Box Office Bombshell

While Barbie may not be a superhero, she’s definitely a cultural icon—and one that was born in the Golden State. This week, Jonathan Vankin delves into the Southern California toy industry. The biggest name is Mattel, creators of Barbie and Hot Wheels. Between the two brands, Mattel turned both girls and boys into little consumers, eagerly collecting the latest models.

But there were other toy manufacturers who benefited from both the area’s shipping infrastructure and its people power—the creative folks who created movies and television shows, built theme parks, and did design work in aerospace and high tech. We take a look at some of the greatest hits, from a soft plush toy to computer software.

Much better known than Southern California’s toy manufacturing industry is the entertainment industry—aka Hollywood—which still defines the region, even after the fall of the studio system. The Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild are taking a joint stand against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for the first time since 1960 (back when Barbie was just beginning her reign). So it’s an appropriate time to look back on the glory of the past. Film critic Richard von Busack looks at Hollywood through a different lens—not focusing at the fantasies created here but but rather on which movies have captured the innate characteristics of the industry’s home state.