The Golden Age of Hollywood Was Real. So Was the Cost.

Fri, 22 May 2026 06:00:00 -0500

Somewhere around 1939, if you were a working filmmaker in Hollywood, you could look around at what the American movie industry was producing and feel justified in calling it a golden age. In a single calendar year, audiences got “Gone with the Wind,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Stagecoach,” “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” “Ninotchka,” and “Only Angels Have Wings.” That’s not a fluke. That’s a system working at full capacity.

Cinema History on Sunday Evening Review

The Golden Age of Hollywood Was Real. So Was the Cost.