Regarding Frank Capra: Audience, Celebrity, and American Film Studies, 1930–1960
- ISBN-10
- 0822386267
- ISBN-13
- 9780822386261
- Category
- Performing Arts
- Pages
- 314
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2004-12-23
- Publisher
- Duke University Press
- Author
- Eric Smoodin
Description
In this innovative historical examination of the American movie audience, Eric Smoodin focuses on reactions to the films of Frank Capra. Best known for his Hollywood features—including It Happened One Night, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington—Capra also directed educational films, military films, and documentaries. Based on his analysis of the reception of a broad range of Capra’s films, Smoodin considers the preferences and attitudes toward Hollywood of the people who watched movies during the “Golden Age” of studio production, from 1930 to 1960. Drawing on archival sources including fan letters, exhibitor reports, military and prison records, government and corporate documents, and trade journals, Smoodin explains how the venues where Capra’s films were seen and the strategies used to promote the films affected audience response and how, in turn, audience response shaped film production. He analyzes issues of foreign censorship and government intervention in the making of The Bitter Tea of General Yen; the response of high school students to It Happened One Night; fan engagement with the overtly political discourse of Meet John Doe and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; San Quentin prisoners’ reaction to a special screening of It’s a Wonderful Life; and at&t’s involvement in Capra’s later documentary work for the Bell Science Series. He also looks at the reception of Capra’s series Why We Fight, used by the American military to train recruits and re-educate German prisoners of war. Illuminating the role of the famous director and his films in American culture, Regarding Frank Capra signals new directions for significant research on film reception and promotion.
Get the book
Other editions
-
- 2004
- 318 pages
- Paperback
- Duke University Press
Similar books
-
The Business of American Theatre
By William GrangeScheurer, Timothy E. The Nineteenth Century and Tin Pan Alley. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green ... Timberlake, Craig. The Bishop of Broadway: The Life ...
-
Shooting Action Sports: The Ultimate Guide to Extreme Filmmaking
By Todd GrossmanDeal. with. Them. There«s one constant in the world of action sports, and that«sthe recurring issue with authority figures. The concernis justifiable when ...
-
Mycommunicationkit Student Access Code Card
By Bryan A Pearson, Pearson Education, Inc., Prentice Hall PearsonMycommunicationkit Student Access Code Card
-
Reframing Culture: The Case of the Vitagraph Quality Films
By William Uricchio, Roberta E. Pearson... Rare Books Room, and Ruth Senior and the staff, interlibrary loan, Pattee Library, Penn State; Elaine Burrows, Jackie Morris, Roger Holman, Markku Salmi ...
-
Star Trek and American Television
By Roberta Pearson, Máire Messenger DaviesWith the exception of the actors, the majority of the Star Trek production staff were male, except for the wardrobe staff whom we've mentioned.
-
Leadership in the Performing Arts
By Tobie S. SteinTodd of course has been leading the Roundabout since 1983 and, after many years at the helm, ... Notes 1 Terrence E. Deal and Allan A. Kennedy, Corporate.
-
The Complete Films of Alfred Hitchcock
By Robert A. Harris, Michael S. Lasky... and it took eight years to complete his four - picture deal . ... Money was no object Valli , Ann Todd , and Hitchcock during filming of The Paradine ...
-
Broadway Plays and Musicals: Descriptions and Essential Facts of More Than 14,000 Shows through 2007
By Thomas S. HischakMichael Todd's Peep Show [28 June 1950] musical revue by Bobby Clark, ... an emergency and the crew has to deal with the two women on board for some time, ...
-
Timberlake Wertenbaker Plays 1: New Anatomies; Grace of Mary Traverse; Our Country's Good; Love of a Nightingale; Three Birds Alighting...
By Timberlake WertenbakerNew Anatomies, Grace of Mary Traverse, Our Country's Good, Love of a Nightingale & Three Birds Alighting on a Field
-
The Ash Girl
By Timberlake WertenbakerIn this wondrous drama Timberlake Wertenbaker explores the beauty and terror inherent in growing up. The Ash Girl premiered at Birmingham Rep in 2001.