Description: Examines the Supreme Court's unanimous 1952 decision in favor of a film exhibitor who had been denied a license to show the controversial Italian film, Il Miracolo. The ruling was a watershed event in the history of film censorship, ushering in a new era of mature--and sophisticated--American filmmaking.
Review Quotes:
"An important milestone in the history of America's 'cultural wars, ' the Supreme Court's 1951 decision in Burstyn v. Wilson deserves to be told in greater detail than previously provided by general histories of film censorship. Thanks to Wittern-Keller and Haberski that has now been accomplished."--Gregory D. Black, author of Hollywood Censored: Morality Codes, Catholics, and the Movies
"A fascinating and informative study that shows how debates about a little-known Italian film challenged fundamental ideas in America about censorship and freedom of expression and helped to forge a cultural revolution in the United States."--Robert Brent Toplin, author of Reel History: In Defense of Hollywood