American Cinema of the 1910s: Themes and Variations (Screen Decades: American Culture/American Cinema)

It was during the teens that filmmaking truly came into its own. Notably, the migration of studios to the West Coast established a connection between moviemaking and the exoticism of Hollywood. The essays in American Cinema of the 1910s explore the rapid developments of the decade that began with D. W. Griffith's unrivaled one-reelers. By mid-decade, multi-reel feature films were profoundly reshaping the industry and deluxe theaters were built to attract the broadest possible audience. Stars like Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, and Douglas Fairbanks became vitally important and companies began writing high-profile contracts to secure them. With the outbreak of World War I, the political, economic, and industrial groundwork was laid for American cinema's global dominance. By the end of the decade, filmmaking had become a true industry, complete with vertical integration, efficient specialization and standardization of practices, and self-regulatory agencies. It was during the teens that filmmaking truly came into its own. Notably, the migration of studios to the West Coast established a connection between moviemaking and the exoticism of Hollywood. The essays in this book explore the rapid developments of the decade that began with D. W. Griffith's unrivaled one-reelers. By mid-decade, multi-reel feature films were profoundly reshaping the industry and deluxe theaters were built to attract the broadest possible audience. Stars like Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, and Douglas Fairbanks became vitally important and companies began writing high-profile contracts to secure them. With the outbreak of World War I, the political, economic, and industrial groundwork was laid for American cinema's global dominance. By the end of the decade, filmmaking had become a true industry, complete with vertical integration, efficient specialization and standardization of practices, and self-regulatory agencies Frontmatter Acknowledgments (page vii) Timeline: The 1910s (page ix) Introduction: Movies and the 1910s (BEN SINGER AND CHARLIE KEIL, page 1) 1910 Movies, Reform, and New Women (SCOTT SIMMON, page 26) 1911 Movies and the Stability of the Institution (EILEEN BOWSER, page 48) 1912 Movies, Innovative Nostalgia, and Real-Life Threats (RICHARD ABEL, page 69) 1913 Movies and the Beginning of a New Era (CHARLIE KEIL, page 92) 1914 Movies and Cultural Hierarchy (ROB KING, page 115) 1915 Movies and the State of the Union (LEE GRIEVESON, page 139) 1916 Movies and the Ambiguities of Progressivism (SHELLEY STAMP, page 160) 1917 Movies and Practical Patriotism (LESLIE MIDKIFFE DeBAUCHE, page 183) 1918 Movies, Propoganda, and Entertainment (JAMES LATHAM, page 204) 1919 Movies and Righteous Americanism (BEN SINGER, page 225) Sources for Films (page 249) Works Cited and Consulted (page 253) Contributors (page 261) Index (page 263)