A Shot in the Dark:A Shot in the Dark:Researching Film NoirResearching Film Noir

Gary HandmanGary Handmanghandman@library.berkeley.edu3-86663-8666

The Big ComboThe Big ComboDir. Joseph L. Lewis, 1955Dir. Joseph L. Lewis, 1955

A Shot in the Dark:Researching Film Noir

The KillersThe KillersDir. Robert Siodmak, 1946Dir. Robert Siodmak, 1946

1. Describe the types and sources of information available related to film studies and other media research

2. Discuss how to find this stuff in the library, using print and online resources

3. Introduce a group of basic moves and features common to many online catalogs and indexes.

4. Practice using these features in selected databases.

CurrentCurrent

ScholarlScholarly/y/In-depthIn-depth

Pop and Pop and fanfan

HistoricalHistorical

Writing About Writing About Film…Film…

IndustryIndustry

•Journals, Magazines, NewspapersJournals, Magazines, Newspapers•ReviewsReviews

•Critical/ScholarlyArticles Critical/ScholarlyArticles

•BooksBooks

•Web Sites (more about this Web Sites (more about this later…)later…)

•Other online databasesOther online databases

Sources for Film & Sources for Film & TV Scholarship TV Scholarship and Researchand Research

Scarlet Street, Dir. Fritz Lang, 1945Scarlet Street, Dir. Fritz Lang, 1945

Journal Articles:Journal Articles:Reviews?Reviews? Critical Writing? Critical Writing? What’s the Diff?What’s the Diff? Reviews:

Found in popular periodicals, film periodicals, and (less often) in more scholarly journals

Web sites (fan, commercial, academic)

Assessment of aesthetic and content merits of a film

Usually cover current releases, more pop theatrical releases

Tend to be relatively short and relatively superficial (with some exceptions and depending on the publication and who’s doing the writing)

Double IndemnityDouble IndemnityDir. Billy Wilder, 1944Dir. Billy Wilder, 1944

Reviews? Critical Writing? What’s the Diff?Reviews? Critical Writing? What’s the Diff? Critical analysis: Found in books and scholarly or film-related journalsDiscuss films in:

broader historical, cultural, political, artistic context and/orFocus on a specific aspect of a film, film genre, or filmmaker

Tend to be longer, more substantive than reviews (with some exceptions and depending on the publication and who’s doing the writing)Often include notes, bibliographies, other scholarly apparatus

Who’s Writing About Noir?:Who’s Writing About Noir?:•Film studies Film studies

& scholarly journals in & scholarly journals in other other disciplines—eg:disciplines—eg:

•Language & LitLanguage & Lit•Women’s studies Women’s studies (representations of (representations of women and issues of women and issues of gender)gender)•Gay/Lesbian studies Gay/Lesbian studies (issues of masculinity (issues of masculinity and gender)and gender)•Area studies…etc. (noir Area studies…etc. (noir from other countries)from other countries)

Critical/Scholarly ArticlesCritical/Scholarly Articles

Key LargoKey LargoDir. John Huston, 1948Dir. John Huston, 1948

Journal Articles and ReviewsJournal Articles and Reviews

Arthur, P. "Blade Runner." Arthur, P. "Blade Runner." (motion picture review) (motion picture review) Film Film CommentComment, 1996 Jul-Aug, V32 , 1996 Jul-Aug, V32 N4:21+. N4:21+.

ReviewsReviews

Klein, Norman M. Klein, Norman M. "Staging Murders: The Social "Staging Murders: The Social Imaginary, Film, and the City." Imaginary, Film, and the City." Wide Wide AngleAngle - Volume 20, Issue 3 1998 - Volume 20, Issue 3 1998

Critical/ScholarlyArticlesCritical/ScholarlyArticles

BooksBooks•Scholarly/authoritative worksScholarly/authoritative works

•Pop schlock and fan worksPop schlock and fan works

How Do You Tell em’ How Do You Tell em’ apart?apart?

• Author’s credentials/affiliationsAuthor’s credentials/affiliations

• Publisher (e.g. BFI, AFI, University Publisher (e.g. BFI, AFI, University Presses vs pop press)Presses vs pop press)

• Scholarly apparatus and sources: Scholarly apparatus and sources: notes, bibliographies, other notes, bibliographies, other documentationdocumentation

• If they’ve been widely cited by other If they’ve been widely cited by other scholarsscholars

……But But howhow do you locate this stuff? do you locate this stuff?

Library Catalog(s)

Journal/NewspaperIndexes (article databases)

Library Catalog(s)

Pathfinder: UCB Library holdings only

MELVYL (CDL cat): All 9 UC Campuses•An inventory of what the library owns

(books, journals, newspapers, media, maps, manuscripts, govt documents…etc. etc. etc. etc.

•Search by Author, Title, Subject

•Whole books and print and electronic journals, NOT what’s inside of those publications

The LocketThe LocketDir. John Dir. John Brahm, Brahm, 19461946

Articles/ReviewsArticles/Reviews(how do you find this (how do you find this

stuff?)stuff?)Online & Print Online & Print Indexes and AbstractsIndexes and Abstracts

T-MenT-MenDir. Anthony Man, 1947Dir. Anthony Man, 1947

Jumping Off point for Jumping Off point for Finding Online Indexes:Finding Online Indexes:

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/

Find Information / Articles / Find Information / Articles / By SubjectBy Subject

Online & Print Online & Print Indexes and AbstractsIndexes and Abstracts

•FFilm-related (not many ilm-related (not many exist) exist)

•GGeneral news eneral news

•LLiterary and Artsiterary and Arts

•OOther disciplines: e.g. ther disciplines: e.g. --Women’s Studies, --Women’s Studies,

--American Studies, --American Studies, --Ethnic Studies, --Ethnic Studies, --History…etc.--History…etc.

The Big HeatThe Big HeatDir. Fritz Lang, 1953Dir. Fritz Lang, 1953

Once You Find a Citation, Once You Find a Citation, How Do You Find the Journal/Article?How Do You Find the Journal/Article?

•Some indexes provide Some indexes provide holdings info [UC eLinks]holdings info [UC eLinks]

•Some indexes Some indexes link tolink to full-textfull-text

If neither…use If neither…use Pathfinder to look up Pathfinder to look up the JOURNALthe JOURNAL

How to Begin? Before you click: THINK

Formulate your search in terms of:

•KEY WORDS and SYNOMYMS: --Looks for words anywhere in record: title, subject, abstract and full-text (if avail)

•PHRASES:--Looks for words in the exact order entered

How to Begin? Before you click: THINK

Formulate your search in terms of keyword and key phrases:

Sex [women, love, relationships] and Death [dying, mortality, fate] in the films [cinema, movie*] of Robert Siodmak and Edward Dmytryk.

The representation [reflect* portray*] of gender [sex*] and masculinity [masculin*, male, men] in film noir

****Truncation varies from db to db: * # ?emigra* = emigrant, emigrants, emigrate, emigration

Whatta ya do if nuthin’ ain’t Whatta ya do if nuthin’ ain’t turning up?turning up?

……OrOrtoo Much?too Much?

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/FilmBibMenu.html a growing listing of bibliographies on various film topics and individual films compiled by MRC (includes bibs for genres, filmmakers, national cinemas, and individual film).

The Lady from ShanghaiThe Lady from ShanghaiDir. Orson Welles, 1948Dir. Orson Welles, 1948

ChinatownChinatown

……being driven totally over being driven totally over the edge by your research?the edge by your research?Call me:Call me:

Gary Gary HandmanHandman

643-8566643-8566ghandman@library.berkeleyghandman@library.berkeley

.edu.edu

This Gun for HireThis Gun for HireDir. Frank Tuttle, 1942Dir. Frank Tuttle, 1942