One of the major traditions of film comedy is the American film of the

Question

One of the major traditions of film comedy is the American film of the 1930's and 1940's that generated its comedy through talk—the dialogue comedy. Like most American films of this period, the dialogue comedy used visual images primarily to support talk; what made the dialogue comedy so distinctive was the extremely high quality of the talk. Because the dialogue comedy was so dependent on verbal exchanges, it relied heavily on the scriptwriter who devised the talk (and also on compelling ‘acting performances to make the talk come alive). In the shaping of some dialogue comedies, the writer played as great a role as did the director, and sometimes a clever script by a writer such as Robert Riskin or Charles Lederer even went so far as to overwhelm 2 weak directors, exerting far more influence over the film than did the director's style. If these facts contradict the assumption held by many  critics  today that the director is a film’s prime mover, it is equally true that in the best of the dialogue comedies the writer's insight fused perfectly with the style of the director, who expanded the sharp script into the full comic conception.

Underlying the best of the dialogue comedies was usually a subtle and sly rebellion against the rigid Hollywood studio system that produced them. These films often bit the hand that fed them, although the bite was coy and the teeth often capped with the same rhinestones that Hollywood so adored. The best comedies developed a unique aesthetic of undermining Hollywood assumptions and conventions by appearing to subscribe to them. Their primary targets were the familiar Hollywood movie definitions of love, success, and propriety. And in shredding the clichés, these comedies frequently implied a more human and sensible system of emotional relationships and moral  values . As in earlier American film comedies, the sting of sincerity exploded the balloon of pretentious gentility.

No director made better dialogue comedies than Preston Sturges. primarily because no one wrote better comic dialogue. Sturges was especially good at portraying corrupt, acquisitive Europeans by means of comic dialogue. Most of Struges* contemporaries juxtaposed the pure American with the corrupt European, a juxtaposition reminiscent of Henry James's fiction written a half-century of so earlier. Sturges, however, had his European characters attempt to imitate American ideals, and the shallowness of their Imitation is revealed by their absurdly silly language. Sturges’ emphasis on dialogue directly determined his photographic technique, which relied on the conventional American film two-shot to capture the faces of characters who talk, talk, talk. But it is such good talk, incredibly crackling and rapid (like director Howard Hawks, Sturges was a master of the lightning pace), that the typical Sturges dialogue comedy, The Lady Eve, say, or The Palm Beach Story, is bursting with life and energy.    1 
 1. According to the passage, which of the following was a characteristic of most American films of the 1930's and 1940’s?

(A) The actors’ performances were compelling.
(B) Action and dialogue were primarily comic in nature.
(C) Visual images were employed mainly to assist the dialogue.
(D) The quality of the dialogue was extremely high
(E) The scriptwriter and the director were in constant rivalry.

2 
 2. According to the passage, Robert Ruskin was which of the following?

(A) A director of film comedies
(B) The coauthor, with Charles Lederer of film scripts
(C) A film scriptwriter who was financially successful
(D) A writer of dialogue for dialogue comedies
(E) A scriptwriter whose work was overshadowed by the work of Preston Sturges

3 
 3. It can be inferred from the passage that the critics ( Highlighted ) would most probably believe that a scriptwriter

(A) is not usually the main influence on a film
(B) is usually most successful when he or she writes comedy
(C) often contributes more to a film than does the film's director
(D) tends to contribute less to film's success than do the film's actors
(E) is not likely to be content with writing only for one particular film studio

4 
 4. According to the passage, Preston Sturges was which of the following?

(A) The director responsible for the public success of dialogue comedies
(B) An advocate of the Hollywood studio system
(C) A writer and director of dialogue comedies
(D) A writer of novels as well as of film scripts
(E) An associate of Howard Hawks

5 
 5. In the second paragraph of the passage, the author is primarily concerned with

(A) indicating some of the characteristics of the best dialogue comedies
(B) contrasting dialogue comedies with film comedies from an earlier era
(C) advocating a return to some of the comic traditions of the 1930's and 1940's
(D) attacking the rigid control exercised by the Hollywood studio system in the 1930’s and 1940's
(E) describing the respective roles of the scriptwriter and the director in the making of the best dialogue comedies

6 
 6. The author’s attitude toward the values ( Highlighted ) is best described as

(A) sentimental
(B) approving
(C) disinterested
(D) skeptical
(E) dismissive

7 
 7. The passage suggests that the rebellion against the Hollywood studio system that can be observed in the best dialogue comedies was not

(A) insightful or eloquent
(B) justified or necessary
(C) intended or successful
(D) impolite or repetitive
(E) glaring or clumsy

8 
 8. The passage suggests that in some American film comedies that predate dialogue comedies a viewer could observe

(A) sentimental and melodramatic turns of plot
(B) stunts and action rather than talk
(C) the moral dimensions of emotional relationships
(D) the discrediting of affected social behavior
(E) the imitation of American ideals by European characters

9 
 9. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about the two-shot that was used in Preston Struges’ film?

(A) It was imitated by Howard Hawks.
(B) It was not original with Sturges.
(C) It was rarely used in noncomic Hollywood films.
(D) It was not a factor in the success of Sturges’ films.
(E) It was more successful in capturing action sequences than in capturing talk.

WiziusCareers1 · Answer

This passage explores the "Dialogue Comedy" of the 1930s and 1940s, a genre where the scriptwriter often rivaled the director in importance. It highlights how these films used sharp wit to subtly critique Hollywood's own superficial values.

Question 1 
 (A) Incorrect.  While the passage mentions that dialogue comedy relied on compelling performances to "make the talk come alive," it does not state that  most American films  of the era (which include non-comedies) were characterized by compelling acting.
 (B) Incorrect.  The passage focuses specifically on dialogue comedies. It  does not suggest that action and dialogue  in most films of that era were primarily comic.
 (C) Correct.  The text explicitly states: "Like most American films of this period, the dialogue comedy used visual images primarily to support talk." This confirms that subordinating visuals to dialogue was a general characteristic of the era's filmmaking.
 (D) Incorrect.  The passage notes that what made dialogue comedy distinctive was the "extremely high quality of the talk." This implies that the dialogue in "most" other films of the period was not of that same high quality.
 (E) Incorrect.  The passage mentions that writers sometimes "overwhelmed" directors, but it  does not characterize the general industry as being in a state of "constant rivalry. "

Question 2 
 (A) Incorrect.  The passage refers to  Robert Riskin as a "writer,"  specifically contrasting him against "weak directors."
 (B) Incorrect.  While Riskin and Charles Lederer are both mentioned as examples of clever writers, there is  no mention of them being coauthors  on the same scripts.
 (C) Incorrect.  The passage discusses his artistic influence and "clever scripts," but  never mentions his financial status. 
 (D) Correct.  The passage identifies Robert Riskin and Charles Lederer as writers whose scripts were so powerful they could exert more influence over a film than the director.
 (E) Incorrect.  The passage mentions Riskin in the first paragraph and Sturges in the third. It  never suggests Sturges "overshadowed" Riskin ; rather, they are both presented as masters of the form.

Question 3 
 (A) Correct.  The passage says that the facts about powerful writers "contradict the assumption held by many critics today that the director is a film’s prime mover." Therefore, these critics must believe that the director—not the writer—is the main influence.
 (B) Incorrect.  The critics' views on the success of comedy versus other genres are  never mentioned. 
 (C) Incorrect.  This is the  opposite  of what the critics believe. This is the "fact" that contradicts the critics' assumption.
 (D) Incorrect.  The passage  compares writers to directors, not to actors , in the context of the critics' "prime mover" theory.
 (E) Incorrect.   Studio loyalty is not a topic associated with the critics' beliefs  in this text.

Question 4 
 (A) Incorrect.  While Sturges was a master of the genre, the  passage doesn't credit him alone  with the "public success" of the entire movement.
 (B) Incorrect.  The passage says the best comedies (including Sturges’) engaged in a  "subtle and sly rebellion"  against the studio system.
 (C) Correct.  The passage states: "No director made better dialogue comedies than Preston Sturges, primarily because no one wrote better comic dialogue." This confirms he performed both roles.
 (D) Incorrect.  While it mentions Henry James wrote fiction, it  never says Sturges wrote novels. 
 (E) Incorrect.  It compares Sturges' style to Howard Hawks' (both masters of "lightning pace"), but  never says they were associates or worked together.

Question 5 
 (A) Correct.  Paragraph 2 discusses the  "unique aesthetic"  of these films, their rebellion against the studio system, their targets (love, success, propriety), and their underlying moral values.
 (B) Incorrect.  While it mentions "earlier American film comedies" in the last sentence, the bulk of the  paragraph is about the dialogue comedies themselves , not a sustained comparison.
 (C) Incorrect.  The author  analyzes and praises the era but  does not issue a call to action or advocate for a modern return to it.
 (D) Incorrect.  While the paragraph mentions the "rigid Hollywood studio system," its primary focus is on how the films reacted to that system,  not a direct historical attack on the system itself. 
 (E) Incorrect.  The roles of writer and director are the  primary focus of Paragraph 1, not Paragraph 2 .

Question 6 
 (A) Incorrect.  "Sentimental" implies an excess of emotion or nostalgia. The author's  tone is analytical and appreciative , not overly emotional.
 (B) Correct.  The author describes these values as "more human and sensible" than the clichés they replaced. This choice of words indicates a clear positive judgment.
 (C) Incorrect.  "Disinterested" means unbiased or having no stake. The  author clearly takes a side  by calling the values "sensible."
 (D) Incorrect.  The author is  skeptical of the Hollywood clichés, but not of the "human and sensible" values  the films implied.
 (E) Incorrect.  The author  values these insights ; he does not dismiss them.

Question 7 
 (A) Incorrect.  The passage suggests the  rebellion was "sly" and "clever,"  which aligns with being insightful.
 (B) Incorrect.  The author’s positive tone suggests the  rebellion was seen as a "sensible" improvement. 
 (C) Incorrect.  The passage suggests the  rebellion was a "developed unique aesthetic,"  implying it was intended.
 (D) Incorrect.  The passage  doesn't comment on repetition , and while "coy," the rebellion was a "bite," which isn't necessarily polite.
 (E) Correct.  The passage  describes the rebellion as "subtle and sly," and "coy,"  and notes that the films appeared to "subscribe to" the conventions they were undermining. This is the opposite of being "glaring" (obvious) or "clumsy."

Question 8 
 (A) Incorrect.  The passage  does not mention melodrama  or plot turns in earlier comedies.
 (B) Incorrect.  While earlier comedies (like silent films) did rely on stunts, this specific  paragraph focuses on the "sting of sincerity" and "pretentious gentility." 
 (C) Incorrect.  This is a characteristic attributed to the dialogue comedies of the 30s and 40s.
 (D) Correct.  The final sentence of paragraph 2 states: "As in earlier American film comedies, the sting of sincerity exploded the balloon of pretentious gentility."  "Pretentious gentility" is a form of affected (fake/snobbish) social behavior. 
 (E) Incorrect.  This is  specifically attributed to Preston Sturges in paragraph 3, not to earlier comedies.

Question 9 
 (A) Incorrect.  The passage compares Sturges' pace to Hawks, but  doesn't say Hawks imitated Sturges’ camera work. 
 (B) Correct.  The passage refers to the "conventional American film two-shot."  Since it was already "conventional," Sturges did not invent it;  he simply relied on it to facilitate his dialogue-heavy style.
 (C) Incorrect.  The passage says it was a "conventional American film" shot, which  suggests it was used widely across the industry, not just in comedies. 
 (D) Incorrect.  The passage says this technique "directly determined" his ability to capture the "good talk" that made his films burst with life. Thus,  it was a factor in his success. 
 (E) Incorrect.  The passage says the  two-shot was used specifically to "capture the faces of characters who talk," not for action.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

8. The passage suggests that in some American film comedies that predate dialogue comedies a viewer could observe

Explanation

In the last paragraph, the author states:

As in earlier American film comedies, the sting of sincerity exploded the balloon of pretentious gentility.

This means that earlier comedies (before the dialogue comedies of the 1930s-40s) already featured a satirical treatment of affected, overly refined manners for example,  “pretentious gentility”  being punctured by sincerity.

(A)  No talk about sentimental or melodramatic plots in earlier comedies here.

(B)  Not said earlier films used more action than talking.

(C)  Moral in relationships was part of dialogue comedies mostly, not said for earlier ones clearly.

(E)  Europeans imitating American ideas is from Sturges's movies only, not earlier films.

So only  (D)  matches what passage say about earlier comedies.

Answer: D

One of the major traditions of film comedy is the American film of the

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One of the major traditions of film comedy is the American film of the

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