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Noir Fiction
Noir fiction (or roman noir) is a subgenre of crime fiction. Definition In its modern form, noir has come to denote a marked darkness in theme and subject matter, generally featuring a disturbing mixture of sex and violence and death in some cases. While related to and frequently confused with hardboiled detective fiction—due to the regular adaptation of hardboiled detective stories in the film noir style—the two are not the same. Both regularly take place against a backdrop of systemic and institutional corruption. However, noir (French for "black") fiction is centred on protagonists that are either victims, suspects, or perpetrators—often self-destructive. A typical protagonist of noir fiction is forced to deal with a corrupt legal, political or other system, through which the protagonist is either victimized and/or has to victimize others, leading to a lose-lose situation. Otto Penzler argues that the traditional hardboiled detective story and noir story are "di ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
German Expressionism
German Expressionism () consisted of several related creative movements in Germany before the First World War that reached a peak in Berlin during the 1920s. These developments were part of a larger Expressionist movement in north and central European culture in fields such as architecture, dance, painting, sculpture and cinema. This article deals primarily with developments in German Expressionist cinema before and immediately after World War I, approximately from 1910 to the 1930s. History The German Expressionist movement was initially confined to Germany due to the country's isolation during World War I. In 1916, the government banned foreign films, creating a sharp increase in the demand for domestic film production: from 24 films in 1914, to 130 films in 1918. With inflation also on the rise, Germans were attending films more freely because they knew that their money's value was constantly diminishing.Thompson, Kristin. Bordwell, David. ''Film History: An Intr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black Lizard (publisher)
Black Lizard was an American book publisher. A division of the Creative Arts Book Company of Berkeley, California, Black Lizard specialized in reprinting forgotten crime fiction and noir fiction writers and novels originally released between the 1930s and the 1960s, many of which are now acknowledged as classics of their genres. History Founded and edited by writer Barry Gifford in 1984, Black Lizard released over ninety books between 1984 and 1990, including reprints of classic novels by Charles Willeford, David Goodis, Peter Rabe, Harry Whittington, Dan J. Marlowe, Charles Williams, and Lionel White, as well as original novels by Barry Gifford and Jim Nisbet. Lizard is single-handedly responsible for renewing the interest in Jim Thompson in the late 1980s, which resulted in several film adaptations of his novels. The original series were mass-market paperbacks with covers drawn by Jim Kirwan. Barry Gifford's relationship with Black Lizard is also sometimes credited ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lionel White
Lionel White (9 July 1905 – 26 December 1985) was an American journalist and crime novelist, several of whose dark, noirish stories were made into films. His books include ''The Snatchers'' (made into a film as ''The Night of the Following Day'' directed by Hubert Cornfield and starring Marlon Brando), ''The Money Trap'' (made into a movie by Burt Kennedy starring Glenn Ford and Elke Sommer), ''Clean Break'' (adapted by Stanley Kubrick as the basis for his 1956 film '' The Killing''), ''Obsession'' (adapted by Jean-Luc Godard as the basis for his 1965 film '' Pierrot le fou'' and by the Finnish director Seppo Huunonen for the 1974 film '' The Hair''), and '' Rafferty'', adapted by 1980 Soviet Lenfilm production of the same title. White (also known as L.W. Blanco) had been a crime reporter and began writing suspense novels in the 1950s. He wrote more than 35 books, all translated into a number of different languages. His earlier novels were published as Gold Medal crime ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peter Rabe
Peter Rabe (born Peter Rabinowitsch, November 3, 1921 – May 20, 1990) was a German American writer who also wrote under the names Marco Malaponte and J. T. MacCargo (though not all of the latter's books were by him). Rabe was the author of over 30 books, mostly of crime fiction, published between 1955 and 1975. Origins Born Peter Rabinowitsch on November 3, 1921, to Michael Rabinovitch (a Russian Jew; the spelling is the Russian version) and Elisabeth Margarete Beer, in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Shortly after his birth the family moved to Hanover, Germany, where Peter's father worked as a doctor and surgeon. When the Nazis came to power and summoned Michael Rabinovitch to a Gestapo office and confronted him with transcripts of political conversations between him and his patients, he decided it best to emigrate to the United States before Peter turned 15 and face possible internment. Michael also had his doctor's license revoked by the Nazis. Michael and Peter left a few ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harry Whittington (author)
Harry Whittington (February 4, 1915 – June 11, 1989) was an American mystery novelist and one of the pioneers of the paperback novel. Born in Ocala, Florida, he worked in government jobs before becoming a writer. His reputation as a prolific writer of pulp fiction novels is supported by his writing of 85 novels in a span of twelve years (as many as seven in a single month) mostly in the crime, suspense, hardboiled, and noir fiction genres. In total, he published over 200 novels. Seven of his writings were produced for the screen, including the television series '' Lawman'' (1958-1962). His reputation as 'The King of the Pulps' is shared with author H. Bedford-Jones. Eight of Whittington's hardboiled noir novels were republished by Stark House Press. Pseudonyms Whittington was published both under his own name, and with several pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gil Brewer
Gilbert "Gil" Brewer (November 20, 1922 – January 9, 1983) was an American novel and short story author. He was born November 20, 1922, in Canandaigua, New York. After leaving the army at the end of World War II, Brewer joined his family, who had settled in St. Petersburg, Florida. There he met Verlaine in 1947 and married her soon after. Brewer started by writing serious novels, but soon turned to pulp paperbacks after a sale to Gold Medal Books in 1950, and afterwards specialized in fast-paced crime novels with a dose of soft-core sexuality. At one point, he had five books on the stands simultaneously. His best-selling book was ''13 French Street'' (1951), which sold over a million copies.David Rachels (2018)Gil Brewer's Sexual Obsession PunkNoirMagazine.com, accessed October 20, 2021 Unwilling to promote himself, his career took a turn for the worse after a mental breakdown, and a long decline into alcoholism. Brewer died on January 9, 1983. Works This list does not inc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charles Williams (U
Charles, Charlie, Charley, Chuck or Chuckie Williams may refer to: Actors * Charles Williams (English actor) (1693–1731), at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane *Charles Williams (American actor) (1898–1958), screenwriter *Charlie Williams (comedian) (1927–2006), English Yorkshire stand-up, former footballer Artists *Charles Williams (caricaturist) (before 1775—1830), British illustrator * Charles Insco Williams (1853–1923), American artist and architect in Dayton, Ohio *Charles David Williams (1875–1954), American book and magazine illustrator (Cross burning) * Charles Williams (artist) (born 1965), American-English Stuckist movement painter * Charles T. Williams, American sculptor Music and dance *Charles Holston Williams (1886–1978), American founder of dance company *Charles Williams (composer) (1893–1978), English film music *Charles Williams (musician) (born 1932), American jazz saxophonist ** ''Charles Williams'' (album), 1971 release by saxophonist *Charles "Hungry" ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elliott Chaze
Lewis Elliott Chaze (November 15, 1915 – November 11, 1990) was an American journalist and novelist. He was known for his crime novels, which have been classified in the noir genre. He won the Fawcett Gold Medal Paperback Award for his third novel, ''Black Wings Has My Angel'', which has been reprinted in three editions since the original. He was also known for essays, published in popular magazines such as ''Life'' and ''Redbook''. Chaze served in the military during World War II, and in the Occupation of Japan. He became a journalist, working in New Orleans and Denver before settling in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. There he wrote as a reporter and columnist for the '' Hattiesburg American'' beginning in 1951. He also served from 1970 to 1980 as its City Editor. Early years Lewis Elliott Chaze was born to Lewis and Sue Chaze in Mamou, Louisiana. In 1932, Chaze graduated from Bolton High School in Alexandria, Louisiana. He attended Tulane University, Washington and Lee Uni ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gold Medal Books
Gold Medal Books, launched by Fawcett Publications in 1950, was an American book publisher known for introducing paperback originals, a publishing innovation at the time. Fawcett was also an independent newsstand distributor, and in 1949 the company negotiated a contract with New American Library to distribute their Mentor and Signet titles. This contract prohibited Fawcett from publishing their own paperback reprints. Roscoe Kent Fawcett wanted to establish a line of Fawcett paperbacks, and he felt original paperbacks would not be a violation of the contract. In order to test a loophole in the contract, Fawcett published two anthologies — ''The Best of True Magazine'' and ''What Today's Woman Should Know About Marriage and Sex'' — reprinting material from Fawcett magazines not previously published in books. When these books successfully sailed through the contract loophole, Fawcett announced Gold Medal Books, their line of paperback originals. Sales soared, prompting Ralph ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fawcett Publications
Fawcett Publications was an American publishing company founded in 1919 in Robbinsdale, Minnesota by Wilford Fawcett, Wilford Hamilton "Captain Billy" Fawcett (1885–1940). It kicked off with the publication of the bawdy humor magazine ''Captain Billy's Whiz Bang'' and expanded into a magazine empire with the first issue of ''Mechanix Illustrated'' in the 1920s, followed by numerous titles including ''True Confessions (magazine), True Confessions'', ''Family Circle'', ''Woman's Day'', and ''True (magazine), True''. Fawcett Comics, which began operating in 1939, led to the introduction of Captain Marvel (DC Comics), Captain Marvel. The company became a publisher of paperbacks in 1950 with the opening of Gold Medal Books. In 1953, the company abandoned its roster of superhero comic characters in the wake of declining sales and a lawsuit for infringement by the Captain Marvel character on the copyright of the Action Comics character Superman, and ended its publication of comic book ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Goodis
David Loeb Goodis (March 2, 1917 – January 7, 1967) was an American writer of crime fiction noted for his output of short stories and novels in the noir fiction genre. Born in Philadelphia, Goodis alternately resided there and in New York City and Hollywood during his professional years. According to critic Dennis Drabelle, "Despite his niversityeducation, a combination of ethnicity (Jewish) and temperament allowed him to empathize with outsiders: the working poor, the unjustly accused, fugitives, criminals." Biography Early life Goodis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the oldest child of William Goodis and Mollie Halpern Goodis. William Goodis was a Russian-Jewish émigré born in 1882 who had arrived in America with his mother in 1890. David Goodis's mother, Mollie Halpern, was born in Pennsylvania also into a family of Russian-Jewish émigrés. In Philadelphia, Goodis's father co-owned a newspaper dealership and later went into the textile business as the William G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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