Kim R. Holston – författare

This bio-bibliography is the first book to examine the life and career of one of Hollywood's most durable leading men, Richard Widmark. Though never considered in the same star category as Burt Lancaster or Gregory Peck, his era, Widmark nonetheless established himself as a dependable and popular leading man in westerns, dramas, adventures, gangster and war films, and by 1984, he had appeared in 62 full-length films. From his earliest days in radio and on stage, to more recent appearances in films and on television, the entire performing arts career of Richard Widmark is chronicled in this volume, and documented with complete bibliographic entries.Respecting Widmark's reputation for privacy, Holston has focused on the public aspect of the actor's career, tracing the abundance of interesting on-screen events that have made up his life. The book begins with a chronology of significant dates and events in Widmark's career and is followed by a biographical sketch. Separate sections cite credits for radio, Broadway stage, film, and television appearances, as well as a complete listing of Widmark works that are available on home video. The book concludes with a lengthy annotated bibliography of works about Widmark, as well as a complete index. A number of illustrations are also included. As the only book devoted exclusively to Richard Widmark, this work will be a valuable resource to film fans and scholars, an important reference for courses on motion picture history and the development of the film industry, and a significant addition to university and public libraries.

This biography of Susan Hayward, one of Hollywood's leading ladies of the 1940s and 1950s, covers her childhood, school years, early modeling career, and development as an actress. It also documents her personal life, including her marriages and attempted suicide, and her illness and death at the age of 56. It provides an analysis of each of her feature films with comments from contemporary reviewers, and places Hayward and her films in the context of Hollywood and motion picture history. The filmography gives cast and production credits for both motion pictures and television movies.

This work examines a film distribution system paralleling the rise of early features and persisting until 1972, when Man of La Mancha was the final roadshow to require reserved seating. Synonymous with Hollywood's star-studded premieres, roadshows were longer and cost more than regular features, making the experience similar to attending the legitimate theater. Roadshows, often epic in subject matter, played selected (usually only one) theaters in major urban centers until demand decreased. De rigueur by the 1960s were musical overtures, intermissions, entre'acte and exit music and souvenir programs for sale in the lobby. Throughout the text are recollections by people who attended roadshows, including actor John Kerr and actresses Barbara Eden and Ingrid Pitt. The focus is on roadshows released in the United States but an appendix identifies international roadshows and films forecast but not released as roadshows. Included are plots, contemporary critical reaction, premiere dates, production background, and methods of promotion--i.e., the ballyhoo.

Science fiction, fantasy and horror films have spawned more sequels than any other film genre. While the perhaps overly familiar Dracula and Frankenstein have inspired dozens of additional films, such movies as Quatermass and Francis have also produced several sequels.More than 400 horror, science fiction and fantasy films are analyzed in this comprehensive reference to the genre's sequels, series and remakes. Filmographies are given for each film, providing year of release, studio, running time, cast and credits. This is followed by a plot synopsis, reviews of the work, and a critical analysis.

Science fiction, fantasy and horror movies have spawned more sequels and remakes than any other film genre. Following Volume I, which covered 400 films made 1931-1995, Volume II analyzes 334 releases from 1996 through 2016. The traditional cinematic monsters are represented--Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, a new Mummy. A new wave of popular series inspired by comics and video games, as well as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, could never have been credibly produced without the advances in special effects technology. Audiences follow the exploits of superheroes like Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man and Thor, and such heroines as the vampire Selene, zombie killer Alice, dystopian rebels Katniss Everdeen and Imperator Furiosa, and Soviet spy turned American agent Black Widow. The continuing depredations of Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers are described. Pre-1996 movies that have since been remade are included. Entries features cast and credits, detailed synopsis, critics' reviews, and original analysis.

Despite her prominence as an actress, fashionista, social activist and the "sexiest woman in the world," Scarlett Johansson has kept her life private. Her work ethic has been strong since her film debut in North (1994) at age 10. Then in 2003, Lost in Translation brought kudos and launched her adult career.While she never abandoned the independents, Johansson became a leading lady in very big films, including eight outings as former Russian assassin Black Widow thwarting alien incursions in The Avengers and other films in the Marvel Universe. This book surveys Johansson's life and films from childhood to her 2019 Academy Award nominations for Jojo Rabbit and Marriage Story. Each film entry includes a plot synopsis, extracts from contemporary reviews, behind-the-scenes information, and the author's analysis of the film. Looked at in-depth are the three Woody Allen collaborations, her role as Black Widow, and the films in which she becomes "the other."