A Guide to American Silent Crime Films

A Guide to American Silent Crime Films PDF Author: Larry Langman
Publisher: Greenwood
ISBN: 0313288585
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The immense popularity of movies has its roots in the silent films of the early 1900s, this being especially true of the crime genre. The authors of this Guide have compiled for the first time in one volume an entire history of the crime genre during the silent era, preserving the memories of these films for their own generation and introducing these works to a new generation thirsty for entertainment and knowledge. This Guide includes more than 2,000 film entries, complete with names of directors, screenwriters, and major players and offers a wealth of data supported by plot evaluations and occasional thematic commentaries. This is the only work that includes one- and two-reelers and serials along with full-length crime features. Each entry covers title, date of release, distributor or studio, director, screenwriter, major cast members, plot description, and thematic commentary, reviving this almost forgotten genre for generations of students and movie fans both old and new. The Guide pays tribute to the glory of cinema pioneers as diverse as D. W. Griffith and Lon Chaney who have given the world a wide variety of stories and experiences both thought-provoking and startling. Although men tended to dominate the silent years in Hollywood, women managed to contribute dramatically. Among them were director Lois Weber and film personalities Mabel Normand, Pearl White, Mary Pickford, and Ruth Roland. These creative men and women and their often neglected works deserve a second look. The likes of Pacino, Eastwood, and Brando can look to the past where the ground for their work was carefully prepared in such earlier silent films as Griffith's The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912) and von Sternberg's Underworld (1927).

A Guide to American Silent Crime Films

A Guide to American Silent Crime Films PDF Author: Larry Langman
Publisher: Greenwood
ISBN: 0313288585
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book

Book Description
The immense popularity of movies has its roots in the silent films of the early 1900s, this being especially true of the crime genre. The authors of this Guide have compiled for the first time in one volume an entire history of the crime genre during the silent era, preserving the memories of these films for their own generation and introducing these works to a new generation thirsty for entertainment and knowledge. This Guide includes more than 2,000 film entries, complete with names of directors, screenwriters, and major players and offers a wealth of data supported by plot evaluations and occasional thematic commentaries. This is the only work that includes one- and two-reelers and serials along with full-length crime features. Each entry covers title, date of release, distributor or studio, director, screenwriter, major cast members, plot description, and thematic commentary, reviving this almost forgotten genre for generations of students and movie fans both old and new. The Guide pays tribute to the glory of cinema pioneers as diverse as D. W. Griffith and Lon Chaney who have given the world a wide variety of stories and experiences both thought-provoking and startling. Although men tended to dominate the silent years in Hollywood, women managed to contribute dramatically. Among them were director Lois Weber and film personalities Mabel Normand, Pearl White, Mary Pickford, and Ruth Roland. These creative men and women and their often neglected works deserve a second look. The likes of Pacino, Eastwood, and Brando can look to the past where the ground for their work was carefully prepared in such earlier silent films as Griffith's The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912) and von Sternberg's Underworld (1927).

A Guide to American Silent Crime Films

A Guide to American Silent Crime Films PDF Author: Larry Langman
Publisher: Greenwood
ISBN:
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 392

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Book Description
The immense popularity of movies has its roots in the silent films of the early 1900s, this being especially true of the crime genre. The authors of this Guide have compiled for the first time in one volume an entire history of the crime genre during the silent era, preserving the memories of these films for their own generation and introducing these works to a new generation thirsty for entertainment and knowledge. This Guide includes more than 2,000 film entries, complete with names of directors, screenwriters, and major players and offers a wealth of data supported by plot evaluations and occasional thematic commentaries. This is the only work that includes one- and two-reelers and serials along with full-length crime features. Each entry covers title, date of release, distributor or studio, director, screenwriter, major cast members, plot description, and thematic commentary, reviving this almost forgotten genre for generations of students and movie fans both old and new. The Guide pays tribute to the glory of cinema pioneers as diverse as D. W. Griffith and Lon Chaney who have given the world a wide variety of stories and experiences both thought-provoking and startling. Although men tended to dominate the silent years in Hollywood, women managed to contribute dramatically. Among them were director Lois Weber and film personalities Mabel Normand, Pearl White, Mary Pickford, and Ruth Roland. These creative men and women and their often neglected works deserve a second look. The likes of Pacino, Eastwood, and Brando can look to the past where the ground for their work was carefully prepared in such earlier silent films as Griffith's The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912) and von Sternberg's Underworld (1927).

Crime Films

Crime Films PDF Author: Thomas Leitch
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521646710
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 404

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Book Description
This book surveys the entire range of crime films, including important subgenres such as the gangster film, the private eye film, film noir, as well as the victim film, the erotic thriller, and the crime comedy. Focusing on ten films that span the range of the twentieth century, Thomas Leitch traces the transformation of the three leading figures that are common to all crime films: the criminal, the victim and the avenger. Analyzing how each of the subgenres establishes oppositions among its ritual antagonists, he shows how the distinctions among them become blurred throughout the course of the century. This blurring, Leitch maintains, reflects and fosters a deep social ambivalence towards crime and criminals, while the criminal, victim and avenger characters effectively map the shifting relations between subgenres, such as the erotic thriller and the police film, within the larger genre of crime film that informs them all.

Silent Mystery and Detective Movies

Silent Mystery and Detective Movies PDF Author: Ken Wlaschin
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786454296
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 291

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Book Description
The silent film era was known in part for its cliffhanger serials and air of suspense that kept audiences returning to theaters week after week. Icons such as Douglas Fairbanks, Laurel and Hardy, Lon Chaney and Harry Houdini were among those who graced the dark and shadowy screen. This reference guide to silent films with mystery and detective content lists more than 1,500 titles in one of entertainment’s most popular and enduring genres. While most of the films examined are from North America, mystery films from around the world are included.

The Female Investigator in Literature, Film, and Popular Culture

The Female Investigator in Literature, Film, and Popular Culture PDF Author: Lisa M. Dresner
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476607737
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
In this book the author examines how women detectives are portrayed in film, in literature and on TV. Chapters examine the portrayal of female investigators in each of these four genres: the Gothic novel, the lesbian detective novel, television and film.

A Guide to American Crime Films of the Thirties

A Guide to American Crime Films of the Thirties PDF Author: Larry Langman
Publisher: Greenwood
ISBN:
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 400

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Book Description
Recent crime films such as Scarface, the Dirty Harry series, and The Godfather have captured the American imagination, but they owe a large debt to the early crime talkies such as The Public Enemy, Paul Muni's Scarface, and Little Caesar. More than 1,000 entries are featured in this volume, complete with the names of directors, screen writers, and major players offering a wealth of data supported by plot evaluations. For the serious student of crime films, this work provides a comprehensive treatment of the genre. It is the only one-volume work that includes all crime sub-genres (detective, mystery, cops and robbers, and courtroom dramas) in addition to gangster films. The period between the end of the silent film (1927) and the general acceptance of the sound film (1929) is often referred to as a transition period. The majority of theaters were not wired for sound, so many films were released in both silent and sound versions. Some added only sound effects or music to the sound track, while others offered only brief segments of sound. The early 1930s marked the end of this transition period and firmly established the sound era. This volume pays homage to these early, often crude melodramas. The authors aim to preserve the memories of these films for their own generation and to introduce these works to a new generation thirsty for entertainment and knowledge.

A Guide to American Crime Films of the Forties and Fifties

A Guide to American Crime Films of the Forties and Fifties PDF Author: Larry Langman
Publisher: Greenwood
ISBN:
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 416

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Book Description
The only comprehensive guide to the crime films of the forties and fifties, this volume focuses on the major events that shaped and molded the genre: war, alienation, drugs, and organized crime. The body of the work offers over 1,200 entries that feature concise summaries, analyses, and credits. The volume is a continuation of the author's earlier work, A Guide to American Crime Films of the Thirties (Greenwood, 1995). The book includes those stars that the public had already embraced as gangsters in the thirties such as James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, and Edward G. Robinson and brings them into a new era in which they are transformed into enforcers of the law. This work will be of interest to scholars, students, and film buffs alike. The work demonstrates the shift from the simpler gangster modes of the 1930s as it takes the reader forward to the more sophisticated films of the late fifties. Although the book is organized alphabetically, the introduction alerts the reader to the major social phenomena that influenced the genre of these decades. Also offered are credits that cover titles, release dates, distributors, directors, screenwriters, and major players. The 1,200 entries include detailed plot summaries and thematic analyses as well as relevant information on sources, remakes, and sequels.

A Guide to American Crime Films of the Thirties

A Guide to American Crime Films of the Thirties PDF Author: Larry Langman
Publisher: Greenwood
ISBN: 0313295328
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Recent crime films such as Scarface, the Dirty Harry series, and The Godfather have captured the American imagination, but they owe a large debt to the early crime talkies such as The Public Enemy, Paul Muni's Scarface, and Little Caesar. More than 1,000 entries are featured in this volume, complete with the names of directors, screen writers, and major players offering a wealth of data supported by plot evaluations. For the serious student of crime films, this work provides a comprehensive treatment of the genre. It is the only one-volume work that includes all crime sub-genres (detective, mystery, cops and robbers, and courtroom dramas) in addition to gangster films. The period between the end of the silent film (1927) and the general acceptance of the sound film (1929) is often referred to as a transition period. The majority of theaters were not wired for sound, so many films were released in both silent and sound versions. Some added only sound effects or music to the sound track, while others offered only brief segments of sound. The early 1930s marked the end of this transition period and firmly established the sound era. This volume pays homage to these early, often crude melodramas. The authors aim to preserve the memories of these films for their own generation and to introduce these works to a new generation thirsty for entertainment and knowledge.

Film – An International Bibliography

Film – An International Bibliography PDF Author: Malte Hagener
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3476036863
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 489

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Book Description
Kommentierte Bibliografie. Sie gibt Wissenschaftlern, Studierenden und Journalisten zuverlässig Auskunft über rund 6000 internationale Veröffentlichungen zum Thema Film und Medien. Die vorgestellten Rubriken reichen von Nachschlagewerk über Filmgeschichte bis hin zu Fernsehen, Video, Multimedia.

Genre and Hollywood

Genre and Hollywood PDF Author: Steve Neale
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134973454
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 337

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Book Description
Genre and Hollywood provides a comprehensive introduction to the study of genre. In this important new book, Steve Neale discusses all the major concepts, theories and accounts of Hollywood and genre, as well as the key genres which theorists have written about, from horror to the Western. He also puts forward new arguments about the importance of genre in understanding Hollywood cinema. Neale takes issue with much genre criticism and genre theory, which has provided only a partial and misleading account of Hollywood's output. He calls for broader and more flexible conceptions of genre and genres, for more attention to be paid to the discourses and practices of Hollywood itself, for the nature and range of Hollywood's films to be looked at in more detail, and for any assessment of the social and cultural significance of Hollywood's genres to take account of industrial factors. In detailed, revisionist accounts of two major genres - film noir and melodrama - Neale argues that genre remains an important and productive means of thinking about both New and old Hollywood, its history, its audiences and its films.