#popculture27: “Sunrise” and the Rise of German Expressionism in Film

This Hollywood silent film was the product of a unique cinematic movement in Germany.

by Rich Watson 

The early decades of film saw it developed in different ways in different countries. 

In post-World War One Germany, the unusual style developed there led to an influential movement. It led to some of the medium’s greatest early films, such as the 1927 drama Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans.

#popculture27: The Gershwins Make the Musical “Funny Face,” Starring Fred & Adele Astaire

The songwriting brothers—and the dancing siblings—teamed up for a Broadway production, with songs that endured in future shows.

by Rich Watson 

The story of modern American musical theater would be incomplete without George & Ira Gershwin. Their heyday was the twenties, but their influence endured for longer.

One of their hit musicals is little remembered today but it inspired future ones: the 1927 show Funny Face.

#popculture27: W. Somerset Maugham Writes the Play “The Letter”

A real-life murder inspired the short story and play by this celebrated writer.

by Rich Watson 

W. Somerset Maugham was a European writer from the early twentieth century, best known for such books as Of Human Bondage, The Painted Veil and The Razor’s Esge.

He also wrote short stories and plays. One of his short stories became one of his greatest plays: The Letter.