"In Bullets over Hollywood, film scholar John McCarty traces the history of mob flicks and reveals why the films are so beloved by Americans. As McCarty demonstrates, the themes, characters, landscapes, stories of the gangster genre have proven resilient enough to be updated, reshaped, and expanded upon to connect with even today's young audiences. Packed with behind-the-scenes anecdotes and information about real-life hoods and their cinematic alter egos, analysis, and a solid historical perspective, Bullets over Hollywood will be the definitive book on the gangster movie for years to come."--BOOK JACKET.