Films that dramatize historical events and the lives of historical
figures--whether they are intended to educate or to entertain--play a
significant role in shaping the public's understanding of the past. In A
Biographical Encyclopedia of Scientists and Inventors in American Film
and TV since 1930, A. Bowdoin Van Riper focuses on the dramatized
portrayals of a particular group of historical figures--scientists,
engineers, and inventors--that have appeared on American film and
television screens. This volume analyzes individual portrayals, the
public images of particular scientists and inventors, and the ideas
about science and technology that, collectively, they represent. In this
first in-depth study of how historic scientists and inventors have been
portrayed on screen, Van Riper catalogs nearly 300 separate performances
and includes essays on the screen images of more than 80 historic
scientists, inventors, engineers, and medical researchers. The
individuals covered include Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas
Edison, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Dian Fossey, and Bill Gates.
Arranged chronologically by the subject's date of birth, entries for
each individual explain their major contributions to science and
technology, analyze the ways in which they've been portrayed in film and
on television, and conclude with a complete list of screen portrayals
and a discussion of suggestions for further reading. A Biographical
Encyclopedia of Scientists and Inventors in American Film and TV since
1930 will be of interest to anyone concerned with the depiction of
historical events and historical figures in film and television, and to
anyone interested in the public understanding of science and technology.
