Operation Hollywood
Subtitle: How the Pentagon Shapes and Censors the Movies
By: David L. Robb.
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Published: 2004
Place of publication: Amherst, N.Y
Language: eng
Number of pages: 384
Subjects: Armed Forces in motion pictures.; Motion pictures -- Censorship -- United States.
Description: "The only thing Hollywood likes more than a good movie is a good deal. For more than fifty years producers and directors of war and action movies have been getting a great deal from America's armed forces by receiving access to billions of dollars worth of military equipment and personnel for little or no cost. Although this arrangement considerably lowers a film's budget, the cost in terms of intellectual freedom can be steep. In exchange for access to sophisticated military hardware and expertise, filmmakers must agree to censorship from the Pentagon." "As veteran Hollywood journalist David L. Robb shows in this insider's look into Hollywood's "dirtiest little secret," the final product that moviegoers see at the theater reflects less about what the director intends and more what the powers-that-be in the military want to project about America's armed forces. Sometimes a military liaison officer demands removal of just a few words; other times whole scenes must be scrapped or completely revised. What happens if a director refuses the requested changes? Robb quotes a Pentagon spokesperson: "Well, I'm taking my toys and I'm going home. I'm taking my tanks and my troops and my location, and I'm going home." Such threats can be persuasive to filmmakers trying to keep their productions on time and within budget."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 369-372) and index.