The real strength …. is its conception of the "movie idiom".... bridging production, history, and textual analysis.”—Amy Villarejo, Cornell University

“For me, the best thing …. is its readability. It deals with a wide range of material in an intelligent, literate way. Unlike other textbooks, it covers a limited number of significant films in greater depth.”—Arthur Fried, Plymouth State College

“The coverage of early censorship is marvelous, as good as I’ve read anywhere in summary form.”—Robin Matthews, Golden West College

“I couldn’t be more impressed with this book. I especially love its scope and its ability to cover a great deal of territory in a small amount of space.”—Tom Isbell, University of Minnesota, Duluth

“Because of the stories, because of the writing, because of the problem solving examples, I think this book could be a loved piece of reading...”—Robin Bates, St. Mary’s College of Maryland

Part One: MOVIEMAKING: The Technical-Artistic

1. The Preproduction Phase
The Producer's Role / Project Development / Screenwriting / The Director's Domain / Casting Actors / Costume Design / Makeup and Hairstyling / Production Design / Shooting Sites / Preparations for Filming

2. Principal Cinematography
Tools of Moviemaking / Film Stock / Lighting Sources / Framing the Image / Shooting Schemes / Point of View / Establishing Shots / Camera Movement / Camera Angles / Camera Setups / Cut to the Close

3. The Postproduction Phase
The Editing Process / Visual Effects / Sound Editing / Assembling the Movie / The Way of Frescoes

Part Two: CONTEXTS: The Historical-Institutional

4. The Speechless Era
Technical Antecedents / Recording Motion / Leisure Time Entertainment / Early Efforts at Moviemaking / A New Cinematic Mode of Expression / From Peep Shows to Nickelodeons / Patent Disputes / The Movie Moguls / Picture Palaces / Hollywood, the Movie Capital / The Rise of Star Power / United Artists / Hollywood in Wartime / Worldwide Distribution / The Griffith Legacy / Russian Montage / German Influences / Consolidation / The European Exodus

5. The Studio Era
The Arrival of Sound / Scribes from the East / The New Studio Order / Antitrust Action / Prelude to War / Hollywood Goes to War / The End of an Era

6. The Electronic Era
The Decline of Urban Theatres / Targeting Teenagers / Turning to Old Technologies / Small-Screen Production / Studio Backlogs / The Collapse of the Studio System / The Resurgence of Star Power / Hollywood and the Cold War / Corporate Upheaval / The New Hollywood / New Exhibition Outlets / Future Directions

Part Three: CONTENTS: The Critical-Cultural

7. Genres and Designs
Generic Categories / The Western Genre / Recurrent Design Patterns / The Detective Genre / Thematic Tendencies / Story/Plot Distinctions / Incomplete Closure

8. Characters and Stereotypes
Character Constructions / Unconventional Protagonists / Creating Characters / Screen Stereotypes / Female Stereotypes in Movies / Minorities in Movies / Stereotyping Asians and Asian Americans / Stereotyping African Americans / Positive Black Stereotypes / Intergalactic Stereotypes: The Phantom Menace / The Last Act

9. Censoring Screen Content
Early Efforts at Content Control / Domestic Discord / New Self-Regulatory Measures / The Payne Fund Studies / The Legion of Decency / Industry Censorship under Breen / A New Catholic Campaign / Supreme Court Rulings / From Codes to Ratings / Obscenity at Issue / The New Moral Order

Glossary