An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood

امپراتوری خودشان: چگونگی اختراع هالیوود جهت یهودی‌ها

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Vision •Participants •Citizens •
Neal Gabler • Apr 12, 2009 • (0) Comments •
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Amazon.com Review
That subtitle may inspire in some readers waves of ethnic pride, and in others waves of ethnic revulsion, but the point of this book is that its claim of origin is quite literally true. And what makes it an interesting read for political types is the way it demonstrates that no matter how much the founding Hollywood moguls and their successors tried to peddle an idealized, escapist form of entertainment, bubbling up under and around their every project was ideology, racism, ethnic prejudice, class friction, domestic and international politics and all the other raw, seething stuff that distinguishes this country from all others. In Gabler's hands, the Industry draws a picture of American political history in spite of itself.

From Publishers Weekly
The author presents "an entertaining, wide-ranging, in-depth account" of the Jewish studio executives, theater owners, producers, writers, lawyers and talent agents who dominated the American film industry until shortly after WW II. "Gabler vividly recreates a way of life now gone forever," commented PW. Photos.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A great book. I've included it here for two reasons. One, it illustrates identity politics, and especially, the manufacture of identity, of idealized national identity. Culture is manufactured. Identity plays a part. Fascinating.

The second reason is that I often hear Iranians ranting about how Jews control Hollywood, so this book validates that. More importantly, it shows how that started, and thus shows how anyone can set about to build such an industry. In other words, stop whining about Hollywood and go out and invent your own magical filmaking industry.

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