Framing the South

The best book I have found that discusses popular cinema and the American South... Graham's is a groundbreaking study that locates both blacks and whites in post-World War II cultural history. Her scholarly monograph contributes significantly to historical and film studies... Graham's book is lively, aesthetically informed, and teeming with insightful observations about a variety of topics: white women in race-conscious films; the 'anarchic physicality' of the redneck; the centrality of the 'cracker' to our understanding of American racism; the southern delinquent as social activist; the corrupt southern lawman and the redemptive southern lawyer.

Provides a perfect critical lens through which to appreciate what lies behind all the representations of the South flashing across the screen... In this meticulously researched and accessibly written book, [Allison Graham] covers such issues as the eugenics movement and class politics, white women's sexuality, the star personae of Elvis and Andy Griffith, and the political power of Southern populists. Her methodology is part of what makes the book so readable: it's interdisciplinary but not jargon-laden, drawing on the most exciting recent academic studies in cinema, culture, class, history, sociology, whiteness, gender, sexuality, and politics. The close readings in the book are never so detailed that they become tedious, but even for readers unfamiliar with the primary sources, Graham's analysis is persuasive and fascinating to read. There is no way to adequately summarize all the ingenious bits of reading pleasure in this book.

Provides detailed analysis of interactions among race, gender, and, crucially, class, often neglected in cultural studies. It draws upon an enormous range of evidence. Seemingly unlikely material such as 1950s films on teenage delinquency is convincingly woven into the analysis... Not least, the book is leavened with humor in a way that makes the argument more compelling... This book provides new insights, showing how varied and subtle is the encoding of major events and struggles. The argument is complex yet accessible, making it an invaluable teaching aid. It is a major contribution to scholarship on racism and the civil rights movement in America.