The Emergence of the Cinema: The American Screen to 1907

by Charles Musser

Book Overview

This award-winning examination of the American film industry has already been acclaimed as A major achievement in film history, unlikely to be surpassed for many years (American Historical Review) and an indispensable set (Film Quarterly) that should become the standard reference work in every American library (Choice).

The 10-volume, illustrated series considers the film industry from its early roots in the 19th century right up to 1990. It...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684184133
• ISBN13: 9780684184135
• Release Date: February 1990
• Publisher: Charles Scribner's Sons
• Length: 640 Pages
• Weight: 4.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.0" x 7.4" x 10.3"

Customer Reviews

Film students: read this series

This is an excellent, comprehensive and well-written analysis of the early cinema. It is written including views of the study of film history as well as numerous concrete examples of films for every point made by the author. Even if you're not a film student, check out this book. It's so well written that one can easily fall into the interesting history of an emerging art form and industry. The origins of cinema reach far back into the 17th century and, considering the enormous impact that film has on everyone's life, the origins of this most important art form of the past century are vitally important to you.

Scholarly and detailed history

The Emergence of Cinema chronicles the very earliest history of cinema with focus on the development of film in America. It begins with the earliest technology of picture projection, and explores with great thoroughness each development in the technology and business of film. It is wonderfully illustrated, and clearly written, so that even the casual student of film history will not be confused or bored. This is a work whose peer I have never seen. If the rest of the series keeps up with the quality here, it will be basic to any film library. Perhaps the depth here will be to great for the truly casual reader; hardly any films here will find their way onto video.