This course is part of a two-semester historical survey that covers
the role of Hollywood in the history of modern American culture.
Hollywood is not only the site of motion picture production, but also
a major intersection where the popular media -- movies, radio,
television, music, publishing, etc. -- converge and influence one
another. This first semester course will cover the period from the
origins of commercial filmmaking to the middle of the twentieth
century.  The primary focus will be the development of the Hollywood
studio system and the establishment of a classical style of Hollywood
filmmaking.  Along the way, this course will also look at several key
issues:  movie exhibition, from nickelodeons to movie palaces, and the
studios' strategies for supplying these theaters with movies; the
relationship between Hollywood and Wall Street; the organization of
the production process; the development of stars, genres, and a "
Hollywood" film style; the relationship between movies and other
media; technological innovations; censorship; changes in movie
audiences, etc. We will view feature-length movies and other films
produced by the studios in order to understand how American movies
came to function as both an art and a
business.   Grades will be based on a combination of short papers and
essay
exams.