Eleven essays presented by Couvares (history and American studies, Amherst College) draw connections between the evolution of censorship and self-censorship in American film and larger social processes of the 20th century, including the consolidation of culture industries and the spread of consumer markets; the evolution of government regulation of these markets; interethnic conflict at the local, national, and international levels; and the transformation of gender relations and the roles of women in American society. Specific topics include Mae West and the frontiers of sexuality and race relations, the impact of women progressive reformers on popular cinema, theater licensing and the origins of movie censorship in New York, representations of global ethnicity, the politics of the Hollywood Ten (writers and directors jailed for contempt of Congress for refusing to testify before the House Committee on Un-American Activities), and the Supreme Court and the decline of censorship in the 1950s and 60s. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)