Ronald Reagan in Hollywood: Movies and Politics (Cambridge Studies in the History of Mass Communication) (Hardcover)

~ Stephen Vaughn (Author) "Although it was almost midnight when the train pulled into the Frisco Depot in Springfield, Missouri, in early June 1952, more than seven hundred people..." (more)
Key Phrases: juke girl, brother rat, motion picture unit, Warner Bros, United States, World War (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Anyone in doubt that motion pictures influence society will find ample food for thought in this incisive examination of how Hollywood 'turned dreams into reality.' Empire

Product Description

Ronald Reagan in Hollywood explores the relationship between the motion picture industry and American politics through the prism of Reagan's film career at Warner Brothers. During the Depression, World War II, and the early Cold War era, the film industry served as a "grand, world-wide propaganda base," using movies to influence attitudes about patriotism, national defense, communism, the welfare state, race, sex, and civil liberties. Ronald Reagan thrived in this environment. During his years in Hollywood from 1937 to 1952, he formed many of the ideas that were later carried into his presidency. Not merely a star, Reagan also became an articulate industry spokesperson and skilled propagandist, playing an important role in "the battle of the world today to capture the minds" of humanity in the struggle against communism. By the time he left Warner Brothers in 1952, Reagan had abandoned his New Deal liberalism and had become a militant anticommunist. Based on hundreds of interviews (including some with President Reagan), formerly secret FBI files, and archival materials, Ronald Reagan in Hollywood provides an incisive analysis of Reagan's important formative years.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (January 28, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521440807
• ISBN-13: 978-0521440806
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #810,889 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)