Luke "Whispering" Smith is a railroad policeman in frontier-era Wyoming and on a hot pursuit of a notorious gang of train robbers (based upon the actual "Hole in the Wall" gang). But can Smith outwit these elusive and clever train robbers or will they get the better of him? Frank H. Spearman was an American author who was known for his Western books and especially for his fiction and non-fiction works on the topic of railroads. His western novel Whispering Smith–the title character of which was modelled on real-life Union Pacific Railroad detectives Timothy Keliher and Joe Lefors (though the name of the titular hero was apparently derived from another UPRR policeman, James L. "Whispering" Smith)–was made into a movie 8 times.
This eBook edition of "Whispering Smith (A Western Classic)" has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Luke "Whispering" Smith is a railroad policeman in frontier-era Wyoming and on a hot pursuit of a notorious gang of train robbers (based upon the actual "Hole in the Wall" gang). But can Smith outwit these elusive and clever train robbers or will they get the better of him? Frank H. Spearman was an American author who was known for his Western books and especially for his fiction and non-fiction works on the topic of railroads. His western novel Whispering Smith–the title character of which was modelled on real-life Union Pacific Railroad detectives Timothy Keliher and Joe Lefors (though the name of the titular hero was apparently derived from another UPRR policeman, James L. "Whispering" Smith)–was made into a movie 8 times.
References to western movies scattered over some 250 works by more than 130 authors constitute the subject matter of this book, arranged in an encyclopedic format. The entries are distributed among western movies, television series, big screen and television actors, western writers, directors and miscellaneous topics related to the genre. The data cover films from The Great Train Robbery (1903) to No Country for Old Men (2007) and the entries include many western film milestones (from The Aryan through Shane to Unforgiven), television classics (Gunsmoke, Bonanza) and great screen cowboys of both "A" and "B" productions.
Long before sound became an essential part of motion pictures, Westerns were an established genre. The men and women who brought to life cowboys, cowgirls, villains, sidekicks, distressed damsels and outraged townspeople often continued with their film careers, finding success and fame well into the sound era--always knowing that it was in silent Westerns that their careers began. More than a thousand of these once-silent Western players are featured in this fully indexed encyclopedic work. Each entry includes a detailed biography, covering both personal and professional milestones and a complete Western filmography. A foreword is supplied by Diana Serra Cary (formerly the child star "Baby Peggy"), who performed with many of the actors herein.
Who would ever say no to the master story tellers when they have to offer their darkest tingling Christmas mysteries and horror tales as a holiday present: The Silver Hatchet (Arthur Conan Doyle) What the Shepherd Saw: A Tale of Four Moonlight Nights (Thomas Hardy) Markheim (Robert Louis Stevenson) The Wolves of Cernogratz (Saki) Mustapha (Sabine Baring-Gould) The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance (M.R. James) The Christmas Banquet (Nathaniel Hawthorne) The Ghost's Touch (Fergus Hume) Glámr (Sabine Baring-Gould) The Ghosts at Grantley (Leonard Kip) A Terrible Christmas Eve (Lucie E. Jackson) Ghosts and Family Legends (Catherine Crowe) The Ghost: A Christmas Story (William Douglas O'Connor) Thurlow's Christmas Story (John Kendrick Bangs) The Mystery of My Grandmother's Hair Sofa (John Kendrick Bangs) The Abbot's Ghost; or Maurice Treherne's Temptation (Louisa M. Alcott) Old Applejoy's Ghost (Frank R. Stockton) Wolverden Tower (Grant Allen) The Christmas-Eve Vigil (James Bowker) Told After Supper (Jerome K. Jerome) The Box with the Iron Clamps (Florence Marryat) Joseph: A Story (Katherine Rickford) The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton (Charles Dickens) The Ghost of Christmas Eve (J. M. Barrie) The Dead Sexton (Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu) Uncle Cornelius His Story (George MacDonald) The Grave by the Handpost (Thomas Hardy) Number Ninety (Bithia Mary Croker) At Chrighton Abbey (Mary Elizabeth Braddon) The Haunted Man (Charles Dickens) Doctor Marigold's Prescriptions (Charles Dickens) The Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens) The Black Bag Left on a Door-Step (Catherine L. Pirkis) Between the Lights (E. F. Benson) Transition (Algernon Blackwood) The Kit-Bag (Algernon Blackwood)
The three decades following WWII are considered the golden age of the British thriller film. Newer characters like James Bond, along with established icons such as Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple and The Saint, all contributed to the era's bountiful array of cinematic mystery, danger, excitement and suspense. For the first time, the extensive output of British thrillers from 1950 to 1979 is covered in one volume. Themed chapters cover a total of 845 films including spy thrillers, mystery thrillers, psychological thrillers, action-adventure thrillers, and crime thrillers. Within these chapters, films appear chronologically, each with a synopsis/review. Additional information provided for each film includes production companies and alternate British and U.S. titles, and the work includes eight useful appendices.
Think you know everything there is to know about Hammer Films, the fabled "Studio that Dripped Blood?" The lowdown on all the imperishable classics of horror, like The Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula and The Devil Rides Out? What about the company's less blood-curdling back catalog? What about the musicals, comedies and travelogues, the fantasies and historical epics--not to mention the pirate adventures? This lavishly illustrated encyclopedia covers every Hammer film and television production in thorough detail, including budgets, shooting schedules, publicity and more, along with all the actors, supporting players, writers, directors, producers, composers and technicians. Packed with quotes, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, credit lists and production specifics, this all-inclusive reference work is the last word on this cherished cinematic institution.
Dracula and Frankenstein. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. These are just a few of the icons of Hammer Films. To horror fans, the name “Hammer” conjures visions of hissing vampires and buxom beauties in low-cut negligees. But Britain’s Hammer Film Productions, Ltd., was much more than just a fright factory. For more than thirty years, the company turned out neatly crafted entries in a variety of genres, ranging from comedies to pirate yarns, murder mysteries to war pictures. At the heart of Hammer’s remarkable success was its access to American financing and American theaters. But more than that, the individuals behind the scenes knew how to make good films on tight budgets. These pictures have withstood the test of time and continue to be enjoyed all over the world. The Encyclopedia of Hammer Films details the surprising story of Britain’s most successfulindependent film company and includes Entries on all of Hammer’s feature films, featurettes, and television episodes, including staff, production details, US and UK release data, cast, synopses, reviews, behind-the-scenes quotes, and US financial participation Capsule biographies of directors, producers, technicians, and actors––including the lovely ladies of Hammer glamour Special entries on Hammer-related topics, including “tax shelter” companies, Hammerscope, the British Board of Film Censors, and the recent Hammer reboot An annotated appendix of more than 150 unrealized Hammer projects A chronological, annotated listing of every production and coproduction from the company’s inception in 1934 An invaluable resource, this volume includes snapshots of the men and women who made the studio a success—including Peter Cushing, Terence Fisher, Christopher Lee, Ingrid Pitt, and Jimmy Sangster—as well as such iconic films as The Curse of Frankenstein, The Devil Rides Out, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, and Vampire Circus. With more than six hundred entries, The Encyclopedia of Hammer Films is a must-have for every fan of this unique studio.
Thirty-five years in the making, and destined to be the last word in fanta-film references! This incredible 1,017-page resource provides vital credits on over 9,000 films (1896-1999) of horror, fantasy, mystery, science fiction, heavy melodrama, and film noir. Comprehensive cast lists include: directors, writers, cinematographers, and composers. Also includes plot synopses, critiques, re-title/translation information, running times, photographs, and several cross-referenced indexes (by artist, year, song, etc.). Paperback.
Film noir_literally 'black cinema'_is the label customarily given to a group of black and white American films, mostly crime thrillers, made between 1940 and 1959. Today there is considerable dispute about what are the shared features that classify a noir film, and therefore which films should be included in this category. These problems are partly caused because film noir is a retrospective label that was not used in the 1940s or 1950s by the film industry as a production category and therefore its existence and features cannot be established through reference to trade documents. The Historical Dictionary of Film Noir is a comprehensive guide that ranges from 1940 to present day neo-noir. It consists of a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, a filmography, and over 400 cross-referenced dictionary entries on every aspect of film noir and neo-noir, including key films, personnel (actors, cinematographers, composers, directors, producers, set designers, and writers), themes, issues, influences, visual style, cycles of films (e.g. amnesiac noirs), the representation of the city and gender, other forms (comics/graphic novels, television, and videogames), and noir's presence in world cinema. It is an essential reference work for all those interested in this important cultural phenomenon.
