The 1940s was a watershed decade for American cinema and the nation. Shaking off the grim legacy of the Depression, Hollywood launched an unprecedented wave of production, generating some
of its most memorable classics, including Citizen Kane, Rebecca, The Lady Eve, Sergeant York, andHow Green Was My Valley. In 1942, Hollywood joined the national war
effort with a vengeance, creating a series of patriotic and escapist films, such asCasablanca, Mrs. Miniver, The Road to Morocco, and Yankee Doodle Dandy.
With the end of the war, returning GIs faced a new America, in which the country had been transformed overnight. Film noir reflected a new public mood of pessimism and paranoia, in such
classic films of betrayal and conflict asKiss of Death, Force of Evil, Caught, and Apology for Murder, depicting a poisonous universe of femme fatales, crooked lawyers, and
corrupt politicians.
With the threat of the atom bomb lurking in the background and the beginnings of the Hollywood Blacklist, the 1940s was a decade of crisis and change. Featuring essays by a group of
respected film scholars and historians,American Cinema of the 1940s brings this dynamic and turbulent decade to life. Illustrated with many rare stills and filled with provocative
insights, the volume will appeal to students, teachers, and to all those interested in cultural history and American film of the twentieth century.
