Somerset Maugham and the Cinema

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by Robert Calder

Type: Studies
Subject: Technique > Adaptation
Keywords: literature, adaptation
Publishing date: 2024 (February 13, 2024)
Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press
Collection: Wisconsin Film Studies
Language: English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Hardcover • 306 pages
6 x 9 inches (15 x 23 cm)

ISBN

978-0-299-34620-1

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Book Presentation:
“An astute and thought-provoking account of Somerset Maugham’s relationship to cinema. Comprehensive in scope, Calder’s book gathers together basic production information, chiefly on scripting and casting, on a large number of films derived from the works of one of the most popular and prolific writers of the twentieth century.” —Russell Campbell, author of Marked Women: Prostitutes and Prostitution in the Cinema

On the celebrated author whose stories dominated the Golden Age of Hollywood William Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) was one of the most prominent and productive authors of the twentieth century—and his works have been among the most cinematically transformed in history. For more than five decades, adaptations of his plays, stories, and novels dominated movie theaters and, later, television screens. More than ninety individual works were filmed, and for many filmgoers his name was a greater draw than that of the director. Works such as Of Human Bondage, “The Letter,” The Painted Veil, “Rain,” The Razor’s Edge, and others were produced multiple times, with starring roles sought by actors like Bette Davis, Gloria Swanson, Greta Garbo, Lionel Barrymore, Charles Laughton, and Bill Murray. This study of the famous author explores the relationship between literature and film, what is involved in adaptation, and how best to judge films based on celebrated books. Robert Calder, the world’s leading scholar of Maugham’s work, offers fascinating production histories, insight into both fortunate and misguided casting decisions, shrewd analyses of performances and film techniques, and summaries of public and critical responses. Maugham’s characters were often conflicted, iconoclastic, and morally out of step with their times, which may have accounted for the popularity of his fiction. Most of Maugham’s works could be adapted to satisfy the tastes of moviegoers and the demands of the Hays Office censors, if not the expectations of their author.

About the Author:
Robert Calder is an emeritus professor of English at the University of Saskatchewan. Considered by many to be the leading authority on Somerset Maugham, he is the author of several books, including W. Somerset Maugham and the Quest for Freedom and Willie: The Life of W. Somerset Maugham.

Press Reviews:
"An astute and thought-provoking account of Somerset Maugham’s relationship to cinema. Comprehensive in scope, Calder’s book gathers together basic production information, chiefly on scripting and casting, on a large number of films derived from the works of one of the most popular and prolific writers of the twentieth century."—Russell Campbell, author of Marked Women: Prostitutes and Prostitution in the Cinema

"A thorough, well-researched study of all the films (and TV shows) based on Maugham, together with sharp critical appraisals and information about their production and initial reception. I learned something on almost every page."—James Naremore, author of More than Night: Film Noir in Its Contexts

"Comprehensive and admirably researched, this is a welcome addition to literature and cinema studies collections."—Library Journal

See the publisher website: University of Wisconsin Press

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