The Golden Age of Cinema

This comprehensive book illuminates the most fertile and exciting period in American film, a time when the studio system was at its peak and movies played a critical role in elevating the spirits of the public. Richard B. Jewell offers a highly readable yet deeply informed account of the economics, technology, censorship, style, genres, stars and history of Hollywood during its classical era.

The Golden Age of Cinema is a major introductory textbook covering what is arguably the most fertile and exciting period in film, 1929-1945. It analyses many of the seminal films from the period, from The Wizard of Oz to Grand Hotel to Gone with the Wind, considering the impact they had then and still have today.

It tackles the shaping forces of the period: the business practices of the industry, technological developments, censorship restraints, narrative strategies, evolution of genres, and the stars and the star system. The book explores the major social, political, economic, and cultural events that helped to shape contemporary commercial cinema. Other leisure activities that influenced Hollywood production, including radio, vaudeville, theatre, and fiction, are also examined.

Written in a jargon-free, lively style, The Golden Age of Cinema features a number of illustrations throughout the text.