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Research Guides

National Cinemas

Finding Books - United States

Search with Subject Headings in the Library Catalogue

  1. Go to UTL LibrarySearch Advanced Search
  2. Enter any of the Subject Heading found below exactly as it appears in the Search Box 
  3. Choose Subject from the Search Filters drop-down menu on the left
  4. Press Enter or click on the Magnifying Glass icon

For additional information on subject headings in LibrarySearch, visit How can I use subject headings to improve my searching?

Subject Headings

  • motion picture industry united states
  • motion pictures united states
  • motion pictures united states political aspects
  • motion pictures united states social aspects
  • motion pictures united states history

Individual directors

(Search as above; use last name, first name)

  • e.g., tarantino quentin

Finding Journal Articles

Interdisciplinary databases

Film-specific databases

  • 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. Use the AFI Catalog to find detailed production information about specific films (incl. release dates and other production-related information), as well as citations to contemporaneous reviews from newspapers (e.g., New York Times); trade & industry publications (Variety); popular magazines (Motion Picture Herald, Photoplay); and review publications (Monthly Film Bulletin), among others.
    Note: There are no direct links to online content from the AFI Catlog. See How to Find Journal Articles below, for instructions on how to use a citation to find a journal article.
  • Film Index International (British Film Institute). Coverage: 1900 - current. The directors selected for inclusion are a) those who have made a fiction film shown theatrically that is over 50 minutes in duration, released between 1928 and 1965, and b) those who have made a fiction film over 60 minutes in duration, post-1965.
    Note: There are no direct links to online content from Film Index International. See How to Find Journal Articles below, for instructions on how to use a citation to find a journal article.
  • International Index to Film Periodicals (1972+) Search by keyword, separating each word or phrase by AND
  • Film & Television Literature Index (1913-current)
  • Film Literature Index (1976-2001).

Other Resources - United States Cinema

from The Library of Congress

Screen Decades: American Culture/American Cinema Series

Reference

The Wiley-Blackwell history of American film. 4 vols. 2012. INNIS, VIC, TRIN. Print only.

The Hollywood Romantic Comedy: Conventions, History, Controversies. Ebook.

Hollywood Film 1963-1976: Years of Revolution and Reaction. Ebook.

A Companion to Alfred Hitchcock. Ebook.

History of the American Cinema Series 10 vols. (print only, numerous copies of each vol. within the UTLibrary system). NOTE: Select UTCat, and enter any of the titles below (do not use articles) in the Search Box:

  • The emergence of cinema: the American screen to 1907, v. 1.
  • The transformation of cinema, 1907-1915, v. 2.
  • An evening's entertainment: the age of the silent feature picture, 1915-1928, v. 3.
  • The talkies: American cinema's transition to sound, 1926-1931, v. 4.
  • Grand design: Hollywood as a modern business enterprise, 1930-1939, v. 5.
  • Boom and bust: American cinema in the 1940s, v. 6.
  • Transforming the screen, 1950-1959, v. 7.
  • The sixties, 1960-1969, v. 8.
  • Lost illusions: American cinema in the shadow of Watergate and Vietnam, 1970-1979, v. 9.
  • A new pot of gold: Hollywood under the electronic rainbow, 1980-1989, v. 10.

Directory of World Cinema: American Hollywood Ebook
Directory of World Cinema: American Independent Ebook.
World Film Locations: Chicago
World Film Locations: Las Vegas Print, Robarts
World Film Locations: Los Angeles Ebook.
World Film Locations: New OrleansEbook.
World Film Locations: New York Ebook.

Bibliographies - United States Cinema

Bibliographies are curated lists of resources on particular topics. You will need to look up the resources in UTL Catalogue, the Internet, or contact the Cinema Studies Librarian for help. 

Oxford Bibliographies Online

Film Genre and Topics

 

Individual Films (OBO)

Directors/Actors of American Films (OBO)

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from Wiley-Blackwell