Hollywood, the Dream Factory

Book excerpt: 2013 Reprint of 1950 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. Powdermaker's study of the Hollywood film industry was an early example of anthropological research on contemporary American society. Her observations of the tensions between business and art in the film world led her to suggest that the social relations of the filmmaking process significantly affect the content and meaning of movies. Chapters include: Chapter 1 - Habitat and People, Mythical and Real Chapter 2 - Mass Production of Dream Chapter 3 - Taboos Chapter 4 - Front Office Chapter 5 -Men Who Play God Chapter 6 - Lesser Gods, but Colossal Chapter 7 -The Scribes Chapter 8 - Assembling the Script Chapter 9 - The Answers Chapter 10 - Directors Chapter 11 - Acting, in Hollywood Chapter 12 - Stars Chapter 13 - Actors are People Chapter 14 - Emerging from Magic Chapter 15 - Hollywood and the U.S.A.