The Entertainment Industry
| UW-L Author: |
Michael Haupert, Ph.D.
Economics |
| Copyright: |
2006 |
| Publisher: |
Greenwood Press |
Haupert, Michael J. The Entertainment Industry.
Emerging industries in the United States. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press,
2006.
This book gives a concise overview of the economic history of
entertainment in the United States
over the course of the 20th century. It has selected a few businesses whose
histories together give an impression of the industry's evolution. The
chapter on vaudeville relates the emergence of the genre in the 1880s, the
emergence of circuits, the domination of the business by a few major
organizations, and the eventual decline, coincident with the arrival of
talking pictures. The subsequent two chapters tell the history of the film
and music industries. The next chapter, on radio, devotes substantial
attention to the technical aspects — the inventors, their patents and their
exploitation. A chapter on television relates how it continued the
vaudeville tradition after the last vaudeville theater had closed. The last
chapter contains brief biographic sketches of some personalities that played
a key role in the industry's history. Aimed at a wide audience, the book
provides a broad narrative synthesis of some of the secondary literature.
About the Author
Mike Haupert is a professor of economics. His teaching and
research interests are in the areas of the economics of sports and
entertainment, particularly from a historical perspective.
