Author: Barry Anthony
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476646473
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 209
Book Description
In 1915, British moviegoers voted Fred Evans second only to Charles Chaplin as their favorite film comedian. Appearing as the roguish and anarchic "Pimple," Fred made 200 silent movies between 1910 and 1922, running amok in frantic chases and sending-up current events and fashions. With a rich family heritage in pantomime and music hall, Evans introduced a satirical approach to filmmaking, frequently lampooning the recently introduced feature films. Pimple's burlesques deflated the seriousness of such productions, providing subversive support for audiences adjusting to the the new form. But continual mockery of themes, acting styles and film techniques did not endear him to all. Changing public tastes and industry disapproval eventually resulted in an end to Evans' screen appearances and a return to the stage. As Evans has been almost entirely sidelined by film historians, this is the first book-length biography of him. It places Evans not only in a film context but within the wider entertainment and social perspectives of his time. Amongst topics discussed are the beginnings of the star system, war propaganda, the growth of film fandom and concerns about the influence of cinema on children.
Pimple's Progress
Author: Barry Anthony
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476646473
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 209
Book Description
In 1915, British moviegoers voted Fred Evans second only to Charles Chaplin as their favorite film comedian. Appearing as the roguish and anarchic "Pimple," Fred made 200 silent movies between 1910 and 1922, running amok in frantic chases and sending-up current events and fashions. With a rich family heritage in pantomime and music hall, Evans introduced a satirical approach to filmmaking, frequently lampooning the recently introduced feature films. Pimple's burlesques deflated the seriousness of such productions, providing subversive support for audiences adjusting to the the new form. But continual mockery of themes, acting styles and film techniques did not endear him to all. Changing public tastes and industry disapproval eventually resulted in an end to Evans' screen appearances and a return to the stage. As Evans has been almost entirely sidelined by film historians, this is the first book-length biography of him. It places Evans not only in a film context but within the wider entertainment and social perspectives of his time. Amongst topics discussed are the beginnings of the star system, war propaganda, the growth of film fandom and concerns about the influence of cinema on children.
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476646473
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 209
Book Description
In 1915, British moviegoers voted Fred Evans second only to Charles Chaplin as their favorite film comedian. Appearing as the roguish and anarchic "Pimple," Fred made 200 silent movies between 1910 and 1922, running amok in frantic chases and sending-up current events and fashions. With a rich family heritage in pantomime and music hall, Evans introduced a satirical approach to filmmaking, frequently lampooning the recently introduced feature films. Pimple's burlesques deflated the seriousness of such productions, providing subversive support for audiences adjusting to the the new form. But continual mockery of themes, acting styles and film techniques did not endear him to all. Changing public tastes and industry disapproval eventually resulted in an end to Evans' screen appearances and a return to the stage. As Evans has been almost entirely sidelined by film historians, this is the first book-length biography of him. It places Evans not only in a film context but within the wider entertainment and social perspectives of his time. Amongst topics discussed are the beginnings of the star system, war propaganda, the growth of film fandom and concerns about the influence of cinema on children.
British Comedy Cinema
Author: I. Q. Hunter
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0415666678
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 242
Book Description
This work explores the history of British comedy from silent slapstick and satire to contemporary romantic comedy. The essays include case studies on prominent personalities, and exploration of production cycles and studio output. Films discussed in the work include Sing As We Go, The Ladykillers, Trouble in Stone, The Carry Ons, Till Death Us Do Part, Monty Python's Life of Brian, Notting Hill, and Sex Lives of the Potato Men.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0415666678
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 242
Book Description
This work explores the history of British comedy from silent slapstick and satire to contemporary romantic comedy. The essays include case studies on prominent personalities, and exploration of production cycles and studio output. Films discussed in the work include Sing As We Go, The Ladykillers, Trouble in Stone, The Carry Ons, Till Death Us Do Part, Monty Python's Life of Brian, Notting Hill, and Sex Lives of the Potato Men.
A Companion to British and Irish Cinema
Author: John Hill
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118477510
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 605
Book Description
A stimulating overview of the intellectual arguments and critical debates involved in the study of British and Irish cinemas British and Irish film studies have expanded in scope and depth in recent years, prompting a growing number of critical debates on how these cinemas are analysed, contextualized, and understood. A Companion to British and Irish Cinema addresses arguments surrounding film historiography, methods of textual analysis, critical judgments, and the social and economic contexts that are central to the study of these cinemas. Twenty-nine essays from many of the most prominent writers in the field examine how British and Irish cinema have been discussed, the concepts and methods used to interpret and understand British and Irish films, and the defining issues and debates at the heart of British and Irish cinema studies. Offering a broad scope of commentary, the Companion explores historical, cultural and aesthetic questions that encompass over a century of British and Irish film studies—from the early years of the silent era to the present-day. Divided into five sections, the Companion discusses the social and cultural forces shaping British and Irish cinema during different periods, the contexts in which films are produced, distributed and exhibited, the genres and styles that have been adopted by British and Irish films, issues of representation and identity, and debates on concepts of national cinema at a time when ideas of what constitutes both ‘British’ and ‘Irish’ cinema are under question. A Companion to British and Irish Cinema is a valuable and timely resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students of film, media, and cultural studies, and for those seeking contemporary commentary on the cinemas of Britain and Ireland.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118477510
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 605
Book Description
A stimulating overview of the intellectual arguments and critical debates involved in the study of British and Irish cinemas British and Irish film studies have expanded in scope and depth in recent years, prompting a growing number of critical debates on how these cinemas are analysed, contextualized, and understood. A Companion to British and Irish Cinema addresses arguments surrounding film historiography, methods of textual analysis, critical judgments, and the social and economic contexts that are central to the study of these cinemas. Twenty-nine essays from many of the most prominent writers in the field examine how British and Irish cinema have been discussed, the concepts and methods used to interpret and understand British and Irish films, and the defining issues and debates at the heart of British and Irish cinema studies. Offering a broad scope of commentary, the Companion explores historical, cultural and aesthetic questions that encompass over a century of British and Irish film studies—from the early years of the silent era to the present-day. Divided into five sections, the Companion discusses the social and cultural forces shaping British and Irish cinema during different periods, the contexts in which films are produced, distributed and exhibited, the genres and styles that have been adopted by British and Irish films, issues of representation and identity, and debates on concepts of national cinema at a time when ideas of what constitutes both ‘British’ and ‘Irish’ cinema are under question. A Companion to British and Irish Cinema is a valuable and timely resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students of film, media, and cultural studies, and for those seeking contemporary commentary on the cinemas of Britain and Ireland.
A Companion to Film Comedy
Author: Andrew Horton
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119169550
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 585
Book Description
A wide-ranging survey of the subject that celebrates the variety and complexity of film comedy from the ‘silent’ days to the present, this authoritative guide offers an international perspective on the popular genre that explores all facets of its formative social, cultural and political context A wide-ranging collection of 24 essays exploring film comedy from the silent era to the present International in scope, the collection embraces not just American cinema, including Native American and African American, but also comic films from Europe, the Middle East, and Korea Essays explore sub-genres, performers, and cultural perspectives such as gender, politics, and history in addition to individual works Engages with different strands of comedy including slapstick, romantic, satirical and ironic Features original entries from a diverse group of multidisciplinary international contributors
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119169550
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 585
Book Description
A wide-ranging survey of the subject that celebrates the variety and complexity of film comedy from the ‘silent’ days to the present, this authoritative guide offers an international perspective on the popular genre that explores all facets of its formative social, cultural and political context A wide-ranging collection of 24 essays exploring film comedy from the silent era to the present International in scope, the collection embraces not just American cinema, including Native American and African American, but also comic films from Europe, the Middle East, and Korea Essays explore sub-genres, performers, and cultural perspectives such as gender, politics, and history in addition to individual works Engages with different strands of comedy including slapstick, romantic, satirical and ironic Features original entries from a diverse group of multidisciplinary international contributors
The Routledge Companion to European Cinema
Author: Gábor Gergely
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000512290
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 484
Book Description
Presenting new and diverse scholarship, this wide-ranging collection of 43 original chapters asks what European cinema tells us about Europe. The book engages with European cinema that attends to questions of European colonial, racialized and gendered power; seeks to decentre Europe itself (not merely its putative centres); and interrogate Europe’s various conceptualizations from a variety of viewpoints. It explores the broad, complex and heterogeneous community/ies produced in and by European films, taking in Kurdish, Hollywood and Singapore cinema as comfortably as the cinema of Poland, Spanish colonial films or the European gangster genre. Chapters cover numerous topics, including individual films, film movements, filmmakers, stars, scholarship, representations and identities, audiences, production practices, genres and more, all analysed in their context(s) so as to construct an image of Europe as it emerges from Europe’s film corpus. The Companion opens the study of European cinema to a broad readership and is ideal for students and scholars in film, European studies, queer studies and cultural studies, as well as historians with an interest in audio-visual culture, nationalism and transnationalism, and those working in language-based area studies.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000512290
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 484
Book Description
Presenting new and diverse scholarship, this wide-ranging collection of 43 original chapters asks what European cinema tells us about Europe. The book engages with European cinema that attends to questions of European colonial, racialized and gendered power; seeks to decentre Europe itself (not merely its putative centres); and interrogate Europe’s various conceptualizations from a variety of viewpoints. It explores the broad, complex and heterogeneous community/ies produced in and by European films, taking in Kurdish, Hollywood and Singapore cinema as comfortably as the cinema of Poland, Spanish colonial films or the European gangster genre. Chapters cover numerous topics, including individual films, film movements, filmmakers, stars, scholarship, representations and identities, audiences, production practices, genres and more, all analysed in their context(s) so as to construct an image of Europe as it emerges from Europe’s film corpus. The Companion opens the study of European cinema to a broad readership and is ideal for students and scholars in film, European studies, queer studies and cultural studies, as well as historians with an interest in audio-visual culture, nationalism and transnationalism, and those working in language-based area studies.
Images of Idiocy
Author: Martin Halliwell
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351928848
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 476
Book Description
This book traces the concept of idiocy as it has developed in fiction and film in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It focuses particularly on visual images of idiocy and argues that writers as diverse as Gustave Flaubert, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Joseph Conrad, John Steinbeck, Flannery O'Connor and Rohinton Mistry, and filmmakers such as Jean Renoir, Akira Kurosawa, Alfred Hitchcock, Werner Herzog and John Huston have all been attracted to idiot figures as a way of thinking through issues of language acquisition, intelligence, creativity, disability, religion and social identity. Martin Halliwell provides a lively and detailed discussion of the most significant literary and cinematic uses of idiocy, arguing that scientific conceptions of the term as a classifiable medical condition are much too narrow. With the explosion of interest in idiocy among American and European filmmakers in the 1990s and the growing interest in its often overlooked history, this book offers a timely reassessment of idiocy and its distinctive place at the intersection of science and culture.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351928848
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 476
Book Description
This book traces the concept of idiocy as it has developed in fiction and film in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It focuses particularly on visual images of idiocy and argues that writers as diverse as Gustave Flaubert, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Joseph Conrad, John Steinbeck, Flannery O'Connor and Rohinton Mistry, and filmmakers such as Jean Renoir, Akira Kurosawa, Alfred Hitchcock, Werner Herzog and John Huston have all been attracted to idiot figures as a way of thinking through issues of language acquisition, intelligence, creativity, disability, religion and social identity. Martin Halliwell provides a lively and detailed discussion of the most significant literary and cinematic uses of idiocy, arguing that scientific conceptions of the term as a classifiable medical condition are much too narrow. With the explosion of interest in idiocy among American and European filmmakers in the 1990s and the growing interest in its often overlooked history, this book offers a timely reassessment of idiocy and its distinctive place at the intersection of science and culture.
Framed
Author: Elizabeth Carolyn Miller
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 0472024469
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 297
Book Description
Framed uses fin de siècle British crime narrative to pose a highly interesting question: why do female criminal characters tend to be alluring and appealing while fictional male criminals of the era are unsympathetic or even grotesque? In this elegantly argued study, Elizabeth Carolyn Miller addresses this question, examining popular literary and cinematic culture from roughly 1880 to 1914 to shed light on an otherwise overlooked social and cultural type: the conspicuously glamorous New Woman criminal. In so doing, she breaks with the many Foucauldian studies of crime to emphasize the genuinely subversive aspects of these popular female figures. Drawing on a rich body of archival material, Miller argues that the New Woman Criminal exploited iconic elements of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century commodity culture, including cosmetics and clothing, to fashion an illicit identity that enabled her to subvert legal authority in both the public and the private spheres. "This is a truly extraordinary argument, one that will forever alter our view of turn-of-the-century literary culture, and Miller has demonstrated it with an enrapturing series of readings of fictional and filmic criminal figures. In the process, she has filled a gap between feminist studies of the New Woman of the 1890s and more gender-neutral studies of early twentieth-century literary and social change. Her book offers an extraordinarily important new way to think about the changing shape of political culture at the turn of the century." ---John Kucich, Professor of English, Rutgers University "Given the intellectual adventurousness of these chapters, the rich material that the author has brought to bear, and its combination of archival depth and disciplinary range, any reader of this remarkable book will be amply rewarded." ---Jonathan Freedman, Professor of English and American Culture, University of Michigan Elizabeth Carolyn Miller is Assistant Professor of English at the University of California, Davis. digitalculturebooks is an imprint of the University of Michigan and the Scholarly Publishing Office of the University of Michigan Library dedicated to publishing innovative and accessible work exploring new media and their impact on society, culture, and scholarly communication. Visit the website at www.digitalculture.org.
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 0472024469
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 297
Book Description
Framed uses fin de siècle British crime narrative to pose a highly interesting question: why do female criminal characters tend to be alluring and appealing while fictional male criminals of the era are unsympathetic or even grotesque? In this elegantly argued study, Elizabeth Carolyn Miller addresses this question, examining popular literary and cinematic culture from roughly 1880 to 1914 to shed light on an otherwise overlooked social and cultural type: the conspicuously glamorous New Woman criminal. In so doing, she breaks with the many Foucauldian studies of crime to emphasize the genuinely subversive aspects of these popular female figures. Drawing on a rich body of archival material, Miller argues that the New Woman Criminal exploited iconic elements of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century commodity culture, including cosmetics and clothing, to fashion an illicit identity that enabled her to subvert legal authority in both the public and the private spheres. "This is a truly extraordinary argument, one that will forever alter our view of turn-of-the-century literary culture, and Miller has demonstrated it with an enrapturing series of readings of fictional and filmic criminal figures. In the process, she has filled a gap between feminist studies of the New Woman of the 1890s and more gender-neutral studies of early twentieth-century literary and social change. Her book offers an extraordinarily important new way to think about the changing shape of political culture at the turn of the century." ---John Kucich, Professor of English, Rutgers University "Given the intellectual adventurousness of these chapters, the rich material that the author has brought to bear, and its combination of archival depth and disciplinary range, any reader of this remarkable book will be amply rewarded." ---Jonathan Freedman, Professor of English and American Culture, University of Michigan Elizabeth Carolyn Miller is Assistant Professor of English at the University of California, Davis. digitalculturebooks is an imprint of the University of Michigan and the Scholarly Publishing Office of the University of Michigan Library dedicated to publishing innovative and accessible work exploring new media and their impact on society, culture, and scholarly communication. Visit the website at www.digitalculture.org.
The Silent Cinema Reader
Author: Lee Grieveson
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 9780415252843
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 448
Book Description
The Silent Cinema Reader brings together key writings on cinema from the beginnings of film in 1894 to the advent of sound in 1927, addressing the development of film production and exhibition technologies, methods of distribution, film form, and film culture during this critical period on film history. Thematic sections address: film projection and variety shows; storytelling and the Nickelodeon; cinema and reform; feature films and cinema programs; classical Hollywood cinema and European national cinemas. Each section is introduced by the editors, and contains suggestions for further readings and film viewings.
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 9780415252843
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 448
Book Description
The Silent Cinema Reader brings together key writings on cinema from the beginnings of film in 1894 to the advent of sound in 1927, addressing the development of film production and exhibition technologies, methods of distribution, film form, and film culture during this critical period on film history. Thematic sections address: film projection and variety shows; storytelling and the Nickelodeon; cinema and reform; feature films and cinema programs; classical Hollywood cinema and European national cinemas. Each section is introduced by the editors, and contains suggestions for further readings and film viewings.
Destination London
Author: Tim Bergfelder
Publisher: Berghahn Books
ISBN: 9781845455323
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 284
Book Description
The legacy of emigrés in the British film industry, from the silent film era until after the Second World War, has been largely neglected in the scholarly literature. Destination London is the first book to redress this imbalance. Focusing on areas such as exile, genre, technological transfer, professional training and education, cross-cultural exchange and representation, it begins by mapping the reasons for this neglect before examining the contributions made to British cinema by emigré directors, actors, screenwriters, cinematographers, set designers, and composers. It goes on to assess the cultural and economic contexts of transnational industry collaborations in the 1920s, artistic cosmopolitanism in the 1930s, and anti-Nazi propaganda in the 1940s.
Publisher: Berghahn Books
ISBN: 9781845455323
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 284
Book Description
The legacy of emigrés in the British film industry, from the silent film era until after the Second World War, has been largely neglected in the scholarly literature. Destination London is the first book to redress this imbalance. Focusing on areas such as exile, genre, technological transfer, professional training and education, cross-cultural exchange and representation, it begins by mapping the reasons for this neglect before examining the contributions made to British cinema by emigré directors, actors, screenwriters, cinematographers, set designers, and composers. It goes on to assess the cultural and economic contexts of transnational industry collaborations in the 1920s, artistic cosmopolitanism in the 1930s, and anti-Nazi propaganda in the 1940s.
The Brighton School and the Birth of British Film
Author: Frank Gray
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3030175057
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 311
Book Description
This study is devoted to the work of two early British filmmakers, George Albert Smith and James Williamson, and the films that they made around 1900. Internationally, they are known collectively as the ‘Brighton School’ and are positioned as being at the forefront of Britain’s contribution to the birth of film. The book focuses on the years 1896 to 1903, as it was during this short period that film emerged as a new technology, a new enterprise and a new form of entertainment. Beginning with a historiography of the Brighton School, the study goes on to examine the arrival of the first 35mm films in Britain, the first film exhibitions in Brighton and the first projection of film in Brighton. Both Smith and Williamson’s work features a progression from the production of single shot unedited films to multi-shot edited films. Their subject matter was inspired by a knowledge of contemporary pantomime, humour, literature, theatre, mesmerism, the magic lantern and current affairs and their practices were underpinned by active involvement in the new film trade. Through the exploration of how these filmmakers cultivated a new way of understanding film and its commercial potential, this book establishes them as key figures in the development of British film culture.
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3030175057
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 311
Book Description
This study is devoted to the work of two early British filmmakers, George Albert Smith and James Williamson, and the films that they made around 1900. Internationally, they are known collectively as the ‘Brighton School’ and are positioned as being at the forefront of Britain’s contribution to the birth of film. The book focuses on the years 1896 to 1903, as it was during this short period that film emerged as a new technology, a new enterprise and a new form of entertainment. Beginning with a historiography of the Brighton School, the study goes on to examine the arrival of the first 35mm films in Britain, the first film exhibitions in Brighton and the first projection of film in Brighton. Both Smith and Williamson’s work features a progression from the production of single shot unedited films to multi-shot edited films. Their subject matter was inspired by a knowledge of contemporary pantomime, humour, literature, theatre, mesmerism, the magic lantern and current affairs and their practices were underpinned by active involvement in the new film trade. Through the exploration of how these filmmakers cultivated a new way of understanding film and its commercial potential, this book establishes them as key figures in the development of British film culture.