Comprising over 90 original essays written by an international cast of film scholars and richly illustrated with over 200 images, the Wiley-Blackwell History of American Film provides a chronological portrait of American film history from its origins to the present day.

Comprising over 90 essays and richly illustrated with over 200 images, the Wiley-Blackwell History of American Film provides a chronological portrait of American film history from its origins to the present day. Taken as a whole, the essays in this collection represent a comprehensive and nuanced overview of American film history from the intersecting perspectives of industry, audiences, aesthetics, culture, politics, issues, and ideology. Unabashedly ambitious, deeply historical, and unprecedented in its multi-faceted examination of film history, this collection offers you: * Over 90 original essays written by an international cast of film scholars * Discussions of the industrial and institutional components of film history, including multiple modes of production, distribution, and marketing * Investigations into the political, social, and economic factors that informed industry change and framed the reception of films * Engaging close readings and in-depth analysis of canonical and non-canonical films * Profiles of essential industry figures - major directors, stars, and producers - along with important figures outside the industrial mainstream * An exploration of the history of film criticism and culture, and central issues in American film historiography * The most authoritative collection of fresh investigations available in one state-of-the-art resource