While some of us think of the 1930s and 1940s as Hollywood’s “golden years,” its beginnings in the Teens and Twenties established everything that it was to become in later decades. John Powers, a director of narratives and documentary films, leads the participants in this exploration of D.W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mabel Normand, and Mack Sennett. From triumphs and tech innovation to bankruptcies and scandals, early Hollywood paved the way for what was to come and what is still with us. The course will include lectures, discussion, and videos of documentaries and movie clips. A follow-up to this course (Early Hollywood, Part Two) will include other legends from this fervent era.

The link to the zoom session will be sent to registered participants in their class reminder prior to the start of the class.