Heroes, lovers, and others

"The book chronicles five major eras of Latino film history: silent films and the early talkies, the Good Neighbor Era surrounding World War II, the Cold War Era, the modern era, and our contemporary postmodern era. It looks at dozens of well-known films, including The Prisoner of Zenda, West Side Story, Salt of the Earth, The Milagro Beanfield War, and Girlfight, and also at many recent popular television programs starring Latino actors and actresses. Through a series of revealing portraits of Latino stars, Clara E. Rodriguez shows how their roles in Hollywood productions have been shaped by the social temper of the times and by popular perceptions of Latino identities."--BOOK JACKET.