Cinematic Prophylaxis: Globalization and Contagion in the Discourse of World Health

289 Pages·2005·2.32 MB·English

by  Kirsten Ostherr

cinematic prophylaxis
cine
proph
globalization and contagion
duke university press
durham and london
2005
matic
yl a xis
in the discourse of world health
kirsten ostherr
©2005DukeUniversityPress
Allrightsreserved
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmericaonacid-freepaper(cid:5)
DesignedbyAndrewShurtz
TypesetinScalaandScalaSansbyTsengInformationSystems,Inc.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
appearonthelastprintedpageofthisbook.
Thecase,tothewriter,therefore,appearssomethinglikethis:Asanationwebelievein
highstandardsofliving.Webelieveinsanitation,inpurefood,inpuremilk,inthebest
obtainablehygiene,instruction,andeducationforourchildren.Isitpossiblethatthecolor
andcontentoftheirmindsisamatterofindifferencetous?Wepayforourschoolsystem.
Wepayforourwatersupply.Wealsopayforthemotionpictures.Whatwouldwesayif
anyquestionablecharacterweretobeallowedtocomeinsuddenlyandtakechargeofour
children’sschooling?Or,ifsuspectedwaterwereevenoccasionallyturnedintoourmains?
Whatanoutcrygoesupifamilksupplyinatownissuddenlydiscoveredtobeintheleast
degreetainted!Thevasthaphazard,promiscuous,sofrequentlyill-chosen,outputofpic-
turestowhichweexposeourchildren’smindsforinfluenceandimprint,isnotthisatleast
ofequalimportance?For,aswecannotbutconclude,ifunwatched,itisextremelylikely
tocreateahaphazard,promiscuousandundesirablenationalconsciousness.
henryjamesforman,OurMovieMadeChildren

Contents
illustrations ix
acknowledgments xi
Introduction:CinemaandHygiene 1
1 PublicSphereasPetriDish;or,‘‘SpecialCaseStudiesof
MotionPictureTheaterswhichareKnownorSuspected
tobeFociofMoralInfection’’ 18
2 ‘‘NoninfectedbutInfectible’’:
ContagionandtheBoundariesoftheVisible 47
3 FromInnertoOuterSpace:
WorldHealthandthePostwarAlienInvasionFilm 79
4 ConspiracyandCartography:
MappingGlobalizationthroughEpidemiology 121
5 IndexicalDigital:
RepresentingContagioninthePostphotographicEra 155
Conclusion 192
notes 197
bibliography 225
filmography 249
index 259

Illustrations
figures1–2HowDiseaseIsSpread(1924) 5
figure3HowDiseaseIsSpread(1924) 9
figures4–6PreventionoftheIntroductionofDiseasesfromAbroad(1946) 21
figures7–9PanicintheStreets(1950) 23
figures10–19HemolyticStreptococcusControl(1945) 62–63
figures20–27TheEternalFight(1948) 68
figures28–30TheEternalFight(1948) 69
figures31–35TheEternalFight(1948) 71
figures36–37TheEternalFight(1948) 72
figures38–42TheEternalFight(1948) 74
figures43–46TheEternalFight(1948) 75
figures47–49WaroftheWorlds(1953) 88
figures50–53WaroftheWorlds(1953) 89
figures54–55InvasionoftheBodySnatchers(1956) 93
figures56–58ItCamefromOuterSpace(1953) 100
figures59–60IMarriedaMonsterfromOuterSpace(1958) 113
figures61–62TheFightAgainsttheCommunicableDiseases(1950) 140
figures63–64TheSilentInvader(1957) 145
figures65–67TheSilentInvader(1957) 147
figures68–71HospitalSepsis(1959) 150
figure72HospitalSepsis(1959) 151
figures73–77HospitalSepsis(1959) 152
figures78–79HospitalSepsis(1959) 153
ix