Hollywood and the Invention of England: Projecting the English Past in American Cinema, 1930–2017

Product Description

Drawing on new archival research into Hollywood production history and detailed analysis of individual films, Hollywood and the Invention of England examines the surprising affinity for the English past in Hollywood cinema. Stubbs asks why Hollywood filmmakers have so frequently drawn on images and narratives depicting English history, and why films of this type have resonated with audiences in America. Beginning with an overview of the cultural interaction between American film and English historical culture, the book proceeds to chart the major filmmaking cycles which characterise Hollywood's engagement with the English past from the 1930s to the present, assessing the value of English-themed films in the American film industry while also placing them in a broader historical context.

Review

“So much scholarship asks, “What is national film production?” This wonderful book poses a different question: “How do films produce nations?” Stubbs provides an answer through meticulous archival work and focused readings of movies. This is an important contribution to films studies and to the practices of history.” ―Eric Smoodin, Professor of American Studies, University of California, Davis, USA

“In this authoritative and illuminating new study, Jonathan Stubbs investigates the cultural, political and industrial influences that shaped Hollywood's England. His book is an important account of a key aspect of film history and it is also important as a model of how film history should be researched and written.” ―Mark Glancy, Reader in Film History, Queen Mary University of London, UK

About the Author

Jonathan Stubbs is Professor in the Communication Faculty at Cyprus International University, Cyprus.