Table of contents : CONTENTS......Page 6 ANALYTICAL TABLE OF CONTENTS......Page 8 TABLES......Page 12 CASE STUDIES......Page 13 FIGURES......Page 14 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......Page 15 INTRODUCTION PROBLEMS OF DEFINITION AND THE DISCOURSE OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENT CINEMA......Page 20 Part I AMERICAN INDEPENDENT CINEMA IN THE STUDIO YEARS (MID-1920s–LATE 1940s)......Page 36 1 INDEPENDENT FILMMAKING IN THE STUDIO ERA: TENDENCIES WITHIN THE STUDIO SYSTEM......Page 38 2 INDEPENDENT FILMMAKING IN THE STUDIO ERA: THE POVERTY ROW STUDIOS (1930–50s)......Page 82 Part II THE TRANSITIONAL YEARS (LATE 1940s–LATE 1960s)......Page 118 3 INDEPENDENCE BY FORCE: THE EFFECTS OF THE PARAMOUNT DECREE ON INDEPENDENT FILM PRODUCTION......Page 120 4 AN AUDIENCE FOR THE INDEPENDENTS: EXPLOITATION FILMS FOR THE NATION’S YOUTH......Page 154 Part III CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN INDEPENDENT CINEMA (LATE 1960s–PRESENT)......Page 186 5 THE NEW HOLLYWOOD AND THE INDEPENDENT HOLLYWOOD......Page 188 6 AMERICAN INDEPENDENT CINEMA IN THE AGE OF THE CONGLOMERATES......Page 211 7 MINI-MAJORS AND MAJOR INDEPENDENTS......Page 241 8 THE INSTITUTIONALISATION OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENT CINEMA......Page 265 EPILOGUE FROM INDEPENDENT TO ‘SPECIALTY’ CINEMA......Page 300 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 304 INDEX......Page 312