ASU to host presentation on Soviet Cinema
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — Angelo State University’s Russian Enrichment Program will host a presentation on Tuesday, Feb. 20, discussing America’s impact on Soviet cinema.
The presentation, titled “Americanitis: American Influences in Soviet Cinema from the Revolution to the Death of Stalin,” comes from Denise Youngblood, a professor of History Emerita at the University of Vermont. It is scheduled to occur on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 6 p.m. in Room 135 of ASU’s Academic Building, located at 2502 Dena Drive.
During her presentation, Youngblood will explain how, a century ago, Soviet citizens were fascinated by American culture, especially its wealth, consumer goods and lively entertainment, like jazz and dance crazes. Most noteworthy was their love of American movies, which dominated Soviet screens in the 1920s and continued to influence Soviet directors even after most American films were banned in the 1930s.
Youngblood will also discuss how early Soviet directors adapted Hollywood’s style of entertainment films to their own themes as well as how Americans were depicted as characters in these movies. This discussion will start with a zany satire, “The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks” (1924), move on to an over-the-top musical, “The Circus” (1936) and end with a World War II thriller, “Meeting on the Elbe” (1949).
Youngblood will also look at Stalin’s passion for American movie Westerns and the importance of American films captured during World War II, which led to the explosive postwar popularity of “Tarzan” in the USSR.
A leading specialist in the history of Russian and Soviet cinema, Youngblood is the author of seven books and numerous articles on the subject. She is particularly interested in popular films — especially war films — and American-Soviet cinematic relations. She taught history at the University of Vermont from 1988 to 2017, also serving five years as department chair and three years as vice provost for faculty and academic affairs. She earned her Ph.D. from Stanford University.
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