James Ursini
Encyclopedia
James Ursini is a teacher and writer living in Los Angeles
. He received his Master's Degree
in Theater Arts and a Doctorate
in Film in 1975 from UCLA
. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
.
He has written and/or edited over a dozen books—most with Alain Silver
and two with Dominique Mainon
(The Modern Amazons: Warrior Women On-Screen and Cinema of Obsession: Erotic Fixation and Love Gone Wrong in the Movies). He is noted for his work on film noir
with Alain Silver
(The Noir Style, The Film Noir Reader series, Film Noir, LA Noir, etc.) He has also done director studies on David Lean
, Robert Aldrich
, Preston Sturges
, and Roger Corman
and numerous DVD commentaries for Warner Bros., 20th Century-Fox, and the Criterion Collection. He has also produced several features and short documentaries as well as appearing in documentaries on film noir.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He received his Master's Degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Theater Arts and a Doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in Film in 1975 from UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
.
He has written and/or edited over a dozen books—most with Alain Silver
Alain Silver
Alain Silver is a US film producer, film director, and screenwriter; music producer; film critic, film historian, DVD commentator, author and editor of books and essays on film topics, especially film noir and horror films.-Education:...
and two with Dominique Mainon
Dominique Mainon
Dominique Mainon, born , is an American author, screenwriter and filmmaker living in Laguna Beach, California. She has written several books along with noted author and film historian James Ursini including Femme Fatale: Cinema's Most Unforgettable Lethal Ladies , Cinema of Obsession: Erotic...
(The Modern Amazons: Warrior Women On-Screen and Cinema of Obsession: Erotic Fixation and Love Gone Wrong in the Movies). He is noted for his work on film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
with Alain Silver
Alain Silver
Alain Silver is a US film producer, film director, and screenwriter; music producer; film critic, film historian, DVD commentator, author and editor of books and essays on film topics, especially film noir and horror films.-Education:...
(The Noir Style, The Film Noir Reader series, Film Noir, LA Noir, etc.) He has also done director studies on David Lean
David Lean
Sir David Lean CBE was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai , Lawrence of Arabia ,...
, Robert Aldrich
Robert Aldrich
Robert Aldrich was an American film director, writer and producer, notable for such films as Kiss Me Deadly , The Big Knife , What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? , Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte , The Flight of the Phoenix , The Dirty Dozen , and The Longest Yard .-Biography:Robert...
, Preston Sturges
Preston Sturges
Preston Sturges , originally Edmund Preston Biden, was a celebrated playwright, screenwriter and film director born in Chicago, Illinois...
, and Roger Corman
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
and numerous DVD commentaries for Warner Bros., 20th Century-Fox, and the Criterion Collection. He has also produced several features and short documentaries as well as appearing in documentaries on film noir.
DVD Commentaries
- BoomerangBoomerang (1947 film)Boomerang! is a 1947 film based on the true story of a vagrant who was accused of murder, only to be found innocent through the efforts of the prosecutor...
, with film historian Alain SilverAlain SilverAlain Silver is a US film producer, film director, and screenwriter; music producer; film critic, film historian, DVD commentator, author and editor of books and essays on film topics, especially film noir and horror films.-Education:... - Brute ForceBrute Force (1947 film)Brute Force is a brooding, brutal film noir, starring Burt Lancaster, Hume Cronyn and Charles Bickford. It was directed by Jules Dassin, with a screenplay by Richard Brooks and the cinematography by William H. Daniels....
, with Alain Silver - Call Northside 777Call Northside 777Call Northside 777 is a documentary-style film noir directed by Henry Hathaway. It is based on the true story of a Chicago reporter who proved that a man, who had been in prison for murder, was wrongly convicted 11 years before....
, with Alain Silver - CrossfireCrossfire (film)-External links:* review at DVD Savant by Glenn Erickson* film trailer at YouTube...
, with Alain Silver, plus audio interview excerpts of director Edward DmytrykEdward DmytrykEdward Dmytryk was an American film director who was amongst the Hollywood Ten, a group of blacklisted film industry professionals who served time in prison for being in contempt of Congress during the McCarthy-era 'red scare'.-Early life:Dmytryk was born in Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada,... - The Dark CornerThe Dark CornerThe Dark Corner is a 1946 film noir directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Lucille Ball, Mark Stevens and Clifton Webb. The film is an example of a classic film noir and features a rare dramatic role for Ball.-Plot:...
, with Alain Silver - Dark VictoryDark VictoryDark Victory is a 1939 American drama film directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Bette Davis, George Brent, Humphrey Bogart, and Ronald Reagan...
, with CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
film critic Paul ClintonPaul ClintonPaul Clinton was an American film critic. He served as CNN.com film critic for 20 years. He was the co-founder of the Broadcast Film Critics Association .... - Hobson’s Choice, with Alain Silver
- House of BambooHouse of BambooHouse of Bamboo is an American color film noir shot in CinemaScope format. The film was directed by Samuel Fuller.The film is a loose remake of The Street with No Name , by the same screenwriter and cinematographer as in the original.-Plot:In 1954, a military train guarded by American soldiers...
, with Alain Silver - Invisible StripesInvisible StripesInvisible Stripes is a 1939 Warner Bros. crime film about a gangster unable to go straight after returning home from prison. The movie was directed by Lloyd Bacon and also features William Holden and Humphrey Bogart. The screenplay by Warren Duff was based on the novel of the same name by Warden...
, with Alain Silver - Kiss of DeathKiss of Death (1947 film)Kiss of Death is a 1947 film noir movie directed by Henry Hathaway and written by Ben Hecht and Charles Lederer from a story by Eleazar Lipsky. The story revolves around the film's protagonist, a former robber, and the antagonist, the ruthless, violent Tommy Udo...
, with Alain Silver - Lady in the LakeLady in the LakeLady in the Lake is a 1947 American film noir that marked the directorial debut of Robert Montgomery, who also stars in the film. The picture also features Audrey Totter, Lloyd Nolan, Tom Tully, Leon Ames and Jayne Meadows...
, with Alain Silver - The LodgerThe Lodger (1944 film)The Lodger is a 1944 horror film about Jack the Ripper, based on the novel of the same name by Marie Belloc Lowndes. It stars Merle Oberon, George Sanders and Laird Cregar, features Sir Cedric Hardwicke and was directed by John Brahm from a screenplay by Barré Lyndon.Lowndes' story had previously...
, with Alain Silver - Nightmare Alley, with Alain Silver
- Out of the PastOut of the PastOut of the Past is a 1947 film noir directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, and Kirk Douglas. The film was adapted by Daniel Mainwaring , with uncredited revisions by Frank Fenton and James M...
- Panic in the StreetsPanic in the Streets (film)Panic in the Streets is a 1950 film noir directed by Elia Kazan. It was shot exclusively on location in New Orleans, Louisiana and features numerous New Orleans citizens in speaking and non-speaking roles....
, with Alain Silver - The River's EdgeThe River's EdgeThe River's Edge is a 1957 adventure, crime, and drama DeLuxe CinemaScope film directed by Allan Dwan. Based on the unpublished short story The Higher Mountain by Harold Jacob Smith.It starred Anthony Quinn, Debra Paget and Ray Milland...
, with Alain Silver - Smart Money, with Alain Silver
- The Street with No NameThe Street with No NameThe Street with No Name is a black-and-white film noir. The movie, a follow up to The House on 92nd Street , tells the story of an undercover FBI agent, Gene Cordell , who infiltrates a deadly crime gang. Cordell's superior, FBI Inspector George A. Briggs also appears in The House on 92nd Street...
, with Alain Silver - Where Danger LivesWhere Danger LivesWhere Danger Lives is a 1950 film noir thriller directed by John Farrow. The film stars Robert Mitchum, Faith Domergue , and Claude Rains. At the time, Domergue was the latest of Howard Hughes' protegees.-Plot:...
, with Alain Silver