Post-war American Cinema
8-weeks | Registration closed 9/10/2025
This course explores the evolution of American cinema from 1945-1954, focusing on how films have reflected and shaped the nation’s social, political, and cultural transformations. We will examine key themes such as disillusionment, shifting gender roles, Cold War anxieties, and the rise of independent filmmaking. The curriculum will also cover the impact of technological change, the influence of television, and the emergence of new genres. Through analysis of specific films and industry developments, the course will provide insight into how post-war American cinema has both mirrored and influenced changing American identities, values, and public discourse. Students will be expected to watch the covered films on their own time, using Vassar's Panopto or through various streaming services.
Sybil Delgaudio
Sybil DelGaudio is Emerita Professor of Radio, Television and Film at Hofstra University, where she served for six years as Dean of its School of Communication. Her research has been published in books and journals and her production work has combined her interest in animation scholarship with a passion for documentary, resulting in two projects she directed for public television: Animated Women and Independent Spirits. Both works have been shown on PBS stations around the country as well as at international film festivals, garnering festival prizes, as well as an Emmy for Animated Women.