Melvyn Stokes – författare

In this deeply researched and vividly written volume, Melvyn Stokes illuminates the origins, production, reception and continuing history of this ground-breaking, aesthetically brilliant, and yet highly controversial movie landmark.By going back to the original archives, particularly the NAACP and D. W. Griffith Papers, Stokes explodes many of the myths surrounding The Birth of a Nation (1915). Yet the story that remains is fascinating: the longest American film of its time, Griffith's film incorporated many new features, including the first full musical score compiled for an American film. It was distributed and advertised by pioneering methods that would quickly become standard. Through the high prices charged for admission and the fact that it was shown, at first, only in "live" theaters with orchestral accompaniment, Birth played a major role in reconfiguring the American movie audience by attracting more middle-class patrons. But if the film was a milestone in the history of cinema, it was also undeniably racist. Stokes shows that the darker side of this classic movie has its origins in the racist ideas of Thomas Dixon, Jr. and Griffith's own Kentuckian background and earlier film career. The book reveals how, as the years went by, the campaign against the film became increasingly successful. In the 1920s, for example, the NAACP exploited the fact that the new Ku Klux Klan, which used Griffith's film as a recruiting and retention tool, was not just anti-black, but also anti-Catholic and anti-Jewish, as a way to mobilize new allies in opposition to the film.This crisply written book sheds light on both the film's racism and the aesthetic brilliance of Griffith's filmmaking. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the cinema.

In this deeply researched and vividly written volume, Melvyn Stokes illuminates the origins, production, reception and continuing history of this ground-breaking, aesthetically brilliant, and yet highly controversial movie.By going back to the original archives, particularly the NAACP and D. W. Griffith Papers, Stokes explodes many of the myths surrounding The Birth of a Nation (1915). Yet the story that remains is fascinating: the longest American film of its time, Griffith's film incorporated many new features, including the first full musical score compiled for an American film. It was distributed and advertised by pioneering methods that would quickly become standard. Through the high prices charged for admission and the fact that it was shown, at first, only in "live" theaters with orchestral accompaniment, Birth played a major role in reconfiguring the American movie audience by attracting more middle-class patrons. But if the film was a milestone in the history of cinema, it was also undeniably racist. Stokes shows that the darker side of this classic movie has its origins in the racist ideas of Thomas Dixon, Jr. and Griffith's own Kentuckian background and earlier film career. The book reveals how, as the years went by, the campaign against the film became increasingly successful. In the 1920s, for example, the NAACP exploited the fact that the new Ku Klux Klan, which used Griffith's film as a recruiting and retention tool, was not just anti-black, but also anti-Catholic and anti-Jewish, as a way to mobilize new allies in opposition to the film.This crisply written book sheds light on both the film's racism and the aesthetic brilliance of Griffith's filmmaking. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the cinema.

The first films made by British comedian Charlie Chaplin in California reached France in March 1915. They had an instant appeal for wartime French audiences-- "Charlot," the name under which Chaplin became known in France, quickly became a screen celebrity and a focal point for France's burgeoning film culture. His supporters ranged from members of the working-class through film writers such as Louis Delluc, who wrote the first book on Chaplin as an artist in any language, to members of the French literary avant-garde. As the "Little Tramp," he seemed to many French intellectuals to embody the spirit of post-World War I society. When he was subjected to criticism from American sources over his private life or political opinions, French intellectuals sprang to his defense. During his acrimonious divorce from Lita Grey in 1927, Surrealists justified his behaviour. And when American reviewers attacked his films Modern Times (1936) and Monsieur Verdoux (1947) for being too left-wing, he was supported by French critics. Modern Times, with its critique of factory conditions, struck a particular chord in France where its arrival coincided with mass factory sit-ins during the "Popular Front" summer of 1936. Chaplin's next film, The Great Dictator (1940), a satire on fascist rulers, due to the French surrender and German occupation was not screened in France until 1945, when it became the most popular film of the year by far. French critics, writers and politicians continued to support Chaplin when he was persecuted by right-wing Americans in the 1940s and early 50s for sexual scandal and supposed pro-communist leanings. Driven into exile in Europe in 1952, Chaplin's career as a filmmaker began to flag--the films he made outside the United States, A King in New York (1957) and A Countess from Hong Kong (1967), seemed to suggest his decline. But the celebration of his long career that took place at the 25th Cannes Film Festival in 1971 set the stage for the next few years in which Chaplin experienced what he himself described as his “renaissance”. Through the lens of French admiration, Chaplin emerges not just as a cinematic genius, but as a symbol of resilience, rebellion, and artistic reinvention.

The first films made by British comedian Charlie Chaplin in California reached France in March 1915. They had an instant appeal for wartime French audiences-- "Charlot," the name under which Chaplin became known in France, quickly became a screen celebrity and a focal point for France's burgeoning film culture. His supporters ranged from members of the working-class through film writers such as Louis Delluc, who wrote the first book on Chaplin as an artist in any language, to members of the French literary avant-garde. As the "Little Tramp," he seemed to many French intellectuals to embody the spirit of post-World War I society. When he was subjected to criticism from American sources over his private life or political opinions, French intellectuals sprang to his defense. During his acrimonious divorce from Lita Grey in 1927, Surrealists justified his behaviour. And when American reviewers attacked his films Modern Times (1936) and Monsieur Verdoux (1947) for being too left-wing, he was supported by French critics. Modern Times, with its critique of factory conditions, struck a particular chord in France where its arrival coincided with mass factory sit-ins during the "Popular Front" summer of 1936. Chaplin's next film, The Great Dictator (1940), a satire on fascist rulers, due to the French surrender and German occupation was not screened in France until 1945, when it became the most popular film of the year by far. French critics, writers and politicians continued to support Chaplin when he was persecuted by right-wing Americans in the 1940s and early 50s for sexual scandal and supposed pro-communist leanings. Driven into exile in Europe in 1952, Chaplin's career as a filmmaker began to flag--the films he made outside the United States, A King in New York (1957) and A Countess from Hong Kong (1967), seemed to suggest his decline. But the celebration of his long career that took place at the 25th Cannes Film Festival in 1971 set the stage for the next few years in which Chaplin experienced what he himself described as his “renaissance”. Through the lens of French admiration, Chaplin emerges not just as a cinematic genius, but as a symbol of resilience, rebellion, and artistic reinvention.

This collection of essays aims to respond to Charles Sellers's ""The Market Revolution"", reflecting upon the historiographic accomplishments initiated by his work, while advancing the argument across a range of fields. It explores the impact of the market on social and economic institutions.

This is an examination of the concepts of spectatorship in the light of historical accounts of audience reception. The book looks at how audiences have historically talked about Hollywood movies, and the ways in which 'word-of-mouth' responses have affected the reception of individual movies.

This book analyses the diverse historical and geographical circumstances in which audiences have viewed American cinema. It looks at cinema audiences ranging from Manhattan nickelodeons to the modern suburban megaplex, and from provincial, small-town or rural America to the shanty towns of South Africa.Going to the Movies studies the social and cultural history of movie audiences. Ranging broadly across historical time and geographical place, it analyses the role of movie theatres in local communities, the links between film and other entertainment media, non-theatrical exhibition and trends arising from the globalisation of audiences. There is an emphasis on movie-going outside the American North-East, and several chapters analyse the complexities of race and race formation in relation to cinema attendance.

This book analyses the diverse historical and geographical circumstances in which audiences have viewed American cinema. It looks at cinema audiences ranging from Manhattan nickelodeons to the modern suburban megaplex, and from provincial, small-town or rural America to the shanty towns of South Africa.Going to the Movies studies the social and cultural history of movie audiences. Ranging broadly across historical time and geographical place, it analyses the role of movie theatres in local communities, the links between film and other entertainment media, non-theatrical exhibition and trends arising from the globalisation of audiences. There is an emphasis on movie-going outside the American North-East, and several chapters analyse the complexities of race and race formation in relation to cinema attendance.

American History through Hollywood Film offers a new perspective on major issues in American history from the 1770s to the end of the twentieth century and explores how they have been represented in film. Melvyn Stokes examines how and why representation has changed over time, looking at the origins, underlying assumptions, production, and reception of an important cross-section of historical films. Chapters deal with key events in American history including the American Revolution, the Civil War and its legacy, the Great Depression, and the anti-communism of the Cold War era. Major themes such as ethnicity, slavery, Native Americans and Jewish immigrants are covered and a final chapter looks at the way the 1960s and 70s have been dealt with by Hollywood. This book is essential reading for anyone studying American history and the relationship between history and film.

American History through Hollywood Film offers a new perspective on major issues in American history from the 1770s to the end of the twentieth century and explores how they have been represented in film. Melvyn Stokes examines how and why representation has changed over time, looking at the origins, underlying assumptions, production, and reception of an important cross-section of historical films. Chapters deal with key events in American history including the American Revolution, the Civil War and its legacy, the Great Depression, and the anti-communism of the Cold War era. Major themes such as ethnicity, slavery, Native Americans and Jewish immigrants are covered and a final chapter looks at the way the 1960s and 70s have been dealt with by Hollywood. This book is essential reading for anyone studying American history and the relationship between history and film.

Cinema Memories brings together and analyses the memories of almost a thousand people of going to the cinema in Britain during the 1960s. It offers a fresh perspective on the social, cultural and film history of what has come to be seen as an iconic decade, with the release of films such as A Taste of Honey, The Sound of Music, Darling, Blow-Up, Alfie, The Graduate, and Bonnie and Clyde. Drawing on first-hand accounts, authors Melvyn Stokes, Matthew Jones and Emma Pett explore how cinema-goers constructed meanings from the films they watched - through a complex process of negotiation between the films concerned, their own social and cultural identities, and their awareness of changes in British society. Their analysis helps the reader see what light the cultural memory of 1960s cinema-going sheds on how the Sixties in Britain is remembered and interpreted. Positioning their study within debates about memory, 1960s cinema, and the seemingly transformative nature of this decade of British history, the authors reflect on the methodologies deployed, the use of memories as historical sources, and the various ways in which cinema and cinema-going came to mean something to their audiences.

Hollywood Abroad is the first book to examine the reception of Hollywood movies by non-American audiences. Although numerous books on film history have analyzed the ways in which American films came to dominate world markets, there has so far been very little published work on how audiences outside the United States have responded to Hollywood-produced films. Hollywood Abroad explores the reception of U.S. films in Britain, France, Belgium, Turkey, Australia, India, Japan, and Central Africa. The book covers topics from the first major penetration of American films into France, Britain, and Australia to the impact of such films as The Best Years of Our Lives to the response of Belgian young people in the age of the multiplex. It demonstrates that the story of the reception of American films overseas is less one of domination than of a complex adoption of Hollywood into various cultures.

Hollywood Abroad is the first book to examine the reception of Hollywood movies by non-American audiences. Although numerous books on film history have analyzed the ways in which American films came to dominate world markets, there has so far been very little published work on how audiences outside the United States have responded to Hollywood-produced films. Hollywood Abroad explores the reception of U.S. films in Britain, France, Belgium, Turkey, Australia, India, Japan, and Central Africa. The book covers topics from the first major penetration of American films into France, Britain, and Australia to the impact of such films as The Best Years of Our Lives to the response of Belgian young people in the age of the multiplex. It demonstrates that the story of the reception of American films overseas is less one of domination than of a complex adoption of Hollywood into various cultures.

A clear and accessible overview of the 20th century history of the American South. Topics covered include labour, intellectual and women's history as well as an analysis of the impact of Federal government policy on economic and social affairs. While embracing several fields, the authors all address the same theme: the slow loss of Southern distinctiveness and the effect this process has had on issues of race and class.

A clear and accessible overview of the 20th century history of the American South. Topics covered include labour, intellectual and women's history as well as an analysis of the impact of Federal government policy on economic and social affairs. While embracing several fields, the authors all address the same theme: the slow loss of Southern distinctiveness and the effect this process has had on issues of race and class.

Most historical writing on the relations between the United States and its European allies in the post-war period has concentrated on the development of the Cold War and the beginnings of European integration. An equally significant question is how relations between an increasingly self-confident Europe and a United States used to its leadership role developed after this period. This book investigates the successes and failures, as well as the diversity, that constituted both the strength and weakness of the transatlantic alliance. It looks at crucial areas of conflict, such as economics and trade, nuclear weapons, the language of power, and key personalities, as well as the very concept of a special relationship. How did Europe and the United States respond to economic emergencies such as the 1973-4 oil crisis and how were issues of power and control reflected in the language used by officials to describe foreign nations and statesmen? Who controlled the nuclear button and how did fears and feelings of inferiority influence European-American nuclear interdependence in NATO?How did American officials attempt to walk successfully in European corridors of power and how did Europeans network in Washington? What are the qualities that make relationships such as the Anglo-American or the German-American one special and what strains do they place on other members of the alliance?Internationally renowned experts in their fields illuminate the most exciting and important research currently available on the European-American relationship and shed new light on the way the western alliance has functioned. This important book will have wide appeal for specialists in a number of fields: international relations, politics, economics, and history.

Historians are very much aware of the variety of national and international trends that have shaped historical inquiry in recent decades. Americanists, in particular, have been conscious of the growing importance of gender issues, the 'turn' to questions of language and meaning, the increasing significance of cultural matters, and a new emphasis on regional history. The 1990s, moreover, saw a major movement to internationalize approaches to American history by emphasizing comparisons with other countries and cultures. By the end of the twentieth century it was by no means clear whether there was any distinctive 'American' history or, if it did exist, what its main contours were. This book brings together a distinguished international group of scholars in an effort to answer this key question through a sustained interrogation of the periods, themes, fields, problems and perspectives in historical writing on the United States. How have the intricate issues surrounding gender, race, slavery and civil rights been resolved and interpreted in recent American history?How have historians dealt with the complexities of events such as the American Revolution, the Civil War, Reconstruction and the New Deal in developing their historical narratives? In what ways have technological developments in industry, print and film influenced the questions historians ask?The State of U.S. History offers an exciting introduction to the debates surrounding the major trends in American historical debates and the crucial events and influences that have helped define the American experience.

Historians are very much aware of the variety of national and international trends that have shaped historical inquiry in recent decades. Americanists, in particular, have been conscious of the growing importance of gender issues, the 'turn' to questions of language and meaning, the increasing significance of cultural matters, and a new emphasis on regional history. The 1990s, moreover, saw a major movement to internationalize approaches to American history by emphasizing comparisons with other countries and cultures. By the end of the twentieth century it was by no means clear whether there was any distinctive 'American' history or, if it did exist, what its main contours were. This book brings together a distinguished international group of scholars in an effort to answer this key question through a sustained interrogation of the periods, themes, fields, problems and perspectives in historical writing on the United States. How have the intricate issues surrounding gender, race, slavery and civil rights been resolved and interpreted in recent American history?How have historians dealt with the complexities of events such as the American Revolution, the Civil War, Reconstruction and the New Deal in developing their historical narratives? In what ways have technological developments in industry, print and film influenced the questions historians ask?The State of U.S. History offers an exciting introduction to the debates surrounding the major trends in American historical debates and the crucial events and influences that have helped define the American experience.

Cinema Memories brings together and analyses the memories of almost a thousand people of going to the cinema in Britain during the 1960s. It offers a fresh perspective on the social, cultural and film history of what has come to be seen as an iconic decade, with the release of films such as A Taste of Honey, The Sound of Music, Darling, Blow-Up, Alfie, The Graduate, and Bonnie and Clyde. Drawing on first-hand accounts, authors Melvyn Stokes, Matthew Jones and Emma Pett explore how cinema-goers constructed meanings from the films they watched - through a complex process of negotiation between the films concerned, their own social and cultural identities, and their awareness of changes in British society. Their analysis helps the reader see what light the cultural memory of 1960s cinema-going sheds on how the Sixties in Britain is remembered and interpreted. Positioning their study within debates about memory, 1960s cinema, and the seemingly transformative nature of this decade of British history, the authors reflect on the methodologies deployed, the use of memories as historical sources, and the various ways in which cinema and cinema-going came to mean something to their audiences.

This book is a key text in the history of the most infamous and controversial film ever made and offers crucial new insights to scholars and students working in film history, African American history and the history of race relations.