"This extraordinary book, published to commemorate the centennial celebration of the birth of American film and a 10-part television series to be aired on the 320 PBS stations beginning in January 1995, surveys the phenomenon that is Hollywood, past and present." "The movies, like no other art form, are deeply embedded in the American psyche. They are our heritage and our entertainment. In a text as epic in scope as its subject, and drawing on exclusive interviews with actors and filmmakers conducted specifically for the American Cinema project, author Jeanine Basinger presents the evolution of the Hollywood saga, from its early roots in rural California to an industry that has adapted to - and thrived during - such metamorphoses as the advent of sound, the "threat" of foreign films and of television, and even the age of the conglomerate." "Basinger examines in depth the language of film - focusing on the nature of the art form during the "golden age" as well as in the age of television - and its power, in Hollywood's skilled hands, to keep you in your seat and forever coming back for more." "With more than 300 illustrations from the world's leading film archives, including some never before published, this book celebrates the best of American films, from the glamorous defining films of Hollywood in such favorite genres as the screwball comedy and the western to today's blockbusters and film-school generation of directors, Scorsese, Spielberg, DePalma, Lucas, and Coppola. Also included are the new filmmakers redefining the Hollywood film today."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved