The Musical Is the Message
Rodgers and Hammerstein brought liberal sensibilities to work and life from the 1930s through the late 1940s. Although Rodgers was perceived as less political than Hammerstein, the 1932 film The Phantom President, written with Lorenz Hart, was a satire about a presidential election, and their stage hit Babes in Arms (1937) endorsed Jewish liberalism. Hammerstein’s liberal leanings were present in his life and his art: from his early days in Hollywood, Hammerstein was involved with the Anti-Nazi League, which drew the attention of the House Un-American Activities Committee, and during World War II, he was a member of the Writers’ War Board, a group that was responsible for the American Red Cross ending its practice of segregating blood by race. While South Pacific was the most politically charged of their collaborations, works such as The King and I nonetheless reflect the duo’s beliefs in world harmony and cultural exchange.
Keywords: Rodgers, Hammerstein, South Pacific, House Un-American Activities Committee, Hollywood Anti-Nazi League, Writers’ War Board, Babes in Arms
Oxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs , and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us .