The concept of genre really began

during the Hollywood studio period.

it helped production decisions and
made a film easier to market. Also,
during Hollywood’s golden era, when
the studios were turning out hundreds
of films at a rapid rate, the generic
concept provided script writers with
a template on which to work.
each studio specialized in a
particular genre: Universal (horror),
Warner Bros. (gangster), mgm
(musical), and Paramount (comedy).
some directors became connected
with a specific genre: John Ford
(Westerns), Cecil B. Demille (epics),
Alfred Hitchcock (thrillers), vincent
minnelli (musicals), and Douglas sirk
(melodrama). But it was with the stars
that the public most associated certain
types of pictures: James Cagney,
edward g. robinson (gangsters),
Joan Crawford, Barbara stanwyck
(melodrama), Fred Astaire, Betty
grable (musicals), John Wayne,
randolph scott (Westerns), and
Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi (horror).
Performers were so closely linked with
certain genres that it became an event
when they departed from the norm.
“garbo Laughs!” was the publicity
line for ernst Lubitsch’s Ninotchka
(1939), which prepared audiences to
accept greta garbo, previously seen
only in melodramas, in a comedy.
Today, genres and actors have
become more flexible, though stars
such as Bruce Willis and sylvester
stallone remain linked in the public’s
mind with action movies and Jim
Carrey and Adam sandler with
comedies. There are still directors
who specialize in certain genres: John
Hughes in teen movies, Woody Allen
with comedy, John Woo with action,
and Wes Craven with horror.
over the years, the well-loved
conventions became clichés, such
as the good cowboy and the villain
having a showdown on a dusty street.
so traditional genres began to be
reinterpreted, challenged or satirised.
sam Peckinpah and sergio Leone’s
Westerns can be termed revisionist,
as can the film noirs of the Coen
Brothers. Audiences are familiar
enough with genres to enjoy lampoons,
such as mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles
(1974) and the Austin Powers movies
of the late 1990s, directed by Jay
roach. Despite auteur cinema (the
personal expression of a director)
being the antithesis of genre cinema,
directors such as Jean-Luc godard,
Jean-Pierre melville and Wong KaThe concept of genre really began
during the Hollywood studio period.
it helped production decisions and
made a film easier to market. Also,
during Hollywood’s golden era, when
the studios were turning out hundreds
of films at a rapid rate, the generic
concept provided script writers with
a template on which to work.
each studio specialized in a
particular genre: Universal (horror),
Warner Bros. (gangster), mgm
(musical), and Paramount (comedy).
some directors became connected
with a specific genre: John Ford
(Westerns), Cecil B. Demille (epics),
Alfred Hitchcock (thrillers), vincent
minnelli (musicals), and Douglas sirk
(melodrama). But it was with the stars
that the public most associated certain
types of pictures: James Cagney,
edward g. robinson (gangsters),
Joan Crawford, Barbara stanwyck
(melodrama), Fred Astaire, Betty
grable (musicals), John Wayne,
randolph scott (Westerns), and
Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi (horror).
Performers were so closely linked with
certain genres that it became an event
when they departed from the norm.
“garbo Laughs!” was the publicity
line for ernst Lubitsch’s Ninotchka
(1939), which prepared audiences to
accept greta garbo, previously seen
only in melodramas, in a comedy.
Today, genres and actors have
become more flexible, though stars
such as Bruce Willis and sylvester
stallone remain linked in the public’s
mind with action movies and Jim
Carrey and Adam sandler with
comedies. There are still directors
who specialize in certain genres: John
Hughes in teen movies, Woody Allen
with comedy, John Woo with action,
and Wes Craven with horror.
over the years, the well-loved
conventions became clichés, such
as the good cowboy and the villain
having a showdown on a dusty street.
so traditional genres began to be
reinterpreted, challenged or satirised.
sam Peckinpah and sergio Leone’s
Westerns can be termed revisionist,
as can the film noirs of the Coen
Brothers. Audiences are familiar
enough with genres to enjoy lampoons,
such as mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles
(1974) and the Austin Powers movies
of the late 1990s, directed by Jay
roach. Despite auteur cinema (the
personal expression of a director)
being the antithesis of genre cinema,
directors such as Jean-Luc godard,
Jean-Pierre melville and Wong KaThe concept of genre really began
during the Hollywood studio period.
it helped production decisions and
made a film easier to market. Also,
during Hollywood’s golden era, when
the studios were turning out hundreds
of films at a rapid rate, the generic
concept provided script writers with
a template on which to work.
each studio specialized in a
particular genre: Universal (horror),
Warner Bros. (gangster), mgm
(musical), and Paramount (comedy).
some directors became connected
with a specific genre: John Ford
(Westerns), Cecil B. Demille (epics),
Alfred Hitchcock (thrillers), vincent
minnelli (musicals), and Douglas sirk
(melodrama). But it was with the stars
that the public most associated certain
types of pictures: James Cagney,
edward g. robinson (gangsters),
Joan Crawford, Barbara stanwyck
(melodrama), Fred Astaire, Betty
grable (musicals), John Wayne,
randolph scott (Westerns), and
Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi (horror).
Performers were so closely linked with
certain genres that it became an event
when they departed from the norm.
“garbo Laughs!” was the publicity
line for ernst Lubitsch’s Ninotchka
(1939), which prepared audiences to
accept greta garbo, previously seen
only in melodramas, in a comedy.
Today, genres and actors have
become more flexible, though stars
such as Bruce Willis and sylvester
stallone remain linked in the public’s
mind with action movies and Jim
Carrey and Adam sandler with
comedies. There are still directors
who specialize in certain genres: John
Hughes in teen movies, Woody Allen
with comedy, John Woo with action,
and Wes Craven with horror.
over the years, the well-loved
conventions became clichés, such
as the good cowboy and the villain
having a showdown on a dusty street.
so traditional genres began to be
reinterpreted, challenged or satirised.
sam Peckinpah and sergio Leone’s
Westerns can be termed revisionist,
as can the film noirs of the Coen
Brothers. Audiences are familiar
enough with genres to enjoy lampoons,
such as mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles
(1974) and the Austin Powers movies
of the late 1990s, directed by Jay
roach. Despite auteur cinema (the
personal expression of a director)
being the antithesis of genre cinema,
directors such as Jean-Luc godard,
Jean-Pierre melville and Wong KaThe concept of genre really began
during the Hollywood studio period.
it helped production decisions and
made a film easier to market. Also,
during Hollywood’s golden era, when
the studios were turning out hundreds
of films at a rapid rate, the generic
concept provided script writers with
a template on which to work.
each studio specialized in a
particular genre: Universal (horror),
Warner Bros. (gangster), mgm
(musical), and Paramount (comedy).
some directors became connected
with a specific genre: John Ford
(Westerns), Cecil B. Demille (epics),
Alfred Hitchcock (thrillers), vincent
minnelli (musicals), and Douglas sirk
(melodrama). But it was with the stars
that the public most associated certain
types of pictures: James Cagney,
edward g. robinson (gangsters),
Joan Crawford, Barbara stanwyck
(melodrama), Fred Astaire, Betty
grable (musicals), John Wayne,
randolph scott (Westerns), and
Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi (horror).
Performers were so closely linked with
certain genres that it became an event
when they departed from the norm.
“garbo Laughs!” was the publicity
line for ernst Lubitsch’s Ninotchka
(1939), which prepared audiences to
accept greta garbo, previously seen
only in melodramas, in a comedy.
Today, genres and actors have
become more flexible, though stars
such as Bruce Willis and sylvester
stallone remain linked in the public’s
mind with action movies and Jim
Carrey and Adam sandler with
comedies. There are still directors
who specialize in certain genres: John
Hughes in teen movies, Woody Allen
with comedy, John Woo with action,
and Wes Craven with horror.
over the years, the well-loved
conventions became clichés, such
as the good cowboy and the villain
having a showdown on a dusty street.
so traditional genres began to be
reinterpreted, challenged or satirised.
sam Peckinpah and sergio Leone’s
Westerns can be termed revisionist,
as can the film noirs of the Coen
Brothers. Audiences are familiar
enough with genres to enjoy lampoons,
such as mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles
(1974) and the Austin Powers movies
of the late 1990s, directed by Jay
roach. Despite auteur cinema (the
personal expression of a director)
being the antithesis of genre cinema,
directors such as Jean-Luc godard,
Jean-Pierre melville and Wong Ka