A Shot in the Dark: Researching Film Noir Gary Handman The Big Combo Dir. Joseph L. Lewis, 1955

A Shot in the Dark: Researching Film Noir The Killers Dir. Robert Siodmak, 1946

1. 1.Describe the types and sources of information available related to film studies and other media research 2. 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.

Current Scholarly/In-depth Pop and fan Historical Writing About Film… Industry

Journals, Magazines, NewspapersJournals, Magazines, Newspapers ReviewsReviews Critical/ScholarlyArticlesCritical/ScholarlyArticles BooksBooks Web Sites (more about this later…)Web Sites (more about this later…) Other online databasesOther online databases Sources for Film & TV Scholarship and Research Scarlet Street, Dir. Fritz Lang, 1945

Journal Articles: Reviews? Critical Writing? 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 Indemnity Dir. Billy Wilder, 1944

Reviews? Critical Writing? What’s the Diff? Critical analysis:   Found in books and scholarly or film-related journals   Discuss films in:   broader historical, cultural, political, artistic context and/or   Focus 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?: Film studies & scholarly journals in other disciplines—eg:Film studies & scholarly journals in other disciplines—eg: Language & LitLanguage & Lit Women’s studies (representations of women and issues of gender)Women’s studies (representations of women and issues of gender) Gay/Lesbian studies (issues of masculinity and gender)Gay/Lesbian studies (issues of masculinity and gender) Area studies…etc. (noir from other countries)Area studies…etc. (noir from other countries) Critical/Scholarly Articles Key Largo Dir. John Huston, 1948

Journal Articles and Reviews Arthur, P. "Blade Runner." (motion picture review) Film Comment, 1996 Jul-Aug, V32 N4:21+. Reviews Klein, Norman M. "Staging Murders: The Social Imaginary, Film, and the City." Wide Angle - Volume 20, Issue Critical/ScholarlyArticles

Books Scholarly/authoritative worksScholarly/authoritative works Pop schlock and fan worksPop schlock and fan works How Do You Tell em’ apart? Author’s credentials/affiliationsAuthor’s credentials/affiliations Publisher (e.g. BFI, AFI, University Presses vs pop press)Publisher (e.g. BFI, AFI, University Presses vs pop press) Scholarly apparatus and sources: notes, bibliographies, other documentationScholarly apparatus and sources: notes, bibliographies, other documentation If they’ve been widely cited by other scholarsIf they’ve been widely cited by other scholars

…But how do you locate this stuff? Library Catalog(s) Journal/Newspaper Indexes (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 Locket Dir. John Brahm, 1946

Articles/Reviews (how do you find this stuff?) Online & Print Indexes and Abstracts T-Men Dir. Anthony Man, 1947 Jumping Off point for Finding Online Indexes: Find Information / Articles / By Subject

Online & Print Indexes and Abstracts F ilm-related (not many exist)F ilm-related (not many exist) G eneral newsG eneral news L iterary and ArtsL iterary and Arts O ther disciplines: e.g. --Women’s Studies, --American Studies, --Ethnic Studies, --History…etc.O ther disciplines: e.g. --Women’s Studies, --American Studies, --Ethnic Studies, --History…etc. The Big Heat Dir. Fritz Lang, 1953

Once You Find a Citation, How Do You Find the Journal/Article? Some indexes provide holdings info [UC eLinks]Some indexes provide holdings info [UC eLinks] Some indexes link to full-textSome indexes link to full-text If neither…use Pathfinder to look up the 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 turning up? …Or too Much?

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 Shanghai Dir. Orson Welles, 1948

Chinatown

…being driven totally over the edge by your research? Call me: Gary Handman This Gun for Hire Dir. Frank Tuttle, 1942