*Signed* Hollywood on the Potomac: How the Movies View Washington, DC by Mike Canning (2012, Trade Paperback). Personalized, inscribed, and autographed by the author. Light wear on the corners of the cover. See photos.
Hollywood on the Potomac is the first publication to offer a comprehensive look at the intersection of the capital city and the movies: how Washington, DC has been portrayed in American feature films. In examining more than 50 motion pictures of the Sound Era (from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington to J.Edgar), it reveals how Washington has been treated as subject, setting, or background. Whether you find movies about DC just amusing, entertaining bagatelles or infuriating mash-ups of reality, this survey of how American cinema has treated both politics and the town defined by it can offer, at its best, some intriguing insights into Washington history and lore. This survey is intended for fans & students of both movies and politics, and especially those who, like the author, combine the two interests. It is also specifically addressed to Washingtonians curious about how their town has been depicted by Tinseltown. The book's coverage of movies made on or about Capitol Hill is given special emphasis. Each film is described with credits and cast, a synopsis, and production data on the film. Critical views of the author and others are presented and elements of a film (especially locations) that highlight the District or Capitol Hill are indicated in "DC/Hill Notes." Also noted are "Goofs," errors in how a film presents the city's geography or practices, an element DC filmgoers are familiar with and which they and others can have fun spotting when they re-view the pictures. Hollywood on the Potomac contains three essays, one on "Politics and Film," since our national politics and government have long been the subject or backdrop of many Washington movies. The second, "Location, Location, Location," addresses how the challenges and vagaries of shooting in DC have changed over the years. A third essay, acknowledging the proliferation of DC-based movies in recent years, treats dozens of lesser Washington films as "Selected Short Subjects."