James M. Welsh – författare

Many of our favorite films began as plays—some as well known as Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and some not so well known as You've Got Mail's origin, a 1937 play Parfumerie by Miklos Laszlo. Video Versions identifies nearly 300 films and their theatrical origins, providing readers with an overview of the films and highlighting similarities and differences to the source plays. Perfect for teachers, students, and anyone interested in theater and film, it is the most complete resource available for video versions of plays.Each entry provides: the original play's title, author, and year of publication; the name of the film, year of production, director and adapter; the main cast and the characters they play; running time and rating if available. Following a plot summary, a critical analysis provides the similarities and differences of the play and film, including character and plot changes, setting, missing or added scenes, special film techniques, and behind-the-scenes information such as who turned down or lost particular parts when the play was adapted to film. A short list of sources for further reading follows each entry. Information about contacting distributors—for obtaining the films—is included in the introduction and an extensive index completes the volume.

Critically surveys the films of Tony Richardson, one of Britain's most inventive directors of stage and screen.The Cinema of Tony Richardson examines for the first time the stage and screen achievements of Academy Award–winning director Tony Richardson, and includes recent interviews with his colleagues as well as a complete bibliography and filmography of his work.An important cultural trend-setter both in Britain and America, Richardson is here given his due as an influential and inventive film director who specialized in literary adaptations and worked constantly in theatre, film, and television production. Richardson (1928–1991) worked with George Devine at the Royal Court Theatre during the 1950s where he revolutionized British theater through his productions of John Osborne's plays Look Back in Anger (1956) and The Entertainer (1957). Both plays were then adapted to the cinema, launching Richardson's career as a feature film director. Richardson and Osborne later founded Windfall Film Productions, Ltd. to extend the concerns of "kitchen sink" realism from stage to screen and to make films that display the reality of British life. The Osborne projects were followed by screen adaptations of Shelagh Delaney's A Taste of Honey (1961) and Alan Sillitoe's The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962), which became benchmark films for the British New Wave. Richardson went on to a distinguished career in Hollywood as a result of his Academy Award–winning 1963 adaptation of Henry Fielding's satiric novel Tom Jones.[Contributors include Kevin Brownlow, Linda Costanzo Cahir, Jocelyn Herbert, Robert Holtzclaw, William L. Horne, Edward T. Jones, Paul Meier, Kenneth S. Nolley, Rebecca M. Pauly, Gene D. Phillips, S.J., Karel Reisz, Judith Bailey Slagle, John C. Tibbetts, and James M. Welsh.]

From examinations of Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now to Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, The Literature Film Reader: Issues of Adaptation covers a wide range of films adapted from other sources. The first section presents essays on the hows and whys of adaptation studies, and subsequent sections highlight films adapted from a variety of sources, including classic and popular literature, drama, biography, and memoir. The last section offers a new departure for adaptation studies, suggesting that films about history—often a separate category of film study—can be seen as adaptations of records of the past. The anthology concludes with speculations about the future of adaptation studies.Several essays provide detailed analyses of films, in some cases discussing more than one adaptation of a literary or dramatic source, such as The Manchurian Candidate, The Quiet American, and Romeo and Juliet. Other works examined include Moby Dick, The House of Mirth, Dracula, and Starship Troopers, demonstrating the breadth of material considered for this anthology.Although many of the essays appeared in Literature/Film Quarterly, more than half are original contributions. Chosen for their readability, these essays avoid theoretical jargon as much as possible. For this reason alone, this collection should be of interest to not only cinema scholars but to anyone interested in films and their source material. Ultimately, The Literature Film Reader: Issues of Adaptation provides an excellent overview of this critical aspect of film studies.

From All Quiet on the Western Front and Gone with the Wind to No Country for Old Men and Slumdog Millionaire, many of the most memorable films have been adapted from other sources. And while courses on film studies are taught throughout the world, The Pedagogy of Adaptation makes a strong case for treating adaptation studies as a separate discipline. What makes this book unique is its claim that adaptation is above all a creative process and not simply a slavish imitation or reproduction of an 'original.'This collection of essays focuses on numerous contexts to emphasize why adaptations matter to students of literature. It is the first such volume devoted exclusively to teaching adaptations from a practical, teacher-centered angle. Many of the essays show how 'adaptation' as a discipline can be used to prompt reflection on cultural, historical, and political differences. Written by specialists in a variety of fields, ranging from film, radio, theater, and even language studies, the book adopts a pluralistic view of adaptation, showing how its processes vary across different contexts and in different disciplines.Defining new horizons for the teaching of adaptation studies, these essays draw on such disparate sources as Frankenstein, Moby Dick, and South Park. This volume not only provides a resource-book of lesson plans but offers valuable pointers as to why teaching literature and film can help develop students' skills and improve their literacy.

Since films were first produced, adapted works have predominantly borrowed primarily from traditional texts, such as novels and plays. Likewise, the study of film adaptations has also been fairly traditional, rarely venturing beyond a comparison of the source material to its often less revered counterpart. Redefining Adaptation Studies breaks new ground in showing the range of possibilities that transcend the literature/film paradigm. These essays focus on the idea of 'adaptation' and what it means in different socio-political contexts. Above all, this collection shows how cultural and political factors determine the meaning of the term and its potential for developing new approaches to learning.The contributors to this volume look at adaptation in different contexts and develop new ways to approach adaptation, not just as a literature-through-film issue but as something which can be used to develop other skills, such as creative writing and personal and social skills. Aimed at teachers in high schools and universities at the under- and postgraduate levels, this volume not only suggests how 'adaptation' might be used in different disciplines, but how it might improve the learning experience for teachers and students alike.

Francis Ford Coppola's career has spanned five decades, from low budget films he produced in the early 1960s to more personal films of recent years. Because of the tremendous popular success of The Godfather and the tremendous critical success of its sequel, Coppola is considered to be one of the best directors of all time.The entries in this encyclopedia focus on all aspects of Coppola's work—from his early days with producer Roger Corman to his films as the director of the 1970s. This extensive reference contains material on all of the films Coppola has played a role in, from screenwriter to producer to director, including such classics as Patton, The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather Part II, and Apocalypse Now. Each entry is followed by a bibliography of published sources, both in print and online, making The Francis Ford Coppola Encyclopedia the most comprehensive reference on this director's body of work.

Whether chronicling an athlete's rise, fall, and redemption or following a team's improbable triumph on the field, sports have been a favorite theme of filmmakers almost since movies were first produced. And whether focusing on soccer (Bend It Like Beckham), boxing (Rocky and its sequels), hockey (Slap Shot), baseball (Bull Durham), football (The Longest Yard), basketball (Hoosiers), cycling (Breaking Away), or tennis (Wimbledon), such films capture the competition and thrill of sport. All major films with a primary focus on athletic endeavor are contained in Encyclopedia of Sports Films. In this volume, more than 200 fictional feature-length movies released between 1925 and 2010 are described, including comedies, dramas, and biopics. While the focus is on Hollywood productions, independent films and foreign releases are also represented. Though boxing and baseball films have tended to dominate the genre, many other sports are also included here, including skiing, curling, and cricket.Arranged alphabetically by title, each main entry contains a synopsis of the film, principal production information, and a critical analysis. In addition to the main entries, credits and brief descriptions for more than 200 films are also provided. DVD and VHS distributors are included, if available. Appendixes include made-for-television movies, documentaries, and films based on or inspired by true events and persons. For teachers who wish to incorporate films into their lesson plans, as well as librarians ordering titles for their patrons, Encyclopedia of Sports Films will be a valuable resource.

First appearing in 1976, American Classic Screen was the publishing arm of The National Film Society. Intended for scholars and general readers interested in films from the golden age of cinema and beyond, the magazine ran for a decade and included original interviews, profiles, and articles that delved deep into the rich history of Hollywood. Contributors to the magazine included noted academics in the area of film studies, as well as independent scholars and authors eager to expand the world of cinema. Since the periodical's demise, however, many of the essays and articles have been difficult to find—at best—and in some cases, entirely unavailable.In American Classic Screen Interviews, editors John C. Tibbetts and James M. Welsh have assembled some of the most significant and memorable interviews conducted for the magazine over its ten-year history. This collection contains rare conversations with some of the brightest stars of yesteryear, as well as gifted filmmakers, celebrated animators, and highly revered historians, including Fred Astaire, Kevin Brownlow, Frank Capra, Stanley Donen, Olivia DeHavilland, Irene Dunne, Joan Fontaine, Friz Freleng, Margaret Hamilton, Winton C. Hoch, Henry King, Mervyn Le Roy, Fred MacMurray, Glen MacWilliams, Rouben Mamoulian, Clarence "Ducky" Nash, Paul Newman, Hermes Pan, Robert Preston, and Jane Withers. This compendium of interviews recaptures the spirit and scholarship of that time and will appeal to both scholars and fans who have an abiding interest in the American motion picture industry.

First appearing in 1976, American Classic Screen was the publishing arm of The National Film Society. Intended for scholars and general readers interested in films from the golden age of cinema and beyond, the magazine ran for a decade and included original interviews, profiles, and articles that delved deep into the rich history of Hollywood. Contributors to the magazine included noted academics in the area of film studies, as well as independent scholars and authors eager to expand the world of cinema. Since the periodical's demise, however, many of the essays and articles have been difficult to find—at best—and in some cases, entirely unavailable.In American Classic Screen Profiles, editors John C. Tibbetts and James M. Welsh have assembled some of the most significant and memorable profiles written for the magazine over its ten-year history. This collection contains rare insights into some of the brightest stars of yesteryear, as well as gifted filmmakers, directors and craftsmen alike, including Fatty Arbuckle, Baby Peggy, Warner Baxter, Ralph Bellamy, Beulah Bondi, George M. Cohan, Cecil B. DeMille, Boris Karloff, Jayne Mansfield, Marilyn Monroe, Eleanor Powell, Robert Redford, Mickey Rooney, William Wellman, and Natalie Wood.This compendium of profiles recaptures the spirit and scholarship of that time and will appeal to both scholars and fans who have an abiding interest in the American motion picture industry.

First appearing in 1976, American Classic Screen was the publishing arm of The National Film Society. Intended for scholars and general readers interested in films from the golden age of cinema and beyond, the magazine ran for a decade and included original interviews, profiles, and articles that delved deep into the rich history of Hollywood. Contributors to the magazine included noted academics in the area of film studies, as well as independent scholars and authors eager to expand the world of cinema. Since the periodical's demise, however, many of the essays and articles have been difficult to find—at best—and in some cases, entirely unavailable.In American Classic Screen Features, editors John C. Tibbetts and James M. Welsh have assembled some of the most significant and memorable essays and critical pieces written for the magazine over its ten-year history. This collection contains fascinating accounts of Hollywood history including articles on Marilyn Monroe's first screen test, John Ford's favorite film, Olivia De Havilland's lawsuit against Warner Bros., Walt Disney's unfinished projects, and Stanley Kubrick's early noir classics, as well as such articles as "The Rise and Fall of the California Motion Picture Company," "Red Alert: Images of Communism in Hollywood," "Uncensored Garbo," and "The Lost Movie of Errol Flynn." This volume also contains in-depth examinations of classic films, including Birth of a Nation, The Big Parade, The Jazz Singer, King Kong, and Citizen Kane. This compendium of essays recaptures the spirit and scholarship of that time and will appeal to both scholars and fans who have an abiding interest in the American motion picture industry.

Oliver Stone has written and directed many memorable films while also developing a reputation for tackling controversial subjects, such as the Turkish prison system (Midnight Express), the Vietnam war (Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July), insider trading (Wall Street), presidential assassination (JFK), and a voyeuristic media (Natural Born Killers). Along the way, Stone has been nominated for more than 10 Academy Awards and three times received Oscars for his work.In The Oliver StoneEncyclopedia, James M. Welsh and Donald M. Whaley provide an overarching evaluation of Stone's work as screenwriter, producer, and director. While the entries in this volume address all of the usual aspects of Stone’s career, they also explore new avenues of critical evaluation, especially influences such as Friedrich Nietzsche and Buddhism, which Stone converted to in the 1990s. In addition, this volume traces Stone’s obsession with Latin American politics, evident in his film Salvador (1986), his screenplay for Alan Parker’s Evita (1996), and the documentaries Commandante (2003), Looking for Fidel (2004), and South of the Border (2010).Each entry is followed by a bibliography of published sources, both in print and online. A comprehensive and engaging examination of the director, The Oliver Stone Encyclopedia will appeal to scholars and fans alike as the most comprehensive reference on this director's body of work.