This anthology has been expanded and revised to include a fresh introductory overview by editor Tino Balio and ten new chapters - seen written specifically for this edition - that explore such topics as the growth of exhibition as big business, the mode of production for feature films, the star as market strategy, and the changing economies and structure of contemporary entertainment companies. Balio divides the subject into four eras: 1894-1908 describes how motion pictures developed from a novelty into a business enterprise; 1908-1930 chronicles the industry's development into an economic oligopoly; 1930-1948 covers the behaviour and organization of the industy at its peak; 1948 to the present analyzes the results of technological, legal, and social events on the contemporary economic history of American movies.