The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Roots of Film Noir
Kevin Grant
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476687483, $39.95, PB, 252pp

https://www.amazon.com/Roots-Film-Noir-Precursors-Silent/dp/147668748X

Synopsis: Film Noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish = Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes=
and motivations.

Comprised of individual reviews for 90+ films created and released before 1= 941, "Roots of Film Noir: Precursors from the Silent Era to the 1940s" by K= evin Grant (a film historian and periodical journalist living in London) is=
the first title-by-title reference guide to the forerunners of film noir. = Silent Hitchcock thrillers and German expressionist masterpieces, French po= etic realist dramas and forgotten Hollywood B-movies, pseudo-Freudian gangs= ter films and costume melodramas are among the works covered.

Illustrated with black/white period photos, this collection spans subgenres=
and cultures of filmmaking, aiming to demonstrate that the roots of noir w= ere sown far and wide, long before the lasting and mysterious genre flowere=
d in America during the war years.

Critique: Fascinating, informative, detailed, and a genuine treat for Film = Noir movie buffs, "Roots of Film Noir: Precursors from the Silent Era to th=
e 1940s" is a welcome and unreserved recommended addition to personal, prof= essional, community, and academic librry Cinematic History collections and = supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal = reading lists of film buffs, film students, and academia, that "Roots of Fi=
lm Noir: Precursors from the Silent Era to the 1940s" is also available in =
a digital book format (Kindle, $23.99).

Try Not to Hold It Against Me
Julian Schlossberg
Beaufort Books
27 West 20th Street, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10011
www.beaufortbooks.com
9780825310256, $26.95, HC, 374pp

https://www.amazon.com/Try-Not-Hold-Against-Me/dp/0825310253

Synopsis: Veteran motion picture, television, and Broadway producer Julian = Schlossberg grew up in New York City with an early love of entertainment. A=
s a child, he was an avid fan of radio, film, and the new art of television=
, and harbored ambitions of meeting his favorite stars one day. Little did =
he know that in the course of his career, he would not only meet many of th= em, but also become their producer, representative, and friend.

During his nearly 60 years in show business, Schlossberg has worked as a pr= oducer, director, distributor, exhibitor, radio and television host, and re= cord executive. At 27 he was the youngest head film buyer of a national the= ater chain; after working at the ABC network, the Walter Reade Organization=
, and Paramount Pictures, he would start his own motion-picture company, Ca= stle Hill Productions, which would become one of the largest independent fi= lm-distribution companies in the world with a library of over 500 films. No=
t willing to restrict his efforts to film and television, he has also produ= ced award-winning plays and musicals for Broadway and off-Broadway, working=
closely with brilliant writers and directors like Mike Nichols, Larry Gelb= art, Susan Stroman, Woody Allen, and David Mamet.

With the publication of his memoir "Try Not to Hold It Against Me", Schloss= berg shares stories from a lifetime in entertainment, from his childhood in=
the Bronx to his years as a producer for screen and stage. Schlossberg tak=
es us through the trials and triumphs of work and play in every avenue of t=
he business: negotiating with Al Pacino, Burt Reynolds, and Lillian Hellman=
; hosting the syndicated radio and television production Movie Talk, which = introduced him to hundreds of stars; experiencing the paranormal with Shirl=
ey MacLaine and Betty Hill; running the Orson Welles estate and restoring W= elles' masterly film adaptation of Othello; partying with Barbra Streisand = and Liza Minelli; testifying in a lawsuit against The Beatles; and intervie= wing over 120 of the most influential figures of the 20th century for his s= eries Witnesses to the 20th Century.

Written with engaging humor and self-deprecation (and featuring a foreword =
by Academy Award winner Elaine May), "Try Not to Hold It Against Me" gives = readers a behind-the-scenes pass to Cannes and Las Vegas, the lives and hom=
es of the stars, and the rarely seen but crucial work of the producer in th=
e midst of it all. It's a compelling read for film, television, and theater=
enthusiasts alike -- and a one-of-a-kind autobiography by one of entertain= ment's true insiders.

Critique: An inherently fascinating and impressively informative insider's = account of a successful and substantial Hollywood career behind the camera,=
"Try Not to Hold It Against Me" has a very special appeal to readers with =
an interest in cinematic history in general, and film industry biographies/= memoirs in particular. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented,=
"Try Not to Hold It Against Me" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recom= mended addition to community and academic library American Cinema, Theatre,=
and Television History, as well as Contemporary American Biography/Memoir = collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Try Not to=
Hold It Against Me" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8= ..99).

Editorial Note #1: Julian Schlossberg (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian= _Schlossberg) has produced more than 60 works in film, theater, and televis= ion. During his career, he has established himself as a producer's represen= tative for such prominent figures as Elia Kazan, John Cassavetes, Elaine Ma=
y, and George C. Scott. Schlossberg is also the co-founder of Merlian News,=
an online magazine, and (with partner Danny Goldberg) Gold Castle Records.=
He is currently producing Witnesses to the 20th Century, a TV series exami= ning the century's major events through the experiences of its most promine=
nt people.

The Good, the Bad and the Ancient
Sue Matheson, editor
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476667645, $55.00, PB, 227pp

https://www.amazon.com/Good-Bad-Ancient-Greco-Roman-Influence/dp/1476667640

Synopsis: Although Americans are no longer compelled to learn Greek and Lat= in, classical Greco/Roman ideals remain embedded in American law and politi= cs, philosophy, oratory, history and especially popular culture.

In the Western genre, many film and television directors (such as John Ford=
, Raoul Walsh, Howard Hawks, Anthony Mann and Sam Peckinpah) have drawn ins= piration from antiquity, and the classical values and influences in their w= ork have shaped our conceptions of the West for years.

Compiled and edited by Sue Matheson, "The Good, the Bad and the Ancient: Es= says on the Greco-Roman Influence in Westerns" is a thought-provoking, firs= t-of-its-kind collection of essays that celebrate, affirm and critique the = cinematic Westerns relationship with the classical world. Explored are film=
s like Cheyenne Autumn, The Wild Bunch, The Track of the Cat, Trooper Hook,=
The Furies, Heaven's Gate, and Slow West, as well as serials like Gunsmoke=
and Lonesome Dove.

Critique: Comprised of fifteen impressively informative and deftly crafted = essays, as well as a complete listing of the contributors and their credent= ials, "The Good, the Bad and the Ancient: Essays on the Greco-Roman Influen=
ce in Westerns" is a singularly unique and unreservedly recommended additio=
n to personal, professional, community, and academic library Movie/TV Histo=
ry & Criticism collections. It should be noted for dedicated western movie = and television fans that "The Good, the Bad and the Ancient: Essays on the = Greco-Roman Influence in Westerns" is also available in a digital book form=
at (Kindle, $32.99).

General Note: Sue Matheson (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sue-Mathes= on) is a Professor of English at the University College of the North in Man= itoba, Canada.

Do the Right Thing
Karla R. Fuller
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615933402, $26.95, PB, 132pp

https://www.amazon.com/Right-Thing-Storytelling-Screenplays-Diversity/dp/16= 15933409

Synopsis: With the publication of "Do the Right Thing: Five Screenplays tha=
t Embrace Diversity", Professor Karla R. Fuller offers screenwriting strate= gies that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. These are the five film=
that are discussed: Moonlight, Get Out, Mudbound, Roma, and Always be My M= aybe. The goal is to teach an already challenging writing mode that require=
s screenwriters to create complex human experiences through visual storytel= ling.

We are in a critical historical moment where the importance of screenwritin=
g can be of the utmost usefulness in the observation of racism, inequity an=
d inclusion in all media. The screen representations of race, ethnicity, ge= nder, sexuality or class are not often explicitly addressed at the "front e= nd" of the film production process, specifically, during the creation of th=
e screenplay (whether original or adapted from outside source material). Th=
e idea is to introduce and reinforce the importance of accountability for w= hat you write for the screen.

This is not to limit the screenwriter's creative impulses, but rather to cr= eate and engage them in consistent ways that reveal unconscious biases and = instances of systemic racism. We will use five case studies of commercially=
successful and award-winning screenplays that resist stereotypes to presen=
t multidimensional depictions of historically underrepresented groups, such=
as LGBTQ, African American, Latino and Asian American.

In the discussions of each individual screenplay issues such as the adaptat= ion process, plot structure and devices, characterization, setting, symboli= sm, and genre conventions are introduced and analyzed in depth.

Critique: Simply stated, "Do the Right Thing: Five Screenplays that Embrace=
Diversity" should be required reading for anyone who aspires to be a succe= ssful screen writer. Thoughtful and thought-provoking, insightful and infor= mative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Do the Right = Thing: Five Screenplays that Embrace Diversity" is essential and unreserved=
ly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library = Screen Writing instructional reference collections. It should be noted that=
"Do the Right Thing: Five Screenplays that Embrace Diversity" is also avai= lable in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.13).

Editorial Note: Karla Rae Fuller (http://www.karlaraefuller.com) is current=
ly an Associate Professor in the Department of Cinema and Television Arts a=
t Columbia College Chicago. She teaches in the Cinema Studies and Screenwri= ting areas in the undergraduate and MFA graduate programs. She received her=
PhD from Northwestern University, MFA from Columbia University in New York=
City and BA from Amherst College. Prior to teaching at Columbia College, M=
s. Fuller held the position of Director of Feature Film Evaluation at Vestr=
on Inc. which produced the hit movie Dirty Dancing among others. She was al=
so a freelance script reader for New Line Cinema, Miramax and various other=
production companies.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

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(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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