Book Description:
Hollywood and Anti-Semitism: A Cultural History, 1880--1941 examines the role of American Jews in the entertainment industry, from the turn of the century to the outbreak of World War II. Eastern European Jewish immigrants are often credited with building a film industry during the first decade of the twentieth century that they dominated by the 1920s. In this study, Steven Carr reconceptualizes Jewish involvement in Hollywood by examining prevalent attitudes towards Jews among American audiences, revealing a powerful set of assumptions concerning ethnicity and the influence of the media.
From Library Journal:
Carr (communications, Indiana Univ.- Purdue Univ. Fort Wayne) has written a scholarly history of anti-Semitism in Hollywood. Exhaustively researched, the book examines the key issues behind anti-Semitism in the movie industry and the attitudes of American audiences. The author explores the way Jews were portrayed in film and the various ethnic stereotypes American moviegoers watched. This stereotyping reinforced the negative view of Jews in society. Though written in a dry academic style, the book includes extensive notes and a bibliography and is an excellent resource on Hollywood's anti-Semitism. Photographs and cartoons depicting anti-Jewish sentiments enhance the text. There are numerous examples to validate Carr's thesis, such as Charles Lindbergh's famous remark that "the greatest danger to this country lies in their [Jews] large ownership and influence in our motion pictures, our press, our radio, and our government." This thought-provoking book is recommended for academic libraries. Rosalind Dayen, Broward Cty. South Regional Lib., Pembroke Pines, FL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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