Description
Book SynopsisVirginia Wright Wexman offers a groundbreaking history of how movie directors became cinematic auteurs that reveals and pinpoints the influence of the Directors Guild of America.
Hollywood’s Artists sheds new light on the ways in which the DGA has shaped the role and image of directors both within the Hollywood system and in the culture at large.
Trade ReviewVirginia Wright Wexman’s original, fine-grained study of the Directors’ Guild of America shows us how that organization helped shape the idea of the film director as author, how it managed political tensions within Hollywood, and how it negotiated major changes in the industry. Based on extensive research, this is a revealing and highly important contribution to U.S. film history. -- James Naremore, Indiana University
Hollywood’s Artists is a groundbreaking study of the Directors Guild of America—viewing it not primarily as a traditional union, but as an organization that has fought for the recognition of its members as artists. Wexman provides a well-researched history of earlier organizations leading up to the formation of the DGA, the cultural context for its claims of artistry (including European traditions and the
auteur theory), the effects of the rise of television, as well as a discussion of a controversial moment in its history during the McCarthy era, the HUAC hearings, and the persecution of the “Hollywood Ten.” Furthermore, she examines the notion of the director as authority figure (which requires “charisma”) as well as the legal battles engaged in by the organization. Finally, Wexman explores new challenges to film directors in the current era involving the ascendancy of digital effects and streaming services, as well as the globalization of the industry. In sum, a thorough and masterful study. -- Lucy Fischer, author of
Cinema by Design: Art Nouveau, Modernism, and Film HistoryThis book fills a significant void in film history and offers an original and important argument about the role of the director in the ‘authorship’ of Hollywood films. -- Tom Schatz, University of Texas at Austin
[A] concise and lucid history of how the Directors Guild focused upon the authorship of film. * Film Quarterly *
Introduces academic audiences to the nuances of labor, law, and DGA politics by providing extensive sources from practitioners and adding context to famous moments in DGA history . . . Recommended. * Choice *
Wexman has written a perceptive and interesting account of the Guild’s development and its underlying values. * Film & History *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Introduction
1. Directors as Artists: The DGA Rides the Wave
2. Charisma and Competition: The DGA Stakes Its Claim
3. Recognition: The DGA Takes Credit
4. Politics: The DGA Stages HUAC
5. Law: The DGA and Artists as Owners
Conclusion
Appendix A. Beyond Creative Rights
Appendix B. Chronology of the Directors Guild of America
Appendix C. Officers of the Directors Guild of America
Appendix D. Chronology of the Artists Rights Foundation
Notes
Bibliography
Index
