Cecil B. DeMille, Classical Hollywood, and Modern American Mass Culture

This book uses the long and profitable career of Cecil B. DeMille to track the evolution of Classical Hollywood and its influence on emerging mass commercial culture in the US. DeMilles success rested on how well his films presumed a broad consensus in the American publicexpressed through consumer hedonism, faith, and an exceptional national historywhich merged seamlessly with the efficient production methods developed by the largest integrated studios. DeMilles sudden mid-career shift away from spectator perversity to corporate propagandist permanently tarnished the directors historical standing among scholars, yet should not overshadow the profound links between his success and the rise and fall of mid-century mass culture.