Author: Derek Sculthorpe
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476626588
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 219
Book Description
Brian Donlevy (1901-1972) was an underrated film actor with surprising range and a little-heralded gift for comedy. Often typecast as a villain, he played the definitive bad guy in such films as Destry Rides Again, Union Pacific and Beau Geste (all in 1939). He showed his versatility in the title role of Preston Sturges' political satire The Great McGinty (1940) and impressed both New York critics and the Soviet government as the cooly authoritative Major Caton in Wake Island (1942). Donlevy was fondly remembered as globe-trotting U.S. Special Agent Steve Mitchell in the television series Dangerous Assignment (1952) and as Professor Quatermass in two acclaimed science fiction films. This first ever biography of Donlevy covers his colorful early life as a boy soldier, his years playing comedy roles on Broadway and his long career in Hollywood.
Brian Donlevy, the Good Bad Guy
Author: Derek Sculthorpe
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476626588
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 219
Book Description
Brian Donlevy (1901-1972) was an underrated film actor with surprising range and a little-heralded gift for comedy. Often typecast as a villain, he played the definitive bad guy in such films as Destry Rides Again, Union Pacific and Beau Geste (all in 1939). He showed his versatility in the title role of Preston Sturges' political satire The Great McGinty (1940) and impressed both New York critics and the Soviet government as the cooly authoritative Major Caton in Wake Island (1942). Donlevy was fondly remembered as globe-trotting U.S. Special Agent Steve Mitchell in the television series Dangerous Assignment (1952) and as Professor Quatermass in two acclaimed science fiction films. This first ever biography of Donlevy covers his colorful early life as a boy soldier, his years playing comedy roles on Broadway and his long career in Hollywood.
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476626588
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 219
Book Description
Brian Donlevy (1901-1972) was an underrated film actor with surprising range and a little-heralded gift for comedy. Often typecast as a villain, he played the definitive bad guy in such films as Destry Rides Again, Union Pacific and Beau Geste (all in 1939). He showed his versatility in the title role of Preston Sturges' political satire The Great McGinty (1940) and impressed both New York critics and the Soviet government as the cooly authoritative Major Caton in Wake Island (1942). Donlevy was fondly remembered as globe-trotting U.S. Special Agent Steve Mitchell in the television series Dangerous Assignment (1952) and as Professor Quatermass in two acclaimed science fiction films. This first ever biography of Donlevy covers his colorful early life as a boy soldier, his years playing comedy roles on Broadway and his long career in Hollywood.
Ray Milland
Author: James McKay
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476638497
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 338
Book Description
With no formal training as an actor, Welsh-born Ray Milland (1907-1986), a former trooper in the British Army's Household Cavalry, enjoyed a half-century career working alongside some of the great directors and stars from the Golden Age of cinema. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as the alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend (1945), a defining moment that enabled him to break free from romantic leads and explore darker shades of his debonair demeanor, such as the veiled menace of his scheming husband in Hitchcock's Dial M For Murder (1954). A consummate professional with wide range, Milland took the directorial reins in several of his starring vehicles in the 1950s, most notably in the intelligent Western A Man Alone (1955). He comfortably slipped into most genres, from romantic comedy to adventure to film noir. Later he turned to science fiction and horror movies, including two with cult filmmaker Roger Corman. This first complete filmography covers the actor's screen career, with a concise introductory biography and an appendix listing his extensive radio and television credits.
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476638497
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 338
Book Description
With no formal training as an actor, Welsh-born Ray Milland (1907-1986), a former trooper in the British Army's Household Cavalry, enjoyed a half-century career working alongside some of the great directors and stars from the Golden Age of cinema. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as the alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend (1945), a defining moment that enabled him to break free from romantic leads and explore darker shades of his debonair demeanor, such as the veiled menace of his scheming husband in Hitchcock's Dial M For Murder (1954). A consummate professional with wide range, Milland took the directorial reins in several of his starring vehicles in the 1950s, most notably in the intelligent Western A Man Alone (1955). He comfortably slipped into most genres, from romantic comedy to adventure to film noir. Later he turned to science fiction and horror movies, including two with cult filmmaker Roger Corman. This first complete filmography covers the actor's screen career, with a concise introductory biography and an appendix listing his extensive radio and television credits.
Westerns and the Trail of Tradition
Author: Barrie Hanfling
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476608369
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 271
Book Description
Over the past century, the western has fluctuated in popularity. By 2010 it has come to stand, to the dismay of many, at one of its lowest points. Beginning with 1929 and the advent of talkies (In Old Arizona), the author discusses the cultural and industry trends, the directors, producers, studios and especially the stars, and looks at the ways in which their personalities (and financial ups and downs) affected the way westerns were shot. The improvements in technology through the years, the trick horses, the fistfight choreography, the evolution of plotlines--these are fascinating indicators of the way Americans themselves were changing.
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476608369
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 271
Book Description
Over the past century, the western has fluctuated in popularity. By 2010 it has come to stand, to the dismay of many, at one of its lowest points. Beginning with 1929 and the advent of talkies (In Old Arizona), the author discusses the cultural and industry trends, the directors, producers, studios and especially the stars, and looks at the ways in which their personalities (and financial ups and downs) affected the way westerns were shot. The improvements in technology through the years, the trick horses, the fistfight choreography, the evolution of plotlines--these are fascinating indicators of the way Americans themselves were changing.
S. Sylvan Simon, Moviemaker
Author: David C. Tucker
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476682194
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 229
Book Description
He was Red Skelton's favorite director, and mentored Lucille Ball in the art of physical comedy. In his 15-year Hollywood career, S. Sylvan Simon (1910-1951) directed and/or produced more than 40 films, with stars like Lana Turner, Abbott and Costello, and Wallace Beery. Though he loved to make moviegoers laugh, he demonstrated his versatility with murder mysteries, war stories, and musicals. After a decade at MGM, he moved to Columbia, where he produced his own projects, including the Western melodrama Lust for Gold, and popular slapstick comedies like The Fuller Brush Girl. As head of production, reporting to irascible Harry Cohn, he produced the award-winning Born Yesterday, and was working on From Here to Eternity when his life ended tragically at the age of 41. This first-ever account of Simon's life and career draws on interviews with family and colleagues, genealogical records, archival materials, and his own annotated scripts to tell the story of a stage-struck boy from Pittsburgh whose talent and tenacity made him a Hollywood success. The filmography provides production histories, critical commentary, and excerpts from published reviews. An appendix covers books written or edited by Simon, including his anthologized plays for amateur groups.
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476682194
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 229
Book Description
He was Red Skelton's favorite director, and mentored Lucille Ball in the art of physical comedy. In his 15-year Hollywood career, S. Sylvan Simon (1910-1951) directed and/or produced more than 40 films, with stars like Lana Turner, Abbott and Costello, and Wallace Beery. Though he loved to make moviegoers laugh, he demonstrated his versatility with murder mysteries, war stories, and musicals. After a decade at MGM, he moved to Columbia, where he produced his own projects, including the Western melodrama Lust for Gold, and popular slapstick comedies like The Fuller Brush Girl. As head of production, reporting to irascible Harry Cohn, he produced the award-winning Born Yesterday, and was working on From Here to Eternity when his life ended tragically at the age of 41. This first-ever account of Simon's life and career draws on interviews with family and colleagues, genealogical records, archival materials, and his own annotated scripts to tell the story of a stage-struck boy from Pittsburgh whose talent and tenacity made him a Hollywood success. The filmography provides production histories, critical commentary, and excerpts from published reviews. An appendix covers books written or edited by Simon, including his anthologized plays for amateur groups.
1939
Author: Thomas S. Hischak
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1442278056
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 431
Book Description
What do Babes in Arms, Beau Geste, Gunga Din, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Only Angels Have Wings, and Young Mr. Lincoln all have in common? They are all classic films released in the same year, but none of them received Academy Award nominations for best picture. Why? In that same year, Hollywood produced Dark Victory, Goodbye Mr. Chips, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and Ninotchka, as well as two of the most beloved films of all time, Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz. In 1939 Hollywood created an unprecedented number of great films, a year that has yet to be surpassed in cinematic achievement. In 1939: Hollywood’s Greatest Year, Thomas S. Hischak looks at the most remarkable 365 days in film history. Arranged chronologically from January 1 to December 31, 1939, each entry covers one day and features major news events (national and international) as well as minor curiosities or news items that would prove to be more important in the future. The activities on Broadway, radio, the music business, literature, and other arts are included, as are noteworthy sporting events. Most significantly, this book provides a full description and commentary on the Hollywood movies that were released on that day. All 510 feature films from all the Hollywood studios are included in the book, along with notable shorts, cartoons, newsreels, and foreign releases. While others have looked at the movie highlights of this momentous year, Hischak evaluates Hollywood’s entire screen output of 1939, from B pictures and serial installments to the international blockbusters—and every film in between. 1939: Hollywood’s Greatest Year is a captivating look at this phenomenon and will fascinate any film aficionado.
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1442278056
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 431
Book Description
What do Babes in Arms, Beau Geste, Gunga Din, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Only Angels Have Wings, and Young Mr. Lincoln all have in common? They are all classic films released in the same year, but none of them received Academy Award nominations for best picture. Why? In that same year, Hollywood produced Dark Victory, Goodbye Mr. Chips, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and Ninotchka, as well as two of the most beloved films of all time, Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz. In 1939 Hollywood created an unprecedented number of great films, a year that has yet to be surpassed in cinematic achievement. In 1939: Hollywood’s Greatest Year, Thomas S. Hischak looks at the most remarkable 365 days in film history. Arranged chronologically from January 1 to December 31, 1939, each entry covers one day and features major news events (national and international) as well as minor curiosities or news items that would prove to be more important in the future. The activities on Broadway, radio, the music business, literature, and other arts are included, as are noteworthy sporting events. Most significantly, this book provides a full description and commentary on the Hollywood movies that were released on that day. All 510 feature films from all the Hollywood studios are included in the book, along with notable shorts, cartoons, newsreels, and foreign releases. While others have looked at the movie highlights of this momentous year, Hischak evaluates Hollywood’s entire screen output of 1939, from B pictures and serial installments to the international blockbusters—and every film in between. 1939: Hollywood’s Greatest Year is a captivating look at this phenomenon and will fascinate any film aficionado.
Reframing Vivien Leigh
Author: Lisa Stead
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190906529
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 265
Book Description
Reframing Vivien Leigh takes a new look at the laboring life one of the twentieth century's most iconic stars. Author Lisa Stead reframes the dominant narratives that have surrounded Leigh's life and career, offering a new perspective on Vivien Leigh as a distinctly archival subject. The book examines the collections and curatorial practices that have built up around her, exploring material documents collated by her own hand and by those who worked with her. The book also examines the collection practices of those who have developed deep, long-standing fandoms of her life and work. To do so, the book draws upon new oral history work with curators, archivists and fan collectives and examines a variety of archived correspondence, items of dress and costume, script annotations, photography, press clippings, props and memorabilia. It argues that such material has the potential to produce a new interpretation of Leigh as a creative laborer. As such, the book casts new light on the labor of archiving itself and the significance of archival processes and practices to contemporary feminist film historiography.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190906529
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 265
Book Description
Reframing Vivien Leigh takes a new look at the laboring life one of the twentieth century's most iconic stars. Author Lisa Stead reframes the dominant narratives that have surrounded Leigh's life and career, offering a new perspective on Vivien Leigh as a distinctly archival subject. The book examines the collections and curatorial practices that have built up around her, exploring material documents collated by her own hand and by those who worked with her. The book also examines the collection practices of those who have developed deep, long-standing fandoms of her life and work. To do so, the book draws upon new oral history work with curators, archivists and fan collectives and examines a variety of archived correspondence, items of dress and costume, script annotations, photography, press clippings, props and memorabilia. It argues that such material has the potential to produce a new interpretation of Leigh as a creative laborer. As such, the book casts new light on the labor of archiving itself and the significance of archival processes and practices to contemporary feminist film historiography.
Claire Trevor
Author: Derek Sculthorpe
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476671931
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 199
Book Description
Claire Trevor (1910-2000) is best remembered as the alluring blonde femme fatale in such iconic noir films as Murder, My Sweet (1944) and Raw Deal (1948). Yet she was a versatile performer who brought rare emotional depth to her art. She was effective in a range of diverse roles, from an outcast prostitute in John Ford's classic Stagecoach (1939) to the ambitious tennis mother in Hard, Fast and Beautiful (1951) to the embittered wife of a landowner in William Wellman's overlooked gem My Man and I (1952). Nominated for three Oscars, she deservedly won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Gaye Dawn, a gangster's broken-down moll in Key Largo (1948). The author covers her life and career in detail, recognizing her as one of the finest actresses of her generation.
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476671931
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 199
Book Description
Claire Trevor (1910-2000) is best remembered as the alluring blonde femme fatale in such iconic noir films as Murder, My Sweet (1944) and Raw Deal (1948). Yet she was a versatile performer who brought rare emotional depth to her art. She was effective in a range of diverse roles, from an outcast prostitute in John Ford's classic Stagecoach (1939) to the ambitious tennis mother in Hard, Fast and Beautiful (1951) to the embittered wife of a landowner in William Wellman's overlooked gem My Man and I (1952). Nominated for three Oscars, she deservedly won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Gaye Dawn, a gangster's broken-down moll in Key Largo (1948). The author covers her life and career in detail, recognizing her as one of the finest actresses of her generation.
Ruth Roman
Author: Derek Sculthorpe
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476688249
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 223
Book Description
With her striking looks, the raven-haired, dark eyed Ruth Roman had an air of sophistication that made her seem sexy yet wholesome. She had to strive harder than most to establish herself as a leading actress in Hollywood during its glory years and finally broke through in 1949 with her role in Champion. As one of the last Warner Bros. contract players, she appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's classic Strangers on a Train. Seen at her best in strong parts, such as the ambitious Ronda Castle in Anthony Mann's The Far Country or as a modern-day Lady Macbeth, she enjoyed a varied career as a freelancer before re-inventing herself as a character actress of note on television. A remarkable return to the screen in the bizarre psycho-horror The Baby (1973) assured her of cult status. This is the first book dedicated to a committed but often undervalued actress who is fondly remembered by fans of classic film. More than a biography, it seeks to contextualize the actress within her own time, illuminate her Hollywood experience and celebrate her extensive career.
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476688249
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 223
Book Description
With her striking looks, the raven-haired, dark eyed Ruth Roman had an air of sophistication that made her seem sexy yet wholesome. She had to strive harder than most to establish herself as a leading actress in Hollywood during its glory years and finally broke through in 1949 with her role in Champion. As one of the last Warner Bros. contract players, she appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's classic Strangers on a Train. Seen at her best in strong parts, such as the ambitious Ronda Castle in Anthony Mann's The Far Country or as a modern-day Lady Macbeth, she enjoyed a varied career as a freelancer before re-inventing herself as a character actress of note on television. A remarkable return to the screen in the bizarre psycho-horror The Baby (1973) assured her of cult status. This is the first book dedicated to a committed but often undervalued actress who is fondly remembered by fans of classic film. More than a biography, it seeks to contextualize the actress within her own time, illuminate her Hollywood experience and celebrate her extensive career.
Edmond O'Brien
Author: Derek Sculthorpe
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476674434
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 247
Book Description
One of the most versatile actors of his generation, Edmond O'Brien made a series of iconic noir films. From a man reporting his own murder in D.O.A. (1949) to the conflicted title character in The Bigamist (1953), he portrayed the confusion of the postwar Everyman. His memorable roles spanned genres from Shakespeare to westerns and comedies--he also turned his hand to directing. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor as the harassed press agent Oscar Muldoon in Joseph Mankiewicz's bitter Cinderella fable The Barefoot Contessa (1954). This first in-depth study of O'Brien charts his life and career from Broadway to Hollywood and to the rise of television, revealing a devoted family man dedicated to his craft.
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476674434
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 247
Book Description
One of the most versatile actors of his generation, Edmond O'Brien made a series of iconic noir films. From a man reporting his own murder in D.O.A. (1949) to the conflicted title character in The Bigamist (1953), he portrayed the confusion of the postwar Everyman. His memorable roles spanned genres from Shakespeare to westerns and comedies--he also turned his hand to directing. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor as the harassed press agent Oscar Muldoon in Joseph Mankiewicz's bitter Cinderella fable The Barefoot Contessa (1954). This first in-depth study of O'Brien charts his life and career from Broadway to Hollywood and to the rise of television, revealing a devoted family man dedicated to his craft.
Critical Readings on Hammer Horror Films
Author: Fernando Gabriel Pagnoni Berns
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1040090044
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 246
Book Description
This collection offers close readings on Hammer’s cycle of horror films, analysing key films and placing particular emphasis on the narratives and themes present in the works discussed. Ranging from the studio’s first horror outing, The Mystery of the Mary Celeste (1935) to Hammer’s last contemporary film, Doctor Jekyll (2023), the collection celebrates cult-favourites such as The Quatermass Experiment, the films of Terence Fisher, to overlooked classics such as Captain Clegg or The Mummy franchise. This volume also delves into Hammer’s psychological thrillers, the studio’s venture into TV with Hammer’s House of Horrors, with theoretical frameworks varying from queer studies to postcolonial readings. This volume will appeal to scholars and students of film studies, international cinema, film history and horror studies.
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1040090044
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 246
Book Description
This collection offers close readings on Hammer’s cycle of horror films, analysing key films and placing particular emphasis on the narratives and themes present in the works discussed. Ranging from the studio’s first horror outing, The Mystery of the Mary Celeste (1935) to Hammer’s last contemporary film, Doctor Jekyll (2023), the collection celebrates cult-favourites such as The Quatermass Experiment, the films of Terence Fisher, to overlooked classics such as Captain Clegg or The Mummy franchise. This volume also delves into Hammer’s psychological thrillers, the studio’s venture into TV with Hammer’s House of Horrors, with theoretical frameworks varying from queer studies to postcolonial readings. This volume will appeal to scholars and students of film studies, international cinema, film history and horror studies.