Research guides: CIN374: American Cinema of the Studio Era: Background Info & Overviews

Get the Facts: Encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc.

Background information and overviews of almost all aspects of the studio-era and related topics - studio histories; films/directors; genres; the social, political, economic, cultural milieus, etc. - can be found using the information contained in the resources below. All contain extensive bibliographies of books and journal articles for further research.

To find the most recent published material on United States / Hollywood studio-era film, see Finding Books.

Reminder: The resources below do not themselves count as sources for your bibliography.

American Film Institute Catalog This link opens in a new window
The American Film Institute (AFI) Catalog covers the history of American cinema comprehensively from 1893 to 1975, with full or short records for films from 1976 to present.
Provides a detailed overview of film synopsis, subject headings, cast/credits and production information, documents notes provide historical reception, issues, successes, supplemental data provides citation information for primary source materials (which are often available online and scanned but do not have much metadata – this list gives you a quick way to assess if there are any longer articles and key trade magazine titles that reviewed the film)
Note: There are no direct links to online content from the AFI Catlog. See Finding Journal Articles, for instructions on how to use a citation to find a journal article.

The New Historical Dictionary of the American Film Industry
Publication Date: 1998-10-01
A dictionary of producing and releasing companies, technical innovations, industry terms, studios, genres, color systems, institutions and organizations, etc.
Schirmer Encyclopedia of Film
Publication Date: 2007
[eBook]
Provides comprehensive coverage of the studio era.
>> Enter studio in the search box to see a list of course-related topics.
>> Major entries include: the Cold war (and related topics); the studio system; each of the individual studios; the star system; 'B' movies; technology; and numerous others.
International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers
Publication Date: 2000
[eBook]
Provides thorough coverage of films and filmmakers, including legendary films, actors, actresses, directors, writers and other production artists. Entries include a detailed essay written by an expert; biographies; filmographies; cast credits; major awards; and updated (to 2000) bibliographies
The Wiley-Blackwell History of American Film
Call Number: PN1993.5 .U6 W4954 2012 (vol. 1-4)
Publication Date: 2011
[Print Only, located at INNIS, Graham & Pratt]
vol. 2 (1929-1945), vol. 3 (1946-1975)
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.
Historical Dictionary of American Cinema by PN1993.5 .U6 B653 2011X
Publication Date: 2011
[eBook - only 1 user at a time]
Print copies at Robarts (Stacks) & Vic/Pratt (Reference)
>> Includes a brief intro to the period and entries on a wide variety of studio-era individuals and topics.
>> Up-to-date bibliographies (books only) include: film genres; pertinent themes e.g., The Blacklist, Studios and Hollywood History; individual films, actors, directors, etc.
Hollywood : Critical concepts in media and cultural studies
Call Number: PN1993.5 .U6 H588 2004 (vol. 1-4)
Publication Date: 2004
[Print only - Innis, Robarts]
This collection brings together journal articles, published essays, book chapters and excerpts which explore Hollywood as a social, economic, industrial, aesthetic and political force, and as a complex historical entity.

History of the American Cinema series
[Print Only - Innis Library and other UofT Libraries]
The titles in this important series are best used to provide context / background for the decade covered. Each volume is based on voluminous, exhaustive research into primary source material by noted scholars in the field:
>> An evening's entertainment : the age of the silent feature picture, 1915-1928
>> The talkies: American cinema's transition to sound, 1926-1931.
>> Grand design: Hollywood as a modern business enterprise, 1930-1939.
>> Boom and bust: American cinema in the 1940s.
>>Transforming the screen, 1950-1959
>> The sixties: 1960-1969.
Screen Decades Series
Includes:
>> American cinema of the 1930s: themes and variations [online and print]
>> American cinema of the 1940s: themes and variations [print]
>> American cinema of the 1950s: themes and variations [print]
>> American cinema of the 1960s: themes and variations [online and print]

Research Guides

CIN374: American Cinema of the Studio Era

Get the Facts: Encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc.

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