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Lectures For Lifelong Learners!

Formerly

Roger Rawlings

Author & Film Historian
Lecture Topics: Arts & Entertainment, Movies & Film
Expertise: Film History
Available for in-person lectures in: South Florida
Available via Zoom?: Yes
To book Roger, e-mail: dan@primetimepresenters.com, or fill out this form here.

Dr. Roger Rawlings is the author of Ripping England!  Postwar British Satire in the Age of Austerity (SUNY Press, 2017-18), an examination of the media and societal landscape in Britain between the years 1945 and 1960, and the Film Studies staple textbook, A Simple Guide to Reading Films, (Kendall-Hunt Publishers, August 2024). Dr. Rawlings did his graduate studies at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, and at New York University.  He co-wrote and directed the feature film Neurotica (2004), and Executive Produced and co-storied the feature Losers Take All (2014), and has produced award-winning films in Ireland and New York, including Headwrecker which won the Irish Film and Television Academy award for best short for 2002.   He has worked for Comedy Central, the American Museum of the Moving Image, on multiple independent films, and as Director of Programming at YIPTV.com.  His forthcoming book is an examination of the films (and other creative output) of the artists of Generation X. He teaches film studies at Palm Beach State College.

This was incredibly interesting & his communication was excellent. Can’t thank you enough for offering this – remarkable & quite an education – bits of advice we can all use day to day.

Parker Life Senior Living Attendee

I could have listened to him for at least another hour. It was a fascinating presentation!

Parker Life Senior Living Attendee

Speaker was great! Presentation thoughtfully included enough time at the end for questions, which enhanced the presentation with additional information. Thank you for thinking of such an intriguing topic in the series!

Parker Life Senior Living Attendee

This was one of the best programs you have had. I think you said programs are not taped, but I think you would have given this one a A+++.

Parker Life Senior Living Attendee

I can’t give enough stars. This was wonderful and the questions were thoughtful and answered with the grace and ease of a wonderful presenter.

Parker Life Senior Living attendee after Mark’s “Let’s Put On A Show” lecture

I thought this program was very interesting. I enjoy my local theater and never knew or even imagined all the ins and outs of putting on a show. I would definitely be interested in any other program by this presenter.”

Parker Life Senior Living attendee after Mark’s “Let’s Put On A Show” lecture

“James Calaski’s lecture on national, regional, and hyper-local history was professional and highly informative. Our patrons were incredibly engaged, the delivery was well-paced and articulate… We’ll be having him back!”

Brianne Colombo
Director
Glen Rock, NJ Public Library

“Your knowledge of the German American Bund and their history is second to none… Your expertise, both from a historical and research perspective and also in the field, enabled us to capture phenomenal footage for our project… thank you for appearing in our film.”

Annette Baumeister
Documentary Film Director ('The American Führer')

“James Calaski’s gifts as a historian, coupled with his innate skills as a police detective, bring a unique perspective to his work. He is thorough in his research, always going to those places where the facts lead. All that, plus Jim’s personable style and good sense of humor make him an ideal presenter for any group event.”

Arnie Bernstein
Author of 'Swastika Nation: Fritz Kuhn and the Rise and Fall of the German-American Bund'

FANTASTIC !!! She is an incredible lecturer. Only wish more time could have been spent on each segment of her presentation. Left me wishing for more. The blend of history and literature was so interesting and informative.

Parker Life Senior Living Attendee after Myra’s American Dreams: The Immigrant Experience In US Literature lecture
Lectures
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Film, Art, And Culture In Post WWII Hollywood

The American film industry boomed during and immediately after World War II, with more than ninety million people going to the movies each week, sometimes even twice a week or more. 1943 to 1959 have been called the “Best Years” by historians, journalists, and academics because so many of the plentiful gifts the U.S. government showered on GIs and various industries that helped win the war (military/defense, transportation/auto, agriculture/provisions, banking/credit, etc.) rippled out to all levels of society, facilitating even the lowliest of classes in gaining higher standards of living than they had ever known before.

But the same years are also called the Age of Anxiety, the Age of Doubt, the Postwar Blues, or a Period of Triumphalist Despair. The mostly B-film noirs were the truest reflections of these postwar worries, but other genres such as new musicals, satires, sci-fi/horror, and ‘swords and sandals’ Biblical epics were also a new part of Hollywood’s studio productions, reflecting this cultural bi-furcation.

This talk will discuss some of the changes and challenges Postwar American culture forced Hollywood to grapple with in those “Best of Years.”

Are you ready to bring Primetime Presenters to your community?

Please e-mail dan@primetimepresenters.com for additional information. We look forward to hearing from you!
dan@primetimepresenters.com