This is a course on the history of Hollywood. It seeks to unravelHollywood’s complex workings and explain how the business and politicsof the film industry translate into the art of film. We will trace the American film industry from Edison to the internet, asking questions such as: What is the relationship between Hollywood and independent film? How has the global spread of Hollywood since the 1920s changedthe film industry? How has Hollywood responded to crises in American politics (e.g., world wars, the cold war, terrorism)? And how have newtechnologies such as synchronized sound, color cinematography,television, home video, computer graphics, and other digital technologies changed film andHollywood? We will look closely at representative studios(Paramount, Disney, and others), representative filmmakers (MaryPickford, Frank Capra, and George Lucas, among many others), andwe will examine the impact of industrial changes on the screen.