ReFocus : the films of Preston Sturges / edited by Jeff Jaeckle and Sarah Kozloff.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Jaeckle, Jeff, editor.

Kozloff, Sarah, editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sturges, Preston--Criticism and interpretation.

Sturges, Preston.

Criticism and interpretation.

Physical Description:

xi, 324 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, 2015.

Summary:

Director, screenwriter and comic genius, Preston Sturges has been an influence on filmmakers ranging from Orson Welles to the Coen Brothers. The first person to win an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, he wrote and directed some of the most bizarre, controversial, and downright hilarious comedies of the 1940s, including Sullivan's Travels and Hail the Conquering Hero. He may be the most talented Hollywood filmmaker who has yet to receive the critical recognition he deserves. The Films of Preston Sturges is a pioneering collection of essays by renowned scholars that charts Sturges's contributions to Hollywood cinema, revealing his pivotal status as an early writer-director, exploring his inimitable style, and making a bold case for his ongoing influence today. Reawakening interest in this filmmaker's life and works, this book remind readers why Sturges's movies remain not only immensely enjoyable, but of great cultural significance as well. Book jacket.

Contents:

Part 1 Contexts: Genre, Studio, Authorship

1 Preston Sturges and Screwball Comedy / Leger Grindon Grindon, Leger 25

2 Preston Sturges, Sullivan's Travels, and Film Authorship in Hollywood, 1941 / Virginia Wright Wexman Wexman, Virginia Wright 46

3 To Write and Not Direct / Sarah Kozloff Kozloff, Sarah 66

4 "The Edge of Unacceptability": Preston Sturges and the PCA / Matthew H. Bernstein Bernstein, Matthew H. 83

Part 2 Cultural Commentary: History and Identity

5 Sturges's Many Mothers / Kristine Drunovska Karnick Karnick, Kristine Drunovska 109

6 "These Are Troublous Times": Social Class in the Comedies of Preston Sturges / Christopher Beach Beach, Christopher 133

7 "They Always Get the Best of You Somehow": Preston Sturges in Black and Whit / Krin Gabbard Gabbard, Krin 155

8 Falling Hard: The Sin of Harold Diddlebock / Joe McElhaney McElhaney, Joe 173

Part 3 Technique: Scripting, Performance, Music

9 The Unheard Song of Joy / Jeff Jaeckle Jaeckle, Jeff 193

10 The Rye of the Storm: Preston Sturges and Performance / Diane Carson Carson, Diane 211

11 Presto (n) con Spirito: Comedies with Music, Sturges-style / Martin Marks Marks, Martin 232

Part 4 Impact: Reception/Reputation

12 Thrust with a Rapier and Run: The Critics and Preston Sturges / G. Tom Poe Poe, G. Tom 261

13 Hail the Conquering Auteur: Preston Sturges in La Revue du cinéma (1946-1949) / Christian Viviani Viviani, Christian 280

14 O Preston, Where Art Thou? / Sarah Kozloff Kozloff, Sarah 293.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781474406550

1474406556

OCLC:

907178120