Between 1946 and 1964 seventy-five million babies were born, dwarfing the generations that preceded and succeeded them. At each stage of its life-cycle, the baby boom's great size has dictated the terms of national policy and public debate. While aspects of this history are well-documented, the relationship between the baby boom and Hollywood has never been explored. And yet, for almost 40 years, baby boomers made up the majority of Hollywood's audience, and since the 1970s, boomers have dominated movie production.

Hollywood and the Baby Boom weaves together interviews with leading filmmakers, archival research and the memories of hundreds of ordinary filmgoers to tell the full story of Hollywood's relationship with the boomers for the first time. The authors demonstrate the profound influence of the boomers on the ways that movies were made, seen and understood since the 1950s. The result is a compelling new account that draws upon an unprecedented range of sources, and offers new insights into the history of American movies.

James Russell is Principal Lecturer in Film Studies at De Montfort University, Leicester, UK.

List of Images
List of Figures
Acknowledgements
Introduction

Part 1. Childhood
Chapter One:Hollywood and the Baby Boom in the 1950s
Chapter Two: Watching Movies
Chapter Three: On the Screen

Part 2: Youth
Chapter Four: A Changing Audience
Chapter Five: Movies and Youth Revolt
Chapter Six: Towards the Modern Blockbuster

Part 3: Success
Chapter Seven: Boomer Filmmakers
Chapter Eight: Popular Genres and Popular Movies

Part 4: Maturity
Chapter Nine: Mature Movies
Chapter Ten: Families Forever

Part 5: Legacy
Chapter Eleven: Franchise Hollywood
Conclusion. A Legacy

Appendix A: The Survey
Appendix B:MPAA Age Demographics
Bibliography