Description
Book SynopsisGeorge Gallup's polling techniques achieved fame when he predicted that Franklin D Roosevelt would be reelected president in 1936. This work traces Gallup's intellectual and methodological developments, examining his comprehensive approach to market research. It takes a look at the film industry's use of opinion polling in the 1930s and '40s.
Trade ReviewA well-detailed account of this obscure chapter in cinema history... Recommended. Library Journal A fascinating and exciting book. -- Frank Louis Rusciano Public Opinion Quarterly An extremely valuable portrait of the shifting field in which Hollywood operated in the 1940s and an excellent study of t he ambivalent relationship between... moviemaking and marketing. -- Sarah E. Igo Business History Review Ohmer's book is a major achievement, and it will be a significant reference. -- Anne Morey Film Quarterly An innovative and fascinating study about the construction of discourse, power and control in the field of mass culture. -- Nolwenn Mingant Cercles
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments 1. What Do Audiences Want? 2. Guesswork Eliminated 3. The Laws That Determine Interest 4. America Speaks 5. Piggybacking on the Past 6. Singles and Doubles 7. Boy Meets Facts at RKO 8. David O. Selznick Presents: Audience Research and the Independent Producer 9. Gallup Meets Goofy: Audience Research and the Walt Disney Studio 10. Like, Dislike, Like Very Much Abbreviations Used and Collections Consulted Notes Index
