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Hollywood and Hitler: 1933–1939

Columbia Univ. Apr. 2013. 432p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780231163927. $35; ebk. ISBN 9780231535144. FILM
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OrangeReviewStarDoherty (American studies, Brandeis Univ.; Cold War, Cool Medium: Television, McCarthyism, and American Culture) delivers a revealing look at how Hollywood adjusted to the onset of World War II. In the 1930s, the studios were forced not only to find ways to continue business in Germany, but also to prepare for the eventual loss of that business. Many studios refused to run newsreels of Hitler, as film stars petitioned for complete economic withdrawal from Germany, and Hays Code censors battled with filmmakers about how to portray the truth of German brutality.
VERDICT Believing that film is the heartbeat of American culture, Doherty does a fine job of showing how the movie industry united at a time when the nation felt angry and helpless. Readers who love classic Hollywood or who are looking for a cultural picture of 1930s America will find much of interest here. With a rich blend of art and politics, Doherty brings to light the story of how Hollywood handled Nazism during Hitler's reign. Recommended.
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