This document summarizes the evolution of romantic comedy genres over different decades from the 1920s to the 2000s. In the 1920s, narratives focused on poor women and rich male love interests, with settings like lakes and workplaces. In the 1950s, the narrative centered around a married man who develops feelings for his upstairs neighbor, a young actress. Key settings were apartments in New York. The 1980s narrative involved a working class girl pursuing a relationship with a rich boy despite social barriers, with settings like high school and prom. In the 2000s, the narrative followed a small town girl moving to New York City to pursue singing while working in a bar, with settings including the big city and performance venues.

1. GENRE OVER TIME
Romcom genre.

2. 1920s
Narrative: Silent romantic drama. Rich man (lennox)tricks poor country girl
(Anna) into a fake wedding, when she becomes pregnant he leaves her
and the baby whom later dies. She gets a job and the managers son
(David) falls for her, but due to her past rejects him. When the Lennox
comes back he wants to leave and her boss fires her. David then goes
looking for Anna whom he finds in a river, they end up marrying each
other.
Key signifiers(iconography): Poor women, rich men, 1 good and 1 bad.
Characters: 3 characters, 1 woman, 2 men as love interests.
Settings:Cold lake, workplace factory.
Camera, editing and sound: long shots, extreme long shot, no dialogue,
sound to represent feeling.

3. 1950s
Narrative: Richards wife Helen and son Rick are on holiday. When he returns home with the kayak paddle Ricky
accidentally left behind, he meets a woman Marilyn Monroe a commercial actress who rents the apartment
upstairs. He works on proofing a book in which a psychiatrist claims that a significant proportion of men
have affairs in the seventh year of marriage. Richard invites the women upstairs down. He lies about being
married, when she sees his wedding ring, he backtracks but she is unconcerned, having no designs on him,
only on his air-conditioning. Guilt ridden by approaching her he asks her to leave. Over the next few days, they
spend more time together and Richard imagines that they are growing closer, although she is immune to his
imagined charms. Helen continually calls her husband, asking him to send the paddle so Ricky can use the
kayak, but Richard is repeatedly distracted. Eventually coming to his senses, and fearing his wife's retribution,
which he imagines in a fantasy scene, Richard, paddle in hand, tells the young woman she can stay in his
apartment; then he runs off to catch the next train to be with Helen and Ricky.
Key signifiers(iconography):
Girl next door, love interest, young and flirty.
Married man is interested
Characters changes:
Richard a faithful, middle-aged publishing executive with an overactive imagination and a mid-life crisis.
Girl upstairs – Girl next door, model and actress.
Wife- mother and have been together for 7 years.
Settings:
New York 1950s. Apartment building.
Camera, editing and sound:
basic camera movement, straight and tracking. Shots range from long, medium and close up.

4. 1980s
Narrative: working class girl (Andie) has a crush on rich boy (Blane), when they try
to get together their social circles dont like it. Andie’s best friend Phil is also in
love with her but doesn't tell her. When Blane asks Andie out, Phil warns her
off and says she will get hurt, but she goes. Blane asks Andie to prom but his
friend tells him to say he’s already going with someone else and that he forgot.
She decides to go to prom alone but when she gets there, she has second
thoughts about braving the crowd on her own. Just as it looks like she may
back out, she sees Phil. They walk into the ballroom hand in hand. When Steff
begins mocking the couple, Blane finally realizes that Steff resents Andie
because she had turned down Steff's advances, something he was not used
to. Blane confronts Steff, and approaches Andie and Phil. He shakes Phil's
hand and tells Andie that he always believed in her, he just didn't believe in
himself. Phil concedes that Blane is not like the other rich kids at school and
advises Andie to go after him.
Key signifiers(iconography):
Working class girl, rich boy (love interest), best friend, prom/date.
Settings:
High school, parties, dates and prom.
Camera, editing and sound: close ups, mid shots, over the shoulder. Straight
cuts, dialogue, background music, sound effects.

5. 2000s
Narrative: Small town girl goes to New York to pursue her singing
career and ends up getting a job at a dancing and singing bar
so she can pay her bills. She meets a guy in the city and he
helps her overcome her stage fright and they begin a
relationship. When her dad sees pictures of her in the paper at
the bar he is unhappy and wants her to come home but she
carries on performing.
Key signifiers(iconography): Small town girl (girl next door), big
city, protective father, boyfriend (love interest), girl friends.
Settings: Big city, bar, restaurant, apartment.
Camera, editing and sound: Mid shots, close ups. Fast paced
editing when in the bar, music loud clinking of glasses and
diologue.