Gangster Film Reader (Softcover) (Limelight) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0879103329 ISBN 13: 9780879103323

Publisher: Limelight Editions, 2007

Synopsis

In the 1930s the gangster film in the United States coincided with a very real and very sensational gangsterism at large in American society. Little Caesar (1931), The Public Enemy (1931), and Scarface (1932) borrowed liberally from the newspapers and books of the era. With the release of just these three motion pictures in barely more than a year's time, Hollywood quintessentially defined the genre. The characters, the situations, and the icons-from fast cars and tommy-guns to fancy fedoras and fancier molls-established the audience expectations associated with the gangster film that remain in force to this day. As with their Film Noir Reader series, using both reprints of seminal articles and new pieces, editors Silver and Ursini have assembled a group of essays that presents an exhaustive overview of this still vital genre. Reprints of work by such well-known film historians as Robin Wood, Andrew Sarris, Carlos Clarens, Paul Schrader, and Stuart Kaminsky explore the evolution of the gangster film through the 1970s and The Godfather. Parts 2 and 3 comprise two dozen newer articles, most of them written expressly for this volume by Ursini and Silver. These case studies and thematic analyses, from White Heat to the remake of Scarface to "The Sopranos", complete the anthology.

About this title

About the Author

ALAIN SILVER has authored Raymond Chandler's Los Angeles; L.A. Noir; The Noir Style. He is co-editor of Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference; and Film Noir Readers 1, 2, 3, and 4. His articles have appeared in Film Comment, Movie, Literature/Film Quarterly, Wide Angle, and the Los Angeles Times.

JAMES URSINI is the author, co-author, and co-editor of over 20 books on film history, including The Vampire Film and The Film Noir Reader series (with Alain Silver) and his latest title with Dominique Mainon, The Modern Amazons: Warrior Women On-Screen. He has a doctorate from UCLA and teaches in, Los Angeles.

Synopsis

During the early 1930's, a burgeoning Hollywood film industry defined one of the most iconic genres of all time. With the release of three films, "Little Caesar" (1931), "The Public Enemy" (1931), and "Scarface" (1932), Hollywood established the style and audience expectations associated with gangster films that remain in force to the present day. "The Gangster Film Reader" brings together a group of essays, many of which were written specifically for this volume, which present an exhaustive overview of this seminal film genre. This is a thorough and informative volume that is a must-have for any self-respecting film fan.

About this edition

• Publisher: Limelight Editions
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0879103329
• ISBN 13: 9780879103323
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 422
• Editor: Silver Alain