This course examines the medium of film as it developed from a technological novelty and sideshow attraction into a powerful form of art, entertainment, industry, and socialization. We cover the emergence and spread of “moving pictures” in the 1890s and 1900s, the transformation to Hollywood cinema and the rise of international film styles in the 1910s and 1920s, and the institutionalization of classical Hollywood narrative and genre films within a vertically integrated big business model in the 1930s and 1940s. These developments are examined in relation to larger social, political, cultural, and economic contexts of 19th and 20^th century history, such as industrialization, urbanization, immigration, race, class, gender, nationalism, imperialism, consumerism, censorship, fascism, and the Great Depression, among others. Along the way, students will learn various theories for explaining film history as well as a variety of basic film history research methods. Students will work both collaboratively and independently on original film history research projects. (Photograph: Lyman H. Howe's high class moving pictures - new magic pictures / Courier Co. litho., Buffalo, N.Y. from the Library of Congree Free to Use and Re-Use Collection, https://www.loc.gov/item/97520513/). (Note: please disregard the "special fee" reference in the course description; the fee was removed several years ago but the description has not yet been updated to reflect this change.)