"The supreme duty of the historian is to write history, " said Steve n Runciman, th e studen t o f Byzantium, and no t t o "reduc e history t o a series of economic o r sociologica l laws."2 And yet, racia l history an d movi e histor y ar e social. But in the end I wish also, old-fashioned as it seems, to get the story straight. Elsewhere I hav e trie d t o se t fort h a t lengt h a tentativ e mean s o f applying som e o f thes e theorie s t o a n Africa n America n historica l model.1 Here, rather than risk offering thi s book as a sort of test of ho w black history fits this or that theory, I wish to say only that I hope i t is a history informe d an d eve n discipline d b y theoretica l borrowing s an d fresh sources. This academic vein of history was also rooted in heretofore inaccessibl e studio record s and therefor e less dependent o n the flawe d memorie s o f octogenarian eyewitnesses. Th e reader should kno w tha t this work appear s at the end o f an era when movie history written mainly for fans gave way to a rage fo r history rigorousl y grounded i n theorie s borrowe d fro m disci plines that included psychoanalysis, feminism, linguistics, anthropology, and Marxist economics. This book is an attemp t to examine thi s idea as it operated durin g th e er a o f World War II, when many deepl y rooted racia l customs wer e shake n an d reforme d i n way s tha t wer e anticipate d i n popular movies. Observers of American lif e hav e ofte n asserte d tha t popula r culture reflects its values. When you make movies you don' t chang e history you participat e in it. Walter Fishe r Margaret Hollan d Elliott Rudwic k and William F. Afro-Americans in th e motio n pictur e industry. Include s bibliographical references an d index. Making movie s blac k : the Hollywoo d message movi e fro m Worl d Wa r I I to th e civi l right s era / Thomas Cripps. Library o f Congres s Cataloging-in-Publication Dat a Cripps, Thomas. N o par t o f this publication may b e reproduced, stored i n a retrieva l system, o r transmitted, in an y for m o r b y an y means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, o r otherwise, without th e prio r permissio n o f Oxfor d Universit y Press. 200 Madiso n Avenue, Ne w York, Ne w Yor k 10016 Oxford i s a registere d trademar k o f Oxfor d Universit y Press All right s reserved. Published b y Oxfor d Universit y Press, Inc. Oxford Universit y Press Oxford Ne w Yor k Toront o Delhi Bomba y Calcutt a Madra s Karach i Kuala Lumpu r Singapor e Hon g Kon g Toky o Nairobi Da r e s Salaa m Cap e Tow n Melbourne Aucklan d Madri d and associate d companies i n Berlin Ibada nĬopyright © 199 3 b y Oxfor d Universit y Press, Inc. New Yor k Oxfor d OXFORD UNIVERSIT Y PRES S 1993 The Hollywood Message Movie from World War II to the Civil Rights Era THOMAS CRIPP S
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