Controlling Hollywood: Censorship and Regulation in the Studio Era

Rutgers Depth of Field Series

by Matthew H. Bernstein (Editor), Jeff Smith (Contributor)

For every movie shown on the big screen, there exists a behind-the-scene story of regulation and control. What social factors determine which movies get made and shown? What is censored? And how have the standards of what is considered taboo changed over time?

Controlling Hollywood features ten innovative and accessible essays that examine some of the major turning points, crises, and contradictions affecting the making and showing of Hollywood movies from the 1910s through the early 1970s. The articles included here examine landmark legal cases; various self-regulating agencies and systems in the film industry (from the National Board of Review to the ratings system); and, external to Hollywood, the religious and social interest groups and government bodies that took a strong interest in film entertainment over the decades.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film

292 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 1999

About the author

Matthew H. Bernstein is Professor and Chair of Film Studies at Emory University.

Reviews

[Malcolm Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book where chapters are written by different authors.So you can find some that are of great interest and others which are not only a bore but which are written in such a way as to send you to sleep.
I found the chapters dealing with the fifties onwards of most interest.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice collection of essays on Hollywood and censorship. It was definitely worth the read, but not necessarily one that would be a comprehensive censorship guide.