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The Films of Paul Leni
Edited by Erica Tortolani and Martin F. Norden
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Book Presentation:
Offers the first comprehensive English-language book on the life and career of Paul Leni
• Covers many dimensions of Leni's professional creativity, including his early visual and theatrical work in Germany during the 1910s, collaborations with contemporary filmmakers, career in and experiments with set and stage design, and transition from German to Hollywood filmmaking
• Engages with new historical, analytical, and theoretical perspectives on Leni's most influential films
Silent-era film scholarship has all too often focused on a handful of German directors, including Fritz Lang, F. W. Murnau and Ernst Lubitsch, but little attention has been paid to arguably one of the most influential filmmakers of the period: Paul Leni. This collection – the first comprehensive English-language study of Leni’s life and career – offers new insights into his national and international films, his bold forays into scenic design and his transition from German to Hollywood filmmaking.
The contributors give fresh insights into Leni’s most influential films, including Waxworks (1924), The Cat and the Canary (1927) and The Man Who Laughs (1928), and explores such lesser-known productions as The Diary of Dr. Hart (1918), Backstairs (1921) and the Rebus film series (1925–7). Engaging with new historical, analytical, and theoretical perspectives on Leni’s work, this book is a groundbreaking exploration of a cinematic pioneer.
About the authors:
Erica Tortolani earned a PhD in Film Studies at the University of Massachusetts. Professor Martin Norden is Professor of Communication at the University of Massachusetts
Press Reviews:
A highly welcome first volume in English on director, set designer, and graphic artist Paul Leni (1885-1929). The excellent essays collected here offer a multifaceted reappraisal of an astonishingly versatile film maker, highlighting the continued relevance of his groundbreaking work for the historiography of German and Hollywood film, and beyond.– Christian Rogowski, G. Armour Craig Professor in Language and Literature, Amherst College
The Films of Paul Leni is a welcome addition to Weimar cinema scholarship and a reminder that Leni’s films are worth a second – and definitely a first close – look.– Claus Tieber, University of Vienna, Early Popular Visual Culture
This book has brought Paul Leni research to a new level in one fell swoop.– Michael Wedel, Konrad Wolf Film University of Babelsberg, Monatshefte
This excellent book fully reinstates Paul Leni’s status as one of silent German and American cinema’s most inventive filmmakers. The contributors of this volume offer fresh perspectives on his diverse oeuvre which encompassed war films and the avant-garde, horror and comedy, expressionism and naturalism.– Tim Bergfelder, Professor of Film and Director of Internationalisation, Southampton University
See the publisher website: Edinburgh University Press
See the complete filmography of Paul Leni on the website: IMDB ...
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