young actor. There is something special about a child acting. They have such active imaginations that they are able to live naturally under imaginary circumstances with far less effort than their adult counterparts. In the performances that follow, these kids were acting alongside established Hollywood stars and Academy Award-winners and holding their own on the screen. Here are five child actors who turned in performances that every actor can learn from.

1. Jodie Foster – Taxi Driver

Jodie Foster has had a long and successful career in Hollywood and it all started back in 1976 with her breakout role in Taxi Driver. Foster was only 14 years old when she played a child prostitute opposite Robert De Niro but she definitely holds her own. The vulnerability and disconnect that the young Jodie Foster brought to the character of Iris is tragic and uncomfortable to watch at times. She was recognized with an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her efforts.

2. MacCauley Culkin – Home Alone

Home Alone is both a holiday classic and a hilariously campy film, but underneath the charm, MacCauley Culkin delivers a devilishly good performance. Culkin plays Kevin, a young boy who is accidently left behind by his family, with gusto. He is at once funny, cute, and wildly intelligent for his age. There is a great montage of Kevin enjoying his newfound independence but the real comedy and drama is saved for the closing thirty minutes in which Kevin evades would be thieves.

3. Haley Joel Osment – The Sixth Sense

This movie is famous for bringing audiences the most quotable quote of the last few decades: “I see dead people.” Not coincidently, the quote was delivered by Haley Joel Osment, whose honesty and fear made the moment memorable. As a troubled boy with supernatural powers, Osment is eerie and chilling, yet sympathetic, a hard balance to strike for any performer. Watch to the end for an all-time twist.

4. Dakota Fanning – I Am Sam

At only seven years old, Fanning starred opposite Sean Penn in the heartbreaking film I Am Sam. Penn is a mentally challenged man struggling to raise his daughter and Fanning is just beginning to realize her situation. Despite her growing intelligence and her father’s inability to manage both of their lives, Fanning’s character is loyal and loving toward her father to the end. Fanning herself is bright and cheerful with an emotional depth that earned her a SAG nod. No small feat for a seven-year old.

5. Quvenzhané Wallis — Beasts of the Southern Wild

At NYFA, we always recommend that actors study the craft of acting before embarking on a professional career, but Wallis didn’t take our advice. At 6 years of age, Quvenzhané made her screen debut as Hushpuppy in the magical fantasy Beasts of the Southern Wild. Wallis is composed and commanding in her performance as the lost girl in search of her mother and acting didn’t go unnoticed. At the 2013 Academy Awards, Quvenzhané Wallis became the youngest Best Actress nominee in history. She was nine years old at the time of her nomination.

Actors old and young can learn from each other. Technique develops with experience but there is something to be said for an active imagination and intuitiveness of camera. Next time you tackle a role, bring out your inner kid for a natural and inspiring performance.