Victorian Popular Culture

Victorian Popular Culture is an essential resource for the study of popular entertainment and culture in the 19th century and the early 20th century. From Adam Matthew Digital, the database is a portal for several collections including:

• Spiritualism, Sensation & Magic 
• Circuses, Sideshows & Freaks 
• Music Hall, Theatre & Popular Entertainment 
• Moving Pictures, Optical Entertainments & the Advent of Cinema 

The database includes full-text reproductions from a variety of printed materials, still and moving images, slideshow presentations, essays, bibliographies and more. The collection of materials are drawn from an impressive list of participating libraries.

Each section can be searched by keyword or by an advanced search option. You can also choose to browse the list of entries. The content is expansive and each time I use this database -- I discover something new and sensational. I love the pictures of the kinora, reproductions of postcards, full-text of "Opportunities in the Motion Picture Industry," published in 1922, includes a wonderful entry on the role of the costume designer, and  "The Sphinx: a monthly magazine for magicians and illusionists." 

If you are interested in early popular entertainments such as vaudeville, magic, circus and the advent of cinema -- this is an essential resource.

Access to this resource through Columbia University Library is limited to current affiliates.

Shorts or 5 Things to Know this Week!

Welcome to the first issue of "Shorts" -- as in the Shorts of Features and Shorts.

Shorts or 5 Things to Know this Week will feature short blurbs on interesting topics related to film and theatre studies, research and resources, theatre goings on in New York City, lots of library-related news and other stuff.


1. MORE ABOUT ME -- I am Nancy E. Friedland, Librarian for Butler Media, Film Studies and Performing Arts at Columbia University. I know a lot about researching film and performing arts-related subjects. I was recently elected President of Theatre Library Association -- take a look at our work -- we are a dynamic organization. I also teach at Pratt's School of Information and Library Science and at LIU's Palmer School of Information and Library Science. I teach "Film and Media Collections," "Digital Humanities," and currently developing a course "Researching Local History: Cities and Towns." I love New York City and go to the theatre very often.


2. SILENT FILM ONLINE -- published by Alexander Street Press, Silent Film Online currently includes 381 videos mainly from the KINO International Catalog. Access to this database through Columbia University Library is restricted to current affiliates.

3. ON BROADWAY -- I just saw "Hands on a Hard Body" -- and loved it. This is a "new musical made in America" -- with Book by Doug Wright, Lyrics by Amanda Green and Music by Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green -- the  musical was inspired by true events surrounding 10 hard-luck Texans filled with hope and ambition. 

4. DETROPIA -- recent addition to the Butler Media Collection -- this documentary about the city of Detroit provides a "vivid portrayal of the connections between a city and larger economic and political forces."  Timely!

5.  NEW BOOK -- I recently acquired  "The Screenplay Business: Managing Creativity and Script Development in the Film Industry" by Peter Bloore -- the book is now on the shelf in Butler Library. If you are not a Columbia affiliate -- check with your local library for holdings.

Happy Sweet 16 -- Butler Media Collection!

The Butler Media Collection celebrates 16 years!

Established in 1997, the collection is rapidly approaching a count of 30,000 DVDs. With more than 6,000 VHS titles -- this collection is highly regarded as a major research collection for film studies at Columbia University. The collection supports both a popular circulating collection of feature films and a research collection strong in American and foreign feature films, early cinema, documentaries, television programming,  and video art.  The Starr East Asian Library is adding hundreds of films from China to the Butler Media Collection - for more information -- read the press release.


MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA holds the distinctive call number -- DVD0001.

Recent feature film acquisitions -- THE MASTER, THE SESSIONS, FOOTNOTE -- and all seasons of the television program -- BREAKING BAD.

I am delighted to have helped in establishing this collection -- and continue to serve as the first and primary selector for this important resource.

"Through the Camera Lens"

Moving Picture World was one of the most important of the many trade publications for the American film industry. It began publication on March 9, 1907 and appeared weekly until January 7, 1928 when it became Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World.

"Through the Camera Lens:" The Moving Picture World and the Silent cinema Era, 1907-1927 is a full-text searchable database and an essential resource for the study of the early years of American cinema. In addition to feature articles, the publication reviewed current film releases, contained news about the industry and included interviews. This database is licensed from Gale Cengage Learning and is only available to Columbia affiliates from this link.

If you are affiliated with another university or college -- please check with your library for access.

Also -- open access is available from The Media History Digital Library. They have scanned issues of Moving Picture World from 1907-1919. You can browse issues and download PDF articles from their site. 

This database is highly recommended.

Film Language Glossary

The Film Language Glossary has been made available for public use. Developed in 2005 by the Center for New Media Teaching and Learning at Columbia University, the website provides definitions of essential terms used in basic and advanced film courses. The terms are supplemented by film clips, animations, images and/or commentary to enhance the understanding of these terms.


Click here for full announcement.

My Oscar Picks!

BEST PICTURE
Will win: “Argo”
Should win: “Lincoln”

BEST ACTOR
Will win: Daniel Day-Lewis (“Lincoln”)
Should win: Daniel Day-Lewis (“Lincoln”)

BEST ACTRESS 
Will win: Jennifer Lawrence (“Silver Linings Playbook”)
Should win: Emmanuelle Riva (“Amour”)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Will win: Alan Arkin ("Argo")
Should win: Alan Arkin ("Argo")

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS 
Will win: Anne Hathaway (“Les Misérables”)
Should win: Helen Hunt (“The Sessions”)

BEST DIRECTOR 
Will win: Steven Spielberg (“Lincoln”)
Should win: Steven Spielberg (“Lincoln”)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Will win: Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola (“Moonrise Kingdom”)
Should win: Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola (“Moonrise Kingdom”)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY 
Will win: Chris Terrio (“Argo”)
Should win: Tony Kushner (“Lincoln”)

See Professor Insdorf's predictions published in the Spectator. 

Wiley Blackwell History of American Film

This excellent volume is now available as an e-book.

From the publisher --

"The Wiley-Blackwell History of American Film provides a chronological portrait of American film history from its origins to the present day. Taken as a whole, the essays in this collection represent a comprehensive and nuanced overview of American film history from the intersecting perspectives of industry, audiences, aesthetics, culture, politics, issues, and ideology."
 
The 90 essays are available in PDF format. The volume is illustrated with over 200 images.

The title is accessible by title search in CLIO.

Pride and Prejudice

Happy Valentine's Day! 

Celebrated on February 14th each year, Valentine's Day is a holiday long associated with romantic love -- my recommendation for great viewing is the six-episode version of Pride and Prejudice. Produced by the BBC and first broadcast in 1995, this excellent adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel stars Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet and Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. Set in early 19th century England, the story focuses on Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's five unmarried daughters, including Elizabeth, after the wealthy and eligible Mr. Bingley and his status-conscious friend Mr. Darcy arrive in town. Watch the sparks fly between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.

There have been numerous television and film adaptations of the novel -- this made-for-television version was highly successful with audiences and received mainly positive critical response. Other Jane Austen novels adapted for the screen in 1995 and 1996 -- Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility and Emma.

The Letter

There were several film versions of The Letter which was adapted from the play by W. Somerset Maugham. The play was adapted from a short story by Maugham and opened in New York in 1927.

The story involves adultery, murder, and revenge. The setting is a rubber plantation in the East Indies. The film opens with the murder of Geoffrey Hammond by Leslie Crosbie, the wife of the British rubber planter. She claims she shot him in defense of her honor but her story is questioned in light of an incrementing letter.


In 1929, Jean De Limur directed Jeanne Eagels in the lead role. Eagels, who died suddenly at the age of 39 shortly after completing this film, was posthumously nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. In 1931, Paramount released Spanish, German, French and Italian -language versions. 
Warner Brothers released a film version in 1940 which was directed by William Wyler and starred Bette Davis as Leslie Crosbie. Herbert Marshall, who had played Geoffrey in the 1929 film, was cast as Robert Crosbie with Gale Sondergaard playing Mrs. Hammond. Howard Koch wrote the screenplay. The film, nominated for 7 Academy Awards, was described as "a superbly crafted melodrama."

Warner Brothers made another version in 1947, called The Unfaithful, starring Ann Sheridan. 

Check out the DVDs from Butler Media. 

The Letter (1929) -- DVD24465
The Letter (1940) --  DVD10505

20th Century North American Drama

From the publisher... 

"This edition of Twentieth Century North American Drama contains 2,059 plays by 434 playwrights, together with detailed, fielded information on related productions, theaters, production companies, and more. The database also includes selected playbills, production photographs and other ephemera related to the plays.More than 150 of the plays are published here for the first time, including a number by major authors."

Search the database from Columbia University Libraries.