Description:
This is a comprehensive comparative analysis of the screwball comedy and film noir genres--two popular Hollywood staples that emerged around the same time. Despite their contrast in tone and theme, "Screwball" and "Noir" have many narrative elements in common.
The author defines the two genres, discusses their historical development and inter-related conventions, and offers detailed comparative analyses of a number of films, among them The Lady Eve and His Girl Friday (screwballs), and Gilda and Sunset Blvd. (noirs).
Brief description: The late Thomas C. Renzi was an administrator and instructor at Buffalo State College in Buffalo, New York.
Review Quotes: "concentrates on the classical periods of film noir and screwball comedy, roughly 1930 to 1960"-Reference & Research Book News.