Barbara L. (Barbllm) reviewed Radical Hollywood: The Untold Story Behind America's Favorite Movies on + 241 more book reviews
The truth is hard to find when everyone has an agenda. Hollywood and politics have had a complicated relationship for many years, and this excellent book shows how Leftist influence (and the controversial blacklist) changed Hollywood during the 1920s through the 1950s. The authors mix research (a lot of interesting facts about the films, actors, and directors are scattered throughout the book) and political acumen to produce a detailed analysis of progressive politics and how they shaped the resulting films like Hopalong Cassidy, Public Enemy, and The Wizard of Oz. The authors have a real love of cinema, and this shows in the stills from the films as well as the detailed footnotes in each chapter.