>Considering that even Eisenstein studied D.W. Grifffith, I'd say
>it's safe to say Hollywood has influenced Russian production.
 
A British production called "Comrades" dramatizes the systematic
viewing of American cinema by Lenin & his tovarisches, in search
of useful agitprop techniques. It was shown about a dozen years
ago on PBS, and I haven't seen it since.
 
At one point, after watching a bunch of uninspiring stuff, they sit
down and onto the screen comes the strike scene from INTOLERANCE.
Lenin leaps to his feet -- in the light of the projector beam, of
course -- and shouts something to the effect of "By Jove, I think
we've got it!!"
 
kjf-