Hollywood has been involved in politics since its earliest days. This book documents the entertainment industry's participation in American politics on both the Left and the Right. It provides a detailed history of Hollywood's relationship to politics, celebrity and mass democracy, and money and politics.

Hollywood has been involved in politics since its earliest days. This book documents the entertainment industry's participation in American politics on both the Left and the Right. Spanning from the 1920s through today, this volume provides the student of history, politics, or film and media studies a detailed history of Hollywood's relationship to politics, celebrity and mass democracy, and money and politics. A general introduction and several section introductions buttress the both visual and textual documents included in Hollywood and Politics, many of which have never before been published, in order to offer the reader a rare insight into Hollywood activism.

"Well-chosen primary sources abound in Hollywood and Politics:A Sourcebook, and I eagerly read document after document. Critchlow and Raymond provide valuable introductions, putting each one into context, then wisely step back and let the original material speak for itself." -Valerie Yaros, Screen Actors Guild Historian "A much needed volume of primary source readings on the politics of Hollywood and American filmmaking. Ranging from the Depression of the 1930s through the culture wars of the recent past, the book offers a balanced, wide-ranging array of materials that speak to how the movies-and the people that made them-have confronted and interpreted a variety of political issues. Thought provoking and engaging." -Steven Watts, author of The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life and Mr. Playboy: Hugh Hefner and the American Dream