Table of Contents

Introduction: Five Theses on the History of Hollywood
1. Before Hollywood
2. The Studio System
3. Sound and the Production Code
4. Hollywood at War
5. The Blacklist and Cold War
6. The New Hollywood
7. Home Video and Indiewood
8. Digital Cinema and the Internet

About the Author

Peter Decherney is Professor of Cinema Studies and English at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author or editor of five books including Hollywood's Copyright Wars: From Edison to the Internet. Professor Decherney has been an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Scholar, a fellow of the American Council of Learned Societies, and a U.S. State Department Arts Envoy to Myanmar. He has received multiple teaching awards and is a
Forbes.com contributor.

Reviews

"Peter Decherney has literally written the book on Hollywood-everything you ever needed to know about the history of the film industry in eight captivating chapters." --Stacey Snider, Co-Chair, 20th Century Fox
"Peter Decherney has proven that brevity truly is the soul of wit. Hollywood: A Very Short Introduction is not only a great (and very quick) read; it's incredibly insightful when it comes to explaining how movies have evolved, both creatively and financially, over the last century. If you love movies you'll love this book." --Dick Wolf, producer of Law & Order
"Peter Decherney - setting the scene by pointing out how unnatural, crisis-prone and risky a business Hollywood has always been - weaves a beguiling narrative. He takes the reader from the days of Edison's kinetoscope to digital post-production equipment, always alert to the fact that this now century-old success story which is the American film industry only survived the many changes in technology, business models and audience tastes, because it held fast to a
few fundamental principles, such as keeping corporate control, managing risk and extending audience access. Briskly told, integrating the latest scholarship while not losing pace or momentum,
Hollywood: A Very Short Introduction captures the essentials without ever sacrificing nuance." --Thomas Elsaesser, University of Amsterdam
"Peter Decherney gives us a whirlwind ride from Edison to You Tube in his Hollywood: A Very Short Introduction.R" --Roger and Julie Corman, filmmakers