American Film: A History

Written by a top scholar in the field, American Film: A History gives students a thorough understanding of the fascinating intersection of artistry and economics in Hollywood cinema from the beginning of film history to the present.

A beautiful book and a brisk read, American Film is the most enjoyable and interesting overview of the history of American filmmaking available. Focused on aspects of the film business that are of perennial interest to undergraduates, this book will engage students from beginning to end.

Written by a top scholar in the field, American Film: A History gives students a thorough understanding of the fascinating intersection of artistry and economics in Hollywood cinema from the beginning of film history to the present.

Jon Lewis (Ph.D., 1983 UCLA) is a Professor in the English department at Oregon State University, where he has taught film and cultural studies since 1983. He has published five books: The Road to Romance and Ruin: Teen Films and Youth Culture (Routledge, 1992); Whom God Wishes to Destroy . . . Francis Coppola and the New Hollywood (Duke UP, 1995); The New American Cinema (Duke UP, 1998); Hollywood v. Hard Core: How the Struggle over Censorship Saved the Modern Film Industry (NYU Press, 2000); and The End of Cinema as We Know It: American Film in the Nineties (NYU Press, 2001). In the past two years, Professor Lewis has appeared in two theatrically released documentaries on film censorship: Inside Deep Throat (Fenton Baily, 2005) and This Film is Not Yet Rated (Kirby Dick, 2006). From 2002 to 2007, he was the Editor of Cinema Journal.