Hollywood as Historian: American Film in a Cultural Context, Revised Edition

Book Overview

Motion picture images have influenced the American mind since the earliest days of film, and many thoughtful people are becoming ever more concerned about that influence, as about the pervasive influence of television. In eras of economic instability and international conflict, the film industry has not hesitated to use motion pictures for definite propaganda purposes. During less troubled times, the American citizen's ability to deal with political...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813109515
• ISBN13: 9780813109510
• Release Date: December 1997
• Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Terrific book for historians and humanists.

(See 1998 edition--which is vigorously in print.)HOLLYWOOD AS HISTORIAN is a widely-usedtextbook with essays from the silent erato Vietnam. In a world fascinated by theconnections between culture and movies, itis a perfect launch pad for students andgeneral readers. (Be sure to get the 2ndedition, published in 1998.)This collection places the following filmsin a cultural context:The Birth of a Nation (1915)The Plow That Broke the Plains (1936)The River (1937)Three by Chaplin: City Lights(1931), Modern Times (1936),The Great Dictator (1941)The Grapes of Wrath (1940)Wilson (1944)The Negro Soldier (1944)The Snake Pit (1948)On the Waterfront (1954)Dr. Strangelove (1964)Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?(1966)Apocalypse Now (1979)The book closes with a review of sources ofprint and video materials.This book is a classic of its kind and isused in classrooms across the country. Yetit is good reading for anyone serious aboutthe study of motion pictures in relation toAmerican Studies. A new edition came out in 1998 and is in ready availability. More information about underlining methodology at this address: www.filmandhistory.org