The Prettiest President I Ever Saw: Cold War Film Portrayals of Women Political and Military Leaders

Author

Michael Flannery Hatchett, Gonzaga University

Date of Award

2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Nobuya Inagaki

Second Advisor

Dr. Joseph Albert

Abstract

This thesis offers generic criticism of the portrayal of women political and military leaders in Cold War films. The study uses textual analysis of several films to judge certain factors, including ethical, philosophical, and aesthetic concerns. The films examined in this thesis are: Project Moonbase, The Manchurian Candidate, Kisses for My President, and By Dawn’s Early Light. This thesis traces the evolution of attitudes about women leaders, identifies qualities that are shown to be important to leaders during the Cold War, and examines the ways in which these leaders manage to defy stereotypes in each of their films. It also examines the evolution of attitudes toward women leaders within the period and uses the aforementioned factors to highlight reoccurring themes and offers insight into how these themes are woven into films of the Cold War genre.

Comments

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Recommended Citation

Hatchett, Michael Flannery, "The Prettiest President I Ever Saw: Cold War Film Portrayals of Women Political and Military Leaders" (2012). Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses. 86.
https://repository.gonzaga.edu/comlead_etds/86