The War Documentary That Never Was
John Huston's 1945 movie The Battle of San Pietro presents itself as a war documentary, but contains staged scenes. What should we make of it?
Socialist Sci-Fi Reimagined the Future
The 1960 East German film The Silent Star provided a significant cautionary tale for the Cold War era.
Makeup in the Technicolor Age
When Technicolor changed the face of the film industry, it also altered the cosmetics industry, sparking the great Hollywood Powder Puff War of the 1930s.
The Magic Lantern Shows that Influenced Modern Horror
Eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century audiences were delighted and horrified by these spectral apparitions conjured in dark rooms.
The End of American Film Censorship
The Hays Code kept Hollywood on a short leash until the Supreme Court decided in 1952 that films were protected by the First Amendment.
How Hollywood Thrived Through the Red Scare
A young Richard Nixon started asking studio executives why they didn't produce anti-Communist movies. The studios quickly responded with anti-Red films.
Weirdly Enough, Movies about TV Prepared America for TV
Ironically, it was movies that helped accustom American viewers to television in the first place, writes Richard Koszarski.
Why East Germany Loved the Wild West
During the Cold War, both the West and East Germany film industries made popular westerns. Yes, westerns. What was that all about?
The FBI Goes to the Movies
In its hunt for communists in Hollywood, the FBI criticized the 1946 classic It's "A Wonderful Life" as subversive propaganda.
Why Drive-Ins Were More Than Movie Theaters
Drive-ins embodied the suburbanization of middle class families -- and created an entirely new way of watching the movies.