Hardboiled Hollywood: The Origins of the Great Crime Films - Softcover

Decharne, Max

3.33

84 ratings by Goodreads

9781842431191: Hardboiled Hollywood: The Origins of the Great Crime Films

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1842431196 ISBN 13: 9781842431191

Publisher: Oldcastle Books, 2004

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The Big Sleep, The Godfather, Little Caesar, LA Confidential behind these classic films there’s a story waiting to be told, and pulp novels, bank robbers, and serial killers have all played a part in shaping crime cinema. But after Hollywood throws these elements into the blender along with the demands of censors, backers, and the frequently rampant egos of stars and directors the finished film often bears little resemblance to its source. Real crimes are often considered by filmmakers to be too brutal, and their perpetrators too unattractive. When Sam Peckinpah filmed The Getaway, for instance, the novel’s pessimistic ending had to be changed to suit the tastes of its glittering stars, Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw. Packed with fascinating facts and anecdotes, Hardboiled Hollywood delves into the origins of the greatest crime films ever, placing them in the context of their times and the studio system that produced them.

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From Booklist:

"When in doubt, have a man come through the door with a gun in his hand" was Raymond Chandler's advice to pulp-fiction writers. Chandler's witticism is central to the main theme of this freewheeling work of film criticism and social history. Decharne shows how the guys with guns have jump-started the Hollywood money machine from The Great Train Robbery on, despite screams of protest from pressure groups like the Hays Office and the Legion of Decency. Thirteen chapters focus on classic individual crime films, ranging from Little Caesar to L.A. Confidential. Each chapter analyzes the ways movies translated the news (Chicago gangsters, the Mafia, serial killers) into hardboiled dramas and gives fascinating details about filming and the struggles over censorship. With reprints of lurid pulp-novel covers and movie posters and a bibliography including books, articles, and the commentary from Get Carter and L.A. Confidential. Vastly entertaining and informative. Connie Fletcher
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Review:

“... offers fascinating details about filming and the struggles over censorship. Vastly entertaining and informative.” -- Booklist

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