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L.A. Private Eyes
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Dahlia Schweitzer
Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
2019
About this book
L.A. Private Eyes examines the tradition of the private eye as it evolves in films, books, and television shows set in Los Angeles from the 1930’s through the present day. It takes a closer look at narratives—both on screen and on the printed page—in which detectives travel the streets of Los Angeles, uncovering corruption, moral ambiguity, and greed with the conviction of urban cowboys, while always ultimately finding truth and redemption. With a review of Los Angeles history, crime stories, and film noir, L.A. Private Eyes explores the metamorphosis of the solitary detective figure and the many facets of the genre itself, from noir to mystery, on the screen. While the conventions of the genre may have remained consistent and recognizable, the points where they evolve illuminate much about our changing gender and power roles.
Watch a video of the author speaking about this topic: https://goo.gl/Xr9RFD
And also: https://www.dropbox.com/s/mkqw3mplruf7jje/Detective%20Talk%20Full.mp4?dl=0 (https://www.dropbox.com/s/mkqw3mplruf7jje/Detective%20Talk%20Full.mp4?dl=0)
Watch a video of the author speaking about this topic: https://goo.gl/Xr9RFD
And also: https://www.dropbox.com/s/mkqw3mplruf7jje/Detective%20Talk%20Full.mp4?dl=0 (https://www.dropbox.com/s/mkqw3mplruf7jje/Detective%20Talk%20Full.mp4?dl=0)
Author / Editor information
DAHLIA SCHWEITZER is a professor at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. She is also the author of Going Viral: Zombies, Viruses, and the End of the World (Rutgers University Press).
Reviews
— iZombie podcast
"Much more than a deftly written and comprehensive chronicle of the enduring appeal of the LA detective, Schweitzer’s book compellingly traverses the fields of history, geography and popular culture so that we might more fully grasp this absorbing character and its inflections over decades of literature, radio, film and TV. From Philip Marlowe to Easy Rawlins to Veronica Mars, the author invites the reader on a compressed tour of the mean streets, stifling suburbs and sprawling highways inhabited by this private eye, with insight and acumen. If you think you know this icon already, Schweitzer’s writing will make you think again."
— Deborah Jermyn, reader in Film and TV, University of Roehampton, and author of Prime Suspect
— Inquiry podcast
— The Projection Booth
"With noir still a hotly debated genre, Dahlia Schweitzer takes a welcome approach in L.A. Private Eyes to a subset of the style....Scwheitzer’s detailed look at this central figure of noir helps to clarify the investigator’s point of view and its effects on the narrative."
— Film and History“With the same punchy, elegant concision true to the noir style, Schweitzer reappraises the long line of L.A. gumshoes from Philip Marlowe and Easy Rawlins through Veronica Mars.”
— Noah Isenberg, author of We’ll Always Have Casablanca"Slip into the gritty romantic noir of the LA detective scene with Dahlia Schweitzer and you won’t want to leave—at least not until she’s helped you unlock the genre’s mysteries, its place in American culture and its evolution. Bring a fedora, a stiff drink and a desire to understand, as Schweitzer does, the light and dark sides of the private eye."
— Jonathan Allen, coauthor of Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton’s Doomed Campaign"Dahlia Schweitzer pounds the pavement in search of the gumshoes who pervade the city and popular culture. She uncovers the clues, weighs the evidence, and presents her case in yet another terrific, informative read."
— Mike White, host of the Projection Booth PodcastTopics
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Frontmatter
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CONTENTS
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Introduction
1 -
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1. Los Angeles
5 -
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2. The Detective Story
29 -
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3. The Detective
63 -
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4. The Black Detective
83 -
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5. The Lady Dick
102 -
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6. The Girl Sleuth
133 -
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Acknowledgments
163 -
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Further Reading
165 -
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Word Cited
167 -
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Index
175 -
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
185
Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
October 21, 2019
eBook ISBN:
9780813596402
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook ISBN:
9780813596402
Keywords for this book
la; l.a.; los angeles; private eye; california; detective; detective films; detective media; noir; detective noir; film noir; crime story; crime stories; big sleep; raymond chandler; film studies; film industry; Hollywood; media studies; communications; cultural studies; american studies; performing arts; film; crime; crime media; crime films; social science; pop culture; popular culture; true crime; film history; cinema history; history of film; history of cinema; movie industry; literary criticism; american culture; american cinema; american film; regional interest; american west; classic hollywood; classic film; mystery; mysteries; mystery movies; mystery films; gender studies; gender dynamic; race; racial interest; race and ethnic studies; racial divide; quick takes
Audience(s) for this book
For a non-specialist adult audience
