Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Stephen Rowley: The Classic Hollywood Town at the Dawn of Suburbia

The Classic Hollywood Town at the Dawn of Suburbia
by Stephen Rowley
Refractory



Abstract

This article examines the depictions of small towns in a number of Hollywood films from the 1940s, and describes some of the ideals of community that were shaping (and reflecting) the community attitudes that would underlie the post-war suburban boom. Two points are of particular interest. Firstly, what are some of the common physical and social characteristics of the communities as depicted in these films? And secondly, what can we glean from the films about the attitudes to community and suburbanisation that existed at the dawn of the suburban age?

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