Description
Book SynopsisDrawing on the records of studio personnel, independent exhibitors, moviegoers, and the motion pictures themselves, this title analyzes what was wrong - and right - with Hollywood at the end of a heralded decade, and how the industry's troubles changed the making and marketing of films in 1938 and beyond.
Trade Review"A fascinating and substantial contribution to the cultural history of Hollywood film... Highly recommended." -- S. C. Dillon, Bates College Choice
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction: Hollywood Looks at Its Audience Part One: The Campaign 1. Annus Horribilis Goldwyn's Folly Such a Thing as Bad Publicity The Moviegoing Habit 2. Exhibitors, the Movie Quiz Contest, and a Divided Industry The Minds of Exhibitors The Carrot and the Stick The Quiz Contest on the Ground What the Contest Did for Me Independents Rebel 3. The Campaign and the Press The Film Industry Speaks Its Mind Marginal Moviegoers The Gossip Columnists The Dailies Have Their Say Part Two: The Films 4. "The Finest Array of Productions" Ninety-Four Films The Death of Glamour Human Films The Human Side of Screwball You Can't Take It with You Four Daughters Boys Town Marie Antoinette That's Entertainment The Fourth Estate Conclusion: Motion Pictures' Worst Year Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Notes Index