Reviews
"Excellent.... Thomas Doherty's Pre-Code Hollywoodcogently examines the [Pre-Code] pictures and their political impact." -- Richard Corliss, Time, "Looks to become the standard work on this decidedly nonstandard age." -- Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times, "Doherty keenly grasps the paradox at the heart of Hollywood censorship in the studio era.." -- Clayton Koppes, American Historical Review, Pre-Code Hollywood is a delight -- a text as witty and lively as the dialogue to be found in most of the pre-Code films under discussion., A pleasure to read. Where film criticism often seems doomed to crush the power and the immediacy of the moving image under the weight of theoretical abstraction and protracted analysis, Doherty's prose is swift, vivid and energetic, much like the films that he addresses here., "Scholarly but at ease with a Hollywood aside or period slang.... Providing a nearly complete chronicle and casting unifying light on an unexplored era in film." -- Kirkus Reviews, " Pre-Code Hollywood is not only fun to read, it's instructive -- a valuable, organized dip into a narrow slice of Hollywood history." -- Robert Gottlieb, The New York Times Book Review, Pre-Code Hollywood is a delight--a text as witty and lively as the dialogue to be found in most of the pre-Code films under discussion., Excellent.... Thomas Doherty's Pre-Code Hollywood cogently examines the [Pre-Code] pictures and their political impact., This is a fascinating, in-depth look at an overlooked Hollywood era. Doherty re-creates the horse-trading over censorship and the social tensions and casual racism of a young industry.... Highly recommended., Pre-Code Hollywood is not only fun to read, it's instructive-a valuable, organized dip into a narrow slice of Hollywood history., Pre-Code Hollywood is not just a valuable exercise in film scholarship but also a fascinating cultural history of America in crisis. Doherty's discussion of Roosevelt's notorious manipulation of the mass media is itself worth the price of the book., "This is a fascinating, in-depth look at an overlooked Hollywood era. Doherty re-creates the horse-trading over censorship and the social tensions and casual racism of a young industry.... Highly recommended." -- Library Journal, " Pre-Code Hollywood is not just a valuable exercise in film scholarship but also a fascinating cultural history of America in crisis. Doherty's discussion of Roosevelt's notorious manipulation of the mass media is itself worth the price of the book." -- Peter Kurth, Salon.com, "A pleasure to read. Where film criticism often seems doomed to crush the power and the immediacy of the moving image under the weight of theoretical abstraction and protracted analysis, Doherty's prose is swift, vivid and energetic, much like the films that he addresses here." -- Jeffrey Geiger, American Studies, " Pre-Code Hollywoodis a delight -- a text as witty and lively as the dialogue to be found in most of the pre-Code films under discussion." -- Filmfax, " Pre-Code Hollywoodis not just a valuable exercise in film scholarship but also a fascinating cultural history of America in crisis. Doherty's discussion of Roosevelt's notorious manipulation of the mass media is itself worth the price of the book." -- Peter Kurth, Salon.com, Scholarly but at ease with a Hollywood aside or period slang.... Providing a nearly complete chronicle and casting unifying light on an unexplored era in film., Pre-Code Hollywood is not only fun to read, it's instructive -- a valuable, organized dip into a narrow slice of Hollywood history., Pre-Code Hollywood is not only fun to read, it's instructive--a valuable, organized dip into a narrow slice of Hollywood history., " Pre-Code Hollywood is a delight -- a text as witty and lively as the dialogue to be found in most of the pre-Code films under discussion." -- Filmfax, Pre-Code Hollywood is a delight-a text as witty and lively as the dialogue to be found in most of the pre-Code films under discussion., " Pre-Code Hollywoodis not only fun to read, it's instructive -- a valuable, organized dip into a narrow slice of Hollywood history." -- Robert Gottlieb, The New York Times Book Review
