American Culture- The
American Film Industry
Vocabulary
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Industry
Movie
To film
Comic
Silent (film)
Viewer
Free
Screen
To show
Fairy tale
Martial
 Commercial
 Independent film
industry
 Special effects
 Stunt
 Parking lot
 A movie plays in the
theater
 Character
 Plot
The Birth of the American Film
Industry
 The American Film
industry is often
called “Hollywood”
after the city where
the industry was
started.
 The first movie
filmed in Hollywood
was In Old
California (1910).
Charlie Chaplin
 Charlie Chaplin
was an early comic
actor in the
American movie
industry.
 He moved to the
United States from
England and
became a famous
actor.
The Growth of the American
Film Industry
 The American film
industry continued
to grow in the
1920’s.
 The first films were
silent. Later, sound
was added to films
when the
technology was
developed.
Cartoons
 Cartoons were first
made popular by
Walt Disney.
 Disney’s cartoon
(film) Snow White
and the Seven
Dwarfs was very
successful.
Drive-in Movie Theaters
 In the 1950’s Drivein movie theaters
became popular in
the United States.
 Viewers watched
films on a large
screen while sitting
in their cars parked
in a parking lot or
field.
Outdoor Movie Theater in San
Francisco
 In San Francisco
movies are shown
once a month in a
large park.
 It is free to watch
the movies, which
are shown on a
large screen at the
bottom of a hill in
the park.
Modern American Films
 Modern American films
are different from older
films.
 “Hollywood” is often
criticized for producing
films which are too
commercial and not
intelligent.
 The independent or
“indy” film industry
produces films which
are more artistic.
Popular American Film
Genres
 Action films have
become a very popular
genre of American
films.
 Action films have a lot
of special effects and
stunts.
 Bruce Willis, Sylvester
Stallone, Jason
Statham and Chuck
Norris are some
popular action actors.
Other Popular Film Genres
 Other popular film
genres include:
drama, comedy,
thriller, horror and
historical.
 Martial Arts films
have also become
popular in the US in
the past 25-30
years.
Popular Actors and Actresses
 Popular Actors and
actresses in the US
include: Johnny
Depp, Will Smith,
Angelina Jolie, Will
Ferrell, Denzel
Washington, Halle
Berry etc.
Discussion
 Write a short paragraph about your
favorite film. Tell us about the plot of
the film. Which actors are in this film?
What genre is this film? How old
(approximately) is this film? Why do
you like this film?
 Which is your favorite movie theater in
Kurgan? Why?
Discussion
 How often do you go to the movie
theater (cinema)? (How often do you
go to the movies?)
 What is your favorite film genre?
 Who are your favorite actors or
actresses and why?