Dollars and Ideology: Will Hays' Economic Foreign Policy 1922--1945.

MOTION pictures; HAYS, Will H. (Will Harrison), 1879-1954; AMERICANIZATION; INTERNATIONAL relations; MOTION picture industry; PERFORMING arts; CULTURAL industries

When Hollywood exports dominated the world what was the content of films' ideological message? British and Canadian ruling elites regarded it as a deplorable message they called "Americanization". Will Hays, Hollywood's plenipotentiary, after early fumbles, postulated that Hollywood was selling America. U.S. commercial officials took films to be a commodity that sold America also. Other American officials thought Hollywood was selling the U.S. short by contemptuous stereo-typing of foreigners, glorification of crime, and flag-waving. Hays thought American films glorified and fulfilled the American mission to enlighten the world by Americanizing it. There is evidence that foreign ruling elites were alarmed partly because some of their population was very receptive to the message as understood by Hays, rather than as understood by the critical officials. The paper concludes by suggesting that the ideology of Hollywood films is part of the explanation for their international success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]