Heroes, Antiheroes and Dolts: Portrayals of Masculinity in American Popular Films 1921-1999

This book is a discussion of 75 of the most popular films in America from 1921 through 1999 and the changes that have taken place in how masculinity is portrayed in the movies over that period of time. Traditionally in popular films, men have met challenging tasks, but what they accomplish and how successful they are have been drastically changed since the early 1920s. Prior to World War II, men were most often presented within the context of a family. After the war, men were presented as concerned with issues beyond their immediate families, and after 1970, they were portrayed as being overwhelmed by their situations. Recently, popular films have tended to focus on the relationships between men. This work documents these changes over eight decades, using the movies as vehicles to illustrate the major transformations.

Ashton D. Trice is a professor of psychology at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Samuel A. Holland is a psychology graduate student at James Madison University.