Scenes of Instruction
"Polan's book offers the first pedagogical history of the emergence of film studies courses within the American university system prior to World War II, based on an amazing wealth of little known or even unknown material. It also offers an equally valuable intellectual history in which early film studies courses clarify the theoretical frameworks governing the humanities and social sciences in higher education. And the writing is sophisticated yet accessible and engaging."—Richard Abel, author of Americanizing the Movies and "Movie-Mad" Audiences, 1910-1914
Dana Polan is Professor of Cinema Studies at the Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. Among his books are Jane Campion, Pulp Fiction, In a Lonely Place, and the forthcoming titles The Sopranos and The French Chef.
Chronicles the first classes on the art and industry of cinema and the colorful pioneers who taught, wrote, and advocated on behalf of the art form. This book looks at Columbia University's classes on Photoplay Composition; and lectures at the New School for Social Research by famed movie historian Terry Ramsaye.