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Sociology on Film : Postwar Hollywood's Prestige Commodity

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Title: Sociology on Film : Postwar Hollywood's Prestige Commodity
Description: After World War II, Hollywood's “social problem films”—tackling topical issues that included racism, crime, mental illness, and drug abuse—were hits with critics and general moviegoers alike. In an era of film famed for its reliance on pop psychology, these movies were a form of popular sociology, bringing the academic discipline's concerns to a much broader audience. Sociology on Film examines how the postwar “problem film” translated contemporary policy debates and intellectual discussions into cinematic form in order to become one of the preeminent genres of prestige drama. Chris Cagle chronicles how these movies were often politically fractious, the work of progressive directors and screenwriters who drew scrutiny from the House Un-American Activities Committee. Yet he also proposes that the genre helped to construct an abstract discourse of “society” that served to unify a middlebrow American audience. As he considers the many forms of print media that served to inspire social problem films, including journalism, realist novels, and sociological texts, Cagle also explores their distinctive cinematic aesthetics. Through a close analysis of films like Gentleman's Agreement, The Lost Weekend, and Intruder in the Dust, he presents a compelling case that the visual style of these films was intimately connected to their more expressly political and sociological aspirations. Sociology on Film demonstrates how the social problem picture both shaped and reflected the middle-class viewer's national self-image, making a lasting impact on Hollywood's aesthetic direction.
Authors: Chris Cagle
Resource Type: eBook.
Subjects: Motion pictures--Social aspects--United States, Social problems in motion pictures, Motion pictures--United States--History--20th century
Categories: PERFORMING ARTS / General, HISTORY / United States / 20th Century, PERFORMING ARTS / Film / History & Criticism, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Civil Rights, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Media Studies
Database: eBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
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  – Type: ebook-epub
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  Availability: 0
Header DbId: nlebk
DbLabel: eBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
An: 1514370
RelevancyScore: 1077
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: eBook
PubTypeId: ebook
PreciseRelevancyScore: 1077.00524902344
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  Data: Sociology on Film : Postwar Hollywood's Prestige Commodity
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  Data: After World War II, Hollywood's “social problem films”—tackling topical issues that included racism, crime, mental illness, and drug abuse—were hits with critics and general moviegoers alike. In an era of film famed for its reliance on pop psychology, these movies were a form of popular sociology, bringing the academic discipline's concerns to a much broader audience. Sociology on Film examines how the postwar “problem film” translated contemporary policy debates and intellectual discussions into cinematic form in order to become one of the preeminent genres of prestige drama. Chris Cagle chronicles how these movies were often politically fractious, the work of progressive directors and screenwriters who drew scrutiny from the House Un-American Activities Committee. Yet he also proposes that the genre helped to construct an abstract discourse of “society” that served to unify a middlebrow American audience. As he considers the many forms of print media that served to inspire social problem films, including journalism, realist novels, and sociological texts, Cagle also explores their distinctive cinematic aesthetics. Through a close analysis of films like Gentleman's Agreement, The Lost Weekend, and Intruder in the Dust, he presents a compelling case that the visual style of these films was intimately connected to their more expressly political and sociological aspirations. Sociology on Film demonstrates how the social problem picture both shaped and reflected the middle-class viewer's national self-image, making a lasting impact on Hollywood's aesthetic direction.
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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      – Code: 791.436556
        Scheme: ddc
        Type: prePub
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Motion pictures--Social aspects--United States
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social problems in motion pictures
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Motion pictures--United States--History--20th century
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Sociology on Film : Postwar Hollywood's Prestige Commodity
        Type: main
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          Name:
            NameFull: Chris Cagle
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            NameFull: Chris Cagle
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          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2017
            – D: 08
              M: 05
              Type: profile
              Y: 2017
          Identifiers:
            – Type: isbn-print
              Value: 9780813576947
            – Type: isbn-print
              Value: 9780813576930
            – Type: isbn-electronic
              Value: 9780813576954
            – Type: isbn-electronic
              Value: 9780813576961
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Sociology on Film : Postwar Hollywood's Prestige Commodity
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