This fall, CTCS 392 - History of American Cinema to 1960 will cover the development and significance of American cinema (with a focus on the Hollywood studio system) up to 1960. Professor Luci Marzola will trace the development of the American motion picture industry through Hollywood’s silent, classical, and postwar eras, exploring the role of censorship, stardom, race, gender, WWII, technology, genre, and style. This course will also consider the contributions of those working outside of (and sometimes against) the system, including the race films industry, the avant garde, and animation. CTCS 392 will screen classic films, explore archival materials from the era, and ultimately think through the connections between this foundational period and the present state of American media. Screenings may include films such as Shoes, Body & Soul, Sherlock Jr., Wings, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Gold Diggers of 1933, Dark Victory, Casablanca, In a Lonely Place, The Searchers, and Imitation of Life.

CTCS 392 - History of American Cinema to 1960 is open to all USC majors!