Hollywood Renaissance: The Cinema of Democracy in the Era of Ford, Capra, and Kazan

In this lively and original book, Sam Girgus offers a fresh look at films such as The Searchers, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, It's a Wonderful Life, High Noon, and On the Waterfront. He shows how they are part of the cultural and historic debate that examines, structures, and questions what modern America means to its people, the world, and history.