Gangster Films

The conventions of gangster movies have become well known: the gum-chewing moll, the kiss of death, incorruptible G-men and well-dressed gangsters toting machine guns. The genre was first popularized in the silent era and has continued with such contemporary releases as Billy Bathgate and Bugsy. Films, actors, directors, producers, cinematographers, plot devices, themes and more are included in this encyclopedic reference work to gangster films. For people, there are biographical sketches that focus on their work in gangster films. The film entries include year of release, distributor, cast and production credits, and a brief synopsis. Terms are placed in context of the genre, with relevant examples from gangster films given.

Film historian Michael L. Stephens lives in Savannah, Georgia. He is also the author of Film Noir (2006) and Art Directors in Cinema (1998).

Michael L. Stephens

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 383
Bibliographic Info: 66 photos, appendix, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2008 [1996]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3770-2
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1127-3
Imprint: McFarland

Introduction      1

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA      7

Selected Bibliography      333
Index      337

• “astonishingly thorough”—Film Review
• “the best reference book on the subject I have encountered…an invaluable work, with a wealth of shrewd observation, facts and material not to be found elsewhere…invaluable…another winner from McFarland”—The Other Side of Show Business
• “its listing and intelligent commentary make it worthwhile as both a fun read and an excellent resource”—Cinescape