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Aug 31, 2026
Los Angeles and Film
A Cultural History of 20th-Century Hollywood
Summary
It is impossible to talk about the City of Angels without talking about its movie business. The history of American cinema is so intertwined with Los Angeles that the term “Hollywood” is used interchangeably with “American film” worldwide. From the early 20th-century migration of film pioneers from the East Coast to the emergence of local subcultures and global genres, John Trafton traces how the city has been imagined by insiders and outsiders alike in Los Angeles and Film: A Cultural History of 20th-Century Hollywood (Bloomsbury, 2026).
Key case studies include the L.A. Rebellion School, disaster cinema, and the intersections of independent cinema with the music scene and VHS culture. The book culminates in an exploration of Los Angeles neorealist cinema—a form that centers marginalized voices and challenges the myth of Hollywood glamour.
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Cory Barker
Cory Barker is a faculty member in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State University, where he teaches courses on film, television, and digital culture. Newsletter.
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