Mei Duo And Popular Cinema(1950-1955)

Popular Cinema, the first best-selling movie publication since new China wasfounded, was started on June1st,1950in Shanghai. Shortly after its start, PopularCinema became really popular with lots of readers by its lively style and rich content;the publication made great contribution, such as: it actively promoted domesticprogress and the Soviet union’s movies against imperialism ones from UK and US,and set up public opinion fields about movies for new China. Meiduo, the first chiefeditor of Popular Cinema, with rich editing experience and love of literature and artwork, contributed greatly at the beginning of the publication; and he was the soul of it.1950s, the times of Popular Cinema was important period of historical change inChina; individuals and publications lived during that time are inevitably affected bythe times and environment. This paper teases out and interpreters its development andchange during its beginning stage, based on Popular Cinema published from1950to1955, using the change of its address and content as links, combined with the timesbackground; and explores the interactive relationship between the chief editor Meiduoand the publication. Not only understands the impact on the publication from human’sthought, behavior and experience in a special historical environment, the paper butalso presents human’s thought transformation and historical choice through thedevelopment and change of the publication in the historical period.This paper discusses the issue with three parts:In the first chapter, on the basis of comparing with other publications from thesame period, the paper teases out and analyzes the reasons for Popular Cinemabecame popular right after its start in three aspects:“good timing”,“geographicalconvenience” and “good human relations”; then details the times background andhistorical tradition at the beginning of Popular Cinema, and the active influence ofchief editor Meiduo. In the second chapter, from four aspects: the reference of historical experience,the transformation of the public interest, the establishment of film critics fields andfree working environment, the paper summarizes the characteristics, function andachievement of Popular Cinema during ‘Shanghai’(1950-1951) period; and thusreveals Meiduo’s efforts and impact on the publication in its initial two years. At thesame time, the paper provides the reference for the style’s variation and the chiefeditor’s personal change in ‘Beijing’(1952-1955) period.In the third chapter, with differed political environment, the address, and theeditorial staff, Popular Cinema also became different in content, and style; except this,the paper also focuses on the shift of chief editor Meiduo’s fortune and thought, andits role of the publication in the process of its change. Through analysis on the styleand features’s shift after the address of the publication changed to Beijing, the paperpresents the effort, struggle, adjustment and historical destiny with no alternative ofmany intellectuals like Meiduo in that times and environment.