The Undeclared War: Struggle for Control of the World's Film Industry - Softcover

Puttnam, David

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0006387446 ISBN 13: 9780006387442

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1997

Synopsis

An account of the way in which Hollywood has achieved almost total sovereignty over the world's movies. It tells of a battle which has seen Hollywood establish itself as a global cultural and economic force, and in the process, devastate the national industries of many other countries.

About this title

About the Author

David Puttnam is the Oscar-winning producer of ‘Chariots of Fire’, ‘Midnight Express’, ‘Local Hero’, ‘The Killing Fields’ and ‘The Mission’. He was chairman of Columbia Pictures from 1986 to 1988, and now heads his own company, Enigma Productions. In 1995 he received a knighthood for his services to the British film industry. He divides his time between England and a home in Ireland.

From the Back Cover

'The Undeclared War' is a provocative, original and wonderfully entertaining account of the way in which Hollywood seized control of the world's movie business, by one of the most articulate and controversial figures working in the industry today.

British producer David Puttnam, the only European to have run a modern Hollywood studio, provides the first comprehensive account of the struggle for sovereignty over the twentieth century's most popular and influential medium of mass culture.

It is the inside story of a battle which began with the invention of cinema in 1895 and which has raged for the last 100 years. It is a conflict which has pitted Hollywood moguls against politicians, tycoons and cultural elites the world over. Hollywood has become the advance herald of empire, its global dominance the most potent and visible symbol of the Americanisation of the world. 'Donald Duck as World Diplomat', as one American producer put it. What had started out as an economic conflict became an ideological and cultural battle too, a bitterly fought struggle for the hearts and minds of audiences across the world.

In 'The Undeclared War', David Puttnam shows just what we have gained, what we have lost, and what we still stand to lose in the battle for control of this extraordinary medium. It is a dramatic and enthralling story, one which goes to the very heart of who we are and what we wish to become.

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0006387446
• ISBN 13: 9780006387442
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 416