Movies in American History

This three-volume set of of encyclopedias, the coordinated work of 150 contributors, covers American movie history from the invention of the zoopraxiscope to present day, giving attention to how movies interface with social issues including issues of race and gender. Entries are organized alphabetically by film title (films make up most of the first two volumes), people (historically significant actors, directors, and screenwriters), and subjects (feminist film criticism, coming of age films, Hollywood blacklist, animation, French new wave, etc). Black and white photos accompany some entries, and references are provided at the end of each entry. Film descriptions include information about the social context and historical significance of each film, a plot synopsis, notable facts, and information about writers, directors, actors, and actresses. This encyclopedia would be useful to students in film and film history, and interesting and accessible to movie buffs. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Philip C. DiMare is a lecturer in the departments of Humanities and Religious Studies and History at California State University, Sacramento, CA.