Screwball Comedy and Film Noir: Unexpected Connections

by Thomas C. Renzi

Overview

This is a comprehensive comparative analysis of the screwball comedy and film noir genres--two popular Hollywood staples that emerged around the same time. Despite their contrast in tone and theme, "Screwball" and "Noir" have many narrative elements in common.

The author defines the two genres, discusses their historical development and inter-related conventions, and offers detailed comparative analyses of a number of films, among them The Lady Eve and His Girl Friday (screwballs), and Gilda and Sunset Blvd. (noirs).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786466726
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	02/07/2012
Pages:	231
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

The late Thomas C. Renzi was an administrator and instructor at Buffalo State College in Buffalo, New York.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     
Preface     

1. Toward Definitions of Screwball Comedy and Film Noir     
2. Historical Context of Classical Screwball Comedy and Classical Film Noir     
3. Genre Analysis: Classifying Noir and Screwball as Genres     
4. Cinematic Conventions Connecting Screwball Comedy and Film Noir     
5. Comparative Analyses of Films from the Two Genres     

Appendix A: Filmography of Screwball Comedies, 1934–1954     
Appendix B: Filmography of Films Noirs, 1941–1958     
Bibliography     
Index     

Editorial Reviews

concentrates on the classical periods of film noir and screwball comedy, roughly 1930 to 1960”—Reference & Research Book News.

From the Publisher

concentrates on the classical periods of film noir and screwball comedy, roughly 1930 to 1960

Reference & Research Book News