From Library Journal
Applying methods of statistical analysis to his far-ranging data on the Academy, Oscar winners, and nominees, Levy (Film, Sociology, Columbia Univ.) attempts to probe the meaning of Oscar and assess its value to American culture and entertainment. The book is not a chronological history, and trivia hunters will be disappointed. Rather, Levy "proves" statistically that many of our myths and ideas about the award aresurprisinglytrue. The work reads more like a sociological text than a smooth, popular treatment, and Levy occasionally is repetitive and becomes lost in his welter of statistics. Still, this is a valuable addition to the literature, and the section dealing with the politics of the Oscar process as it reflects overall American political history is particularly solid. For informed laypersons and specialists. David Bartholomew,
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
