Hollywood Glamour and Mass Consumption in Postwar Italy

Italian society after World War II was profoundly affected by the culture of “glamour” that encouraged mass consumption. This culture drew heavily on images and desires created by the American film industry, and it would not have arisen in the absence of American glamour. Over time, however, Italian glamour acquired some important indigenous features, which were economically beneficial for Italy in boosting exports and tourism. Through most of the Cold War, the perceived glamour of Rome captured in the film La Dolce Vita made the city a cosmopolitan crossroads for the rich and famous. Nevertheless, in contrast to the United States, which was the avatar of glamour, Italy did not develop domestic glamour in the full sense of the term.