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"A closer look at the captivating history of American cinema. Written in an engaging narrative style, this text provides a thorough overview of the fascinating intersection of economics, culture, artistry, and technology that has defined American film from its beginnings. The Second Edition features a new four-color design, hundreds of new images, greater emphasis on film analysis, increased coverage of women and minority filmmakers, and an epilogue that speculates on the future of film." -- Publisher's description Cover (American Film: A History) Front Matter Half Title Title Page Copyright About the Author Contents Preface Acknowledgments 01 - Early Cinema, 1893–1914 Pre-cinema An American Film Industry Major Filmmakers in Early American Cinema 02 - The Silent Era, 1915–1928 A Studio Industry Is Born Moviemaking and Moviemakers The Golden Age of Film Comedy 03 - Technical Innovation and Industrial Transformation, 1927–1938 Technical Innovations: Sound and Color The Studio System Censorship: Regulating Film Content Genre and Studio Hollywood 04 - Hollywood in Transition, 1939–1945 1939–1941: The Last Best Years A World at War Genre in Wartime Hollywood Transcending Genre: Three Key Films 05 - Adjusting to Postwar America, 1945–1955 Reinventing Hollywood Genre: Film Noir Transcending Genre, Transcending Hollywood Behind the Camera, Behind the Scenes: Women in Hollywood 06 - Moving toward a New Hollywood, 1955–1967 Industry Shakeup Genre Transcending Genre, Transcending Hollywood Two Key Films 07 - A Hollywood Renaissance, 1968–1980 Reinventing Hollywood Major Films and Filmmakers of the Auteur Renaissance American Genre Cinema 08 - A New New Hollywood, 1981–1999 A New Corporate Hollywood Genres and Trends Auteur Filmmakers Independents and Independence 09 - Movies for a New Millennium, 1999–2017 The New New Hollywood Films and Filmmakers: Industry Trends The End of Cinema (As We Knew It), 2018 and Beyond Movies and Meaning: On the Political Importance and Influence of Hollywood Prestige TV The Big Screen Parting Glances: May 2018 Source Material and Suggestions for Further Reading Glossary Credits Index