The Transformation of Cinema, 1907-1915 (History of the American Cinema) Hardcover – December 1, 1990

As a silent film enthusiast I thoroughly enjoyed reading "The Transformation of Cinema" and got a lot out of it. Although the author takes quite a scholarly approach (with extensive notes and bibliography), I found the book to be fairly easy reading throughout, and each chapter, which deals with a separate theme and includes good photos, is just the right length. This book is probably best for the more serious student or enthusiast of early film development, rather than for general reading or information on certain films or people. The author's approach is an overall one, encompassing the mentality and social conditions of the time in the US which influenced the development of cinema, such as, for example, the attitude in the early years that moving pictures were only for the `great unwashed masses' and was looked down upon by middle and upper classes. As a result, influential people concerned with `uplift' in society pushed to make films educational, intelligent and appealing to the more intellectual classes of society. Then there was a backlash as the majority of people preferred to be entertained rather than lectured, and further chapters focus on the changes that took place in filmmaking: moving cameras, lighting, editing, fade-outs and so on. Many films are mentioned as examples, but there is no section devoted to any person or film in particular. Instead, the author takes an all-encompassing approach which shows how people responded to moving pictures in the first place, then how producers and filmmakers responded to the public's reactions, tried to influence the public in various ways, and how all these interactions led to the transformation of nickelodeons into cinemas as we know them today. I found this to be a very good, informative and enlightening approach which was handled well, making this book an important foundation in the understanding and appreciation of moving pictures.

There have been scores of books written on the early American Cinema but there are very few as comprehensive as this one in the way that it details all the varigated facets of a new industry and art form at its infancy. It shows "warts and all" the American film industry in bare knuckled competition between companies, monopolies, cities, and the sometimes clear, sometimes clouded vision of the pioneer executives, directors, actors and producers groping to find their footing without preivous experience in a new industry / medium.Some individual films are described and deconstructed but first and foremost this tome is a historial perspective of the 1907 -15 time frame that highlights the how, who's, whats and why's that shaped the earliest years of the American film industry and how theindustry moved from a limited "nicklelodian" novelty entertainment sideshow that was not considered legitimate or worthy of respect BUT in less than a decade - by 1915 it had evolved into the most watched,innovative and vibrant entertainment medium in the world.AND while D.W. Grifffith and the Biograph Studio get "their pride of place" in their role as being in forefront of innovation the realms of film narrative, editing and direction , the the author ensures that they don't completely dominate the narrative - The other pioneer film companies, Lubin, Vitagaph, Kalem, Edison, Essanay, IMP, Universal, Thanhouser, Mutual, Famous Players {aka Paramount}, Selig AND who founded them, their stars, product type and their preferred film genres - they are all given thier due. The flim patents battle between the{so called}legitmate film producers led by Thomas Edison and upstart producers that refused to pay them royalties for their product and own innovation is particularly illuminating and well told and is a story not often told.This book may not for everyone, it is a narrative history that encompasses a wide range of areas of an industry in the throes of development and change from how the fledgling medium was financed, how the early film studios were designed /equipted / managed, popular film genres of the era and why the public liked them. The book describes the beginning of the "star system", "The East Coast versus the West Coast", the "tug of war" for the battle of where movies would be made and the producing studio's located and why the "West Coast" {for the most part} won the battle.The individual men and women who learned and evolved their crafts thru "trial and error", who became the first generation of directors, writers and producers and how they constructed the new language of film narrative is well detailed. Constant innovation in photography, lighting, editing, direction resulting in overwhelming acceptance by the public of this new field of entertainment is a major theme of the narrative. I liked this book, it was different and informative and {espiscally} for the dedicated student of the silent film and film history,I give it a rating of between 4 and 4 1/2 stars.

A very informative and well-written book. Being that it is part of a series it affords the reader a more in depth look into the world of cinema. A definite must for anyone with an interest in this subject.

I am flummoxed by the print quality in this book. I will acknowledge I wear a strong-prescription lens. But I believe the page design and formal in this book will challenge readers with 20/20 vision. The ink appears dark gray instead of black. The font appears to be a 9-point height, tiny, or at least very small, by most standards.Be warned: not for myopic readers.Note: I recommended this book for a Kindle edition from Amazon.

Standard history of this period. Note, the author is Bowser (when at Film Dept, Museum of Modern Art) and editor is only Harpole.