Course

Experts note that 1939 was a peak year in American film history (The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind), but it was also a stellar year for Los Angeles literature (The Big Sleep, The Day of the Locust). Global conflicts were roiling, local corruption was in the news, and criminal syndicates were consolidating their grip on local unions and businesses, including film studios. In this course, we will consider Los Angeles during what may have been its most incendiary year, paying special attention to film, literature, politics, and organized crime before the Second World War. 

Faculty Bio

Peter Richardson taught courses in California culture at San Francisco State University. He has written critically acclaimed books about Rolling Stone magazine, Hunter S. Thompson, the Grateful Dead, Ramparts magazine, and radical author and editor Carey McWilliams.

This is an In-Person, Livestreamed + Recorded Course

• Classes meet in person at the Golden Bear Center, Suite 365 (3rd floor), at 1995 University Ave., Berkeley
• Classes will also stream live, and be video recorded
• You must be a current OLLI @Berkeley member to register. Learn about membership, including our fee assistance program.

Schedule Highlights

• Course starts on Monday, Oct. 13, and ends on Monday, Nov. 3
• Classes meet for 4 weeks, 2 hours per session (10–noon)
• All course materials will remain available to view and enjoy in Member Dashboards through Dec. 31

Member Praise for Peter Richardson

Peter was a fantastic lecturer; had a strong command of the subject; and told great stories! It was a big wow for me. I would love to take another course from him!!

An excellent teacher who knows his subject matter extremely well. I really enjoyed this course!

Faculty Q&A

• Read an Interview with Peter Richardson from our archive.