August 26, 2024 — Over the past 85 years, Hollywood has had much to say about financial markets and institutions – often reflecting a distinctly populist perspective. At a time when both populism and financial volatility are much in evidence, what lessons might these movies hold about regulation?

1. Wall Street speculators

Start with the Wizard of Oz.  The 1939 movie was a populist allegory about money, though most devotees don’t know it.  The Emerald City represents Wall Street, while the yellow brick road symbolizes the gold standard.   The Cowardly Lion represents William Jennings Bryan, who, when the original book was written in 1900, was an agrarian populist candidate running for president against the monetary austerity of the gold standard and on behalf of western farmers (the Scarecrow) and eastern factory workers (the Tin Man). read more