The Golden Age of Cinema: Hollywood 1929-1945

by Richard B. Jewell

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.

A major introductory textbook covering what is arguably the most fertile and exciting period in film, 1929-1945

Analyzes 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

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

Explores the major social, political, economic, and cultural events that helped to shape contemporary commercial cinema, as well as other leisure activities that influenced Hollywood production, including radio, vaudeville, theatre and fiction

Written in a jargon-free, lively style, and features a number of illustrations throughout the text

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Media Tie In, History

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Jeff Linder · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked most about this book was the opening chapter in which it gave an overview of what was going on the world politically, socially, culturally, and industrially at the same time. It then explained how the movie industry operated in that environment.

[Tim Pieraccini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative about the structure of the industry during the period covered, the historical background, the movie *business* - but for those who are mostly interested in stories about the making of movies and the people who were there, it might be a little dry for much of its length.

[Chris Lira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and well-presented.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting book. I read this book hoping to learn more about how the movie industry worked in the 30s and 40s with studios controlling nearly every aspect of the process. I wanted to get a sense about how it was different from now. This book provided me that. Although, I would've enjoyed more detail, it was a good primer. I also enjoyed the chapter analyzing how to read a movie and what each job (director, cinematographer, etc.) contributes. It's a worthwhile book for those who want to know more about movies in general and those who want to know about the history of movies.

[Amy W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but thorough. Learning about the production code was enlightening. Good to keep for reference as there were some lists e.g. the top rated actors/actresses in various years, that I will refer to again.

[Kelsey Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly informative! It covered more aspects of the movie business than I thought it would. Because the subject matter is fun for me, I found it to be a fun book, though it's written in a pretty scholarly manner. I read it for research, and it was very helpful.

[Brian Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. Fairly heavy prose for most of the book so it wasn't what I'd call a "quick read." But for anybody that loves movies and the history of movies it's a must read.

[Susan Stack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive history of all aspects of Classic Hollywood