The Dream Palaces of Shanghai: American Films in China's Largest Metropolis Prior to 1949

Hollywood films had become an established part of China's urban culture by the 1920's, most notably in Shanghai, and this is where I have focused my research. My emphasis was on analyzing the role American films have played in the cultural context of Shanghai, for it is obvious they had a major cultural impact in a variety of ways. Hollywood films were a pervasive part of both consumer and film culture in Shanghai. A member of the audience might bring along his or her tailor to copy the latest fashion off the screen and filmmakers themselves could spend hours in the movie theatre to learn their craft from the newest American import