Hollywood and Anti-Semitism: A Cultural History up to World War II (Cambridge Studies in the History of Mass Communication)
Carr (communications, Indiana Univ.- Purdue Univ. Fort Wayne) has written a scholarly history of anti-Semitism in Hollywood. Exhaustively researched, the book examines the key issues behind anti-Semitism in the movie industry and the attitudes of American audiences. The author explores the way Jews were portrayed in film and the various ethnic stereotypes American moviegoers watched. This stereotyping reinforced the negative view of Jews in society. Though written in a dry academic style, the book includes extensive notes and a bibliography and is an excellent resource on Hollywood's anti-Semitism. Photographs and cartoons depicting anti-Jewish sentiments enhance the text. There are numerous examples to validate Carr's thesis, such as Charles Lindbergh's famous remark that "the greatest danger to this country lies in their [Jews] large ownership and influence in our motion pictures, our press, our radio, and our government." This thought-provoking book is recommended for academic libraries. Rosalind Dayen, Broward Cty. South Regional Lib., Pembroke Pines, FLCopyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.