"Avoiding the sometimes sterile and by now often futile debate concerning stereotypes, Hollywood's Italians is instead an act of loving archeology: digging in the past and assembling a colorful kaleidoscopic mosaic of tesserae. It is a pointillist portrait of a collective community. Each chapter is devoted to a theme, be it Italians who made their way to Hollywood, the transition from stage to screen, the symbiotic interaction between television and film, music on the screen, food and family, and peopled with dozens of mini-biographies that reveal often surprising bits of information. The appendix, listing all Italian American Academy Award winners and nominations, is invaluable as a historical document. Readers will bask in the wonderful nostalgia while being simultaneously entertained and enlightened." - - Stanislao G. Pugliese, Queensboro Unico Distinguished Professor of Italian and Italian American Studies, Hofstra University