Though many scholars and researchers have written about the film industry, they rarely examine the structure of the industry from the perspective of trade associations, organizations, censorship boards, producers and distributors, and those involved with legal matters. That is the subject of this book. Afra looks at how the film industry became a vertically integrated oligopoly in which a ‘limited number of firms controlled production, distribution, and exhibition.’ He assembled this study from corporate files, legal documents, financial reports, trade papers, and personal correspondence (1910–30). Arguing that the confluence of studio executives, Wall Street, and government policies—which were sometimes at odds and sometimes collaborated—resulted in and shaped the studio system, Afra provides a comprehensive history that reveals how multiple players, including censorship agencies, trade associations, producers, distributors, exhibitors, theater owners, and studios, promoted their own interests in developing the studio system. Filmmakers too played a role: e.g., D. W. Griffith headed the National Association of the Motion Picture Industry's committee on censorship. Those who teach film history or matters related to censorship will find this an excellent reference for explaining the formation of the industry. The book is thorough, well researched, and extensive in its analysis. Summing Up:Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.

Choice Reviews