Film historian Steven J. Ross will speak about Hollywood as a center of political life and the ways in which movie A-listers throughout history — from Charlie Chaplin to Sean Penn — have affected the course of U.S. politics.
Ross will appear at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20 at the Contra Costa JCC. He is a recipient of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Film Scholars Award and heads the history department at the University of Southern California.
He is also the author of the recently published book “Hollywood Left and Right: How Movie Stars Shaped American Politics,” which challenges the notion of Hollywood as a seat of liberalism.
The JCC is at 2071 Tice Valley Blvd. in Walnut Creek. The lecture is a program of the East Bay International Jewish Film Festival. Tickets are $10 and available at the door. For information, call the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay at (510) 318-6453.