American History/American Film

Interpreting the Hollywood Image

John E. O'Connor, Martin A. Jackson, John E. O'Connor, Martin A. Jackson

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN:
  9781474281898
• eBook ISBN:
  9781474281904
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Film & Video

In this pioneering work, sixteen historians analyse individual films for deeper insight into US institutions, values and lifestyles. Linking all of the essays is the belief that film holds much of value for the historian seeking to understand and interpret American history and culture. This title will be equally valuable for students and scholars in history using film for analysis as well as film students and scholars exploring the way social and historical circumstances are reflected and represented in film.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Foreword
• Preface to the Second Edition
• Introduction
• The New Woman and Twenties America: Way Down East (1920)
• The Great War Viewed from the Twenties: The Big Parade (1925)
• "Race Movies" as Voices of the Black Bourgeoisie: The Scar of Shame (1927)
• Bullets, Beer and the Hays Office: Public Enemy (1931)
• Will Rogers and the Relevance of Nostalgia: Steamboat 'Round the Bend (1935)
• A Reaffirmation of American Ideals: Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)
• Our Awkward Ally: Mission to Moscow (1943)
• The Uncertain Peace: The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
• Empire to the West: Red River (1948)
• An American Cold Warrior: Viva Zapata! (1952)
• The Age of Conspiracy and Conformity: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
• The Pentagon and Hollywood: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
• Hollywood, Nihilism, and the Youth Culture of the Sixties: Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
• The Blue Collar Ethnic in Bicentennial America: Rocky (1976)
• Fragments of War: Platoon (1986)
• Notes on Contributors
• Film Credits and Rental Sources
• For Further Reading
• Index