Larry Cohen

Now in a revised edition, this book is the only published study devoted to Larry Cohen and his significance as a great American filmmaker. The first edition is long out of print and often sought after. This edition covers all the director’s films, television work and screenplays, and contains an updated interview with the director as well as interviews with his colleagues Janelle Webb Cohen, Michael Moriarty and James Dixon. The filmography and bibliography are also updated.

Tony Williams is a professor of cinema studies at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

Tony Williams
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 380
Bibliographic Info: 46 photos, filmography, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2015
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7969-6
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1819-7
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents


Acknowledgments vi

Introduction 1

Part One: A Career Study

1. What Makes Cohen Unique 5

2. Early Work in New York Television 24

3. Early Work in Hollywood Television 48

4. Screenplays and Teleplays of the 1970s 63

5. First Films as Director, Producer, and Writer 79

6. Directorial Achievements in the 1970s 101

7. Social Comedy Brings in the 1980s 121

8. New York Independent Productions 138

9. Parody and Satire 149

10. Screenplays of the 1980s and 1990s 166

11. Theatrical Work 182

12. Film and Television Work in the 1990s—and Beyond 197

Part Two: Interviews with and About Cohen

13. Cohen on Cohen 223

14. Janelle Webb Cohen on Cohen 301

15. Michael Moriarty on Cohen 316

16. James Dixon on Cohen 324

17. Cohen on Guerrilla Filmmaking 328

Appendix A. The Television and Film Credits of Larry Cohen 339

Appendix B. The Theatrical Work of Larry Cohen 352

Appendix C. The Strange Case of “Coronet Blue” 353

Chapter Notes 355

Selected Bibliography 361

Index 365

“Finally, McFarland casts the spotlight on another man whose name is treasured among lovers of B film”—Bookgasm.com; Reviews of the first edition: “remarkably thorough”—Choice; “serious…as well as entertaining…an important work”—Classic Images; “detailed career overview”—Film Review; “the Larry book…this book will tell you more about Cohen and his work than you could ever reasonably expect to find in one place”—Fatal Visions; “this first in-depth study of Larry Cohen’s work is so remarkably meaty, it’s doubtful anyone will ever top it…offers incisive, in-depth interviews…. A multi-faceted work that feels like a reference, analysis and biography all rolled into one, few contemporary filmmakers…have been so conscientiously and exhaustively represented by a single book”—Video Watchdog; “well researched…well written account…interesting view”—Film & History; “exposes audiences to challenging, complex, and fantastic situations”—Burlington County Times; “the satire and insights in his films are worth looking at again and again”—Michael Moriarty; “Larry Cohen is a true professional and a helluva guy. He should be an inspiration for all future filmmakers”—Samuel Fuller; “Larry Cohen is one of the great unsung artists of fantasy cinema, a secret pleasure for those who refuse to accept the bland and the commonplace”—Harlan Ellison; “Larry Cohen comes in the red blooded tradition of gunslinging directors. Tony Williams has herein provided the first in-depth study of Mr. Cohen’s movies.”—Oliver Stone.