ABSTRACT
The motion picture was no longer just a technological curiosity, as it had been at the turn of the century. Hollywood was commonly blamed for the generally low quality of American movies because of its insistence on attracting a mass audience. The motion picture industry was sensitive to criticism of the studio system and the private conduct of its highly visible employees. If American cinema were to be defined as a popular—as opposed to an elite—art, film artists should presumably reflect the values of the public. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hoped to convince the public that the decadent image of the movie community was becoming as outmoded as the silent film. The motion picture industry, through the Academy, was an unabashed booster of sound technology as an instrument of both artistic and educational improvement. Cooperation between the movie industry and non-profit institutions like universities and museums certainly advanced the cultural reputation of the medium.
