Summary

The cinema is indisputably the art form of the modern age.

The cinema is indisputably the art form of the modern age. From the Lumière brothers' historic premiere of 1895 to the runaway success of 1999's American Beauty, it has exerted an extraordinary and wide-reaching influence over us. The lively, newspaper-style approach brings unprecedented immediacy to this irresistible story, recounted year by year as it happened. Ready-reference pages list the key events and Oscar winners for each year and over 3,000 illustrations bring to life the stars and scenes of over a century of film history. This unique reference work is the most entertaining and detailed illustrated history of cinema ever published.