Dan Martin / news@whmi.com


The Brighton District Library is offering an exciting presentation for fans of classic cinema on Wednesday April 17th from 7:00 to 8:00 pm.

From the late 1920s through the end of the second World War, Hollywood studios like 20th Century Fox, Paramount, MGM, RKO, and Warner Brothers dominated film production, not only here in America, but worldwide.

Why was Hollywood so successful despite the era’s economic woes? The reasons are intriguing. This presentation, by Fordham University professor emeritus Brian Rose, will examine the forces that made Hollywood the giant of global film-making and the special nature of its achievements during its Golden Age, including discussions of studio politics and economics, the star system, and the nature of the movie-going experience.

Despite the economic problems posed by the Depression, the studios became virtual entertainment factories, with each studio producing more than 50 movies a year. The films of this era among the best-loved, and most significant films, ever made. There will also be an analysis of why this period was so short-lived and of Hollywood's desperate attempts, beginning in the 1950s, to recapture its faded glory.