History Of The Crime/Comedy

Genre’sBY WILLIAM DILLING

In the beginning

Genre was originally created as a classification system for Greek literature, now of days it poses a very similar purpose it still classifies books but also music and a more modern type thing such as films. There are many different film genres from your typical action to your midnight thriller, genre is everywhere in the media industry. People use genre to define what appeals to them for example; I love comedy and crime genres. This would mean that there would be a higher chance of me enjoying a film such as Sherlock Holmes or Carry On Camping over a film that is of the romance genre such as Romeo and Juliet.

Crime Genre

The Crime genre is usually a portrayal of a possible (The Godfather – a fictional film based on the mafia displaying possible events that could but haven’t occurred) or real event (Buster – based on the Great Train Robbery of 1963). Most crime genre based screenings are in the form of a TV series as the characters and the job roles that are played can be built on over time, Scot and Baily the ITV crime thriller is a great example of this. Crime is a very appealing Genre as it makes the viewer contemplate history if it is non-fiction but it also if fiction it makes you ask the question could this happen to me?

1910s – 1920s

The Musketeers of Pig Ally (1912) is an American film directed by D.W.Griffith, The film is thought to have been the first film based on organised crime although this fact is not confirmed it is highly likely that it is. The film was shot in Fort Lee, New Jersey and it is highly suspected that real gang members were filmed as extras during the scenes in New York

Warner Bros. Lights of New York (1928) is the first all talking film to have been made. Lights of New York is a Gangster based film, that follows a line of betrayal, stardom and setups. Lights of new York had a $23,000 budget and grossed over $1,000,000

1930s – 1940s

In Night Owls (1930)is an American film directed by James Parrott and starring Laurel and Hardy, it is classed as a short film running only 24 minutes, it follows, a police officer who has been warned not to make as many arrests, asking Laurel and Hardy to rob the police chief house in order for the officer to be in the chiefs good books once again.

Gang Busters (1942) based of a radio series was directed by Noel M. Smith and Ray Taylor, the story follows police detectives discovering crimes of a gang that is corrupting their city. The film had 13 chapters and had a running time of 251 minutes.

1950s – 1960s

Directed by Bretaigne Windust, The Enforcer was released in 1951 and grossed $2,000,000 at the box office. The Enforcer is non-linier and is shown mainly in flash backs not the present day (1951). The film is set in a courthouse and Is based on a testimony to put a big gangster criminal behind bars for good.

Afraid to die is a Japanese film based on the Yakuza (Gang) this film was released in 1960 and really shows how gangster/gun crime was not only an American issue it was an issue felt worldwide.

1970s

The Godfather (1972) directed by Francis Ford Coppola, starred Al Pacino and Marlon Brando playing the leaders of a New York crime family the story is set between 1945 – 1955. The Godfather is widely regarded as one of the best films of all time it had a 6.5 million dollar budget and grossed $134,821,952 (USA). The film won 3 Oscars and lead on to 2 sequels.

In 1976 British director/writer Alan Parker wrote and directedBugsy Malone. The musical film is remembered for only starring children but at the same time placing them in a very adult centric world of Gun/gangster crime, the film turns the issue gangster/gun crime into innocent schoolyard bullying and lust for power.

Created by Glen A. Larson Knight Rider (1982-1986)is and American TV series, starring David Hasslehoff. The series follows Michel Knight a ex-war veteran saved by the foundation a organisation funded by the government to reduce crime Michel Knight is an alias and has no past, he drives a car (KITT), KITT is a car created by the foundation he is made out of a near indestructible material and is artificially intelligent, together Michel Knight and KITT combat crime across America together. The Series is all shot in America.

The A-Team (1983-1987) was an American TV series that saw a team of four Vietnam war veterans on the run from a crime they did not commit. The A-team are a last resort group and take requests from the citizens of America to help them with there issues (All of which are crime related) the series saw the A-Team ‘travel’ to Mexico various other countries but this was quite a rare occurrence. The Series was all shot in America and other country's were mocked up scenes.

1980s

1990s

Nearing the end of the millennium, 1999 saw the introduction of Law and Order Special Victims Unit. The series is based on a group on NYPD detectives who are assigned to tackle and investigate sexually related crimes. Each episode runs for 60 minutes. The series is still running today and has seen over 348 episodes.

Kindergarten Cop (1991), starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed by Ivan Reitman, is set in America and is about a cop going undercover as a kindergarten teacher. The film grossed $91,457,688 (USA).

2000s - Present

Blitz 2011 is a London Grit crime drama, starring Jason Statham. The film follows a London police officer (Statham) hunting down a crazy cop killer who is loose on the streets of London. The film grossed $15,774,948 (Worldwide).

Taken, directed by Pierre Morel follows the life of a retired CIA agent on the hunt for his kidnapped daughter the film goes through twists and turns and is a fast paced action crime thriller, defiantly one that could be reached time and time again. The film grossed $24,717,037 (USA) and has a sequel a third is awaiting release in 2015.

Comedy Genre

The Comedy genre is a spoof of real life it usually is sending across the same message, don’t take life so seriously. The Dictator is a great example of a spoof on real life it takes something serious and not funny and transforms it into a 2 hour comedy jam packed with laughs around every corner. This appeals to almost everyone as it takes a issue that affects mass people and makes it innocent.

1910s-1920s

Made by Keystone studios, a studio created by Mark Sennet also known as the King of Comedy and Master of Slapstick, Keystone Cops (1912) was the real start of comedy films in America. Only seven of the actors are known and none of the profits were recorded.

The Gold Rush (1925) staring Charlie Chaplin is notablyone of the funniest films in which he wrote and starred. The Gold Rush was nominated for an academy award for best sound track. The film grossed $2.5 Million at box office.

1930s-1940s

Busy Bodies, starring two of comedy's greats Laurel and Hardy, was a short film created in 1933, the film ran for just 19 minutes 33 seconds. The film is based in a sawmill and in the time we see on screen, it is filled with gag after gag and laugh after laugh.Mentioning Chaplin again his controversial film which the silence, The Great Dictator (1940), The film is based on the Nazi rise and links very in depth with the issues of the 1930s to mid 1940s, it is all a dig at Hitler, the Nazis and Benito Mussolini’s fascism/anti-Semitism, Chaplin's film came only 9 months after the first Hitler comedy related film. Chaplin did note however in his 1964 autobiography that if he had have been aware of the torturous and vile treatment in concentration camps at the time the, The Great Dictator would never have been created.

1950s – 1960sThe Ladykillers is a Brittish black comedy which was released in 1955. William Rose the writer won a BAFTA for writing the most original screenplay and Katie Johnson won a BAFTA for best actress in a leading role. The film since creation has been turned into a opera, adapted for radio, remade and turned into a play. It was marked by the Guardian in 2000 as the 36th best comedy film of all time.

Jerry Lewis’s Bellboy (1960) grossed $10 million Dollars at box-office in the USA and was marked as Lewis’s directorial debut. The film had no real plot and just was on issue after another landing him deeper and deeper in trouble, the film was put on DVD it 2004.

1970s

Carry On Abroad (1972) the 24th in the Carry On series and is a fantastic comedy that appeals too all ages, the film is based in a Spanish hotel that was falsely advertised, not fully built and falling apart, the film had £225,000 budget.

Freaky Friday (1976) is an American comedy in which a mother and a daughter switch lives for a day. The film had a budget of $5 million dollars and grossed $25,492 million Dollars.

1980s

Ghost busters (1984) is an American supernatural film that took the world by storm, the film had a budget of $30 million Dollars and produced back $295 million Dollars. Ghost busters was nominated for two Academy Awards one for visual effects and the other for best soundtrack but sadly neither were fulfilled.

Beverly Hill’s Cop (1984) starring Eddie Murphy and directed by Tony Scott, Beverly Hills Cop was the highest grossing R (18) rated movie at $234,760,500 (USA). The film followed the life of Detroit detective Axel Foley on his venture to find out who killed his childhood best friend the film is filled with laughs and gags around each corner the film is of multiple genres but mainly focuses on comedy and crime. Beverly Hills Cop had 2 sequels and a 3rd is in production currently.

1990s

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), is a detective /comedy film starring Jim Carrey, the film spurred a $107 million Dollars from only a $15 million Dollar budget, while not one of Carrey's best performances, the film was filled with some of his best gags at the time.

Home Alone, is a Christmas comedy released in 1990 the film is legendary in the comedy universe, so much so that it was the most grossed comedy film ever until 2009, with a grossing of $476,684,675 all from an $18 million Dollar budget. The film had a sequel, 2 films related and 3 video games.

2000s +

Meet The Parents (2000), starring Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro, the film got countless awards but sadly nothing very major such as a BAFTA it was however nominated countless times, one of those for a golden globe. The film was so successful it spawned two sequels. Meet The Parents had a $55 million Dollar budget and generated $330,444,045.

The Big Bang Theory is and American TV series that has been running since 2007, the show is deemed one of the most popular TV shows of the Centaury so far. The show has won and been nominated for tons of awards, some of those that have been won are; The peoples choice Favourite TV Comedy, The Critics Best Actor for Jim Parsons and PMA’s Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control For A Series. The show is on it 8th season and has no sign of slowing anytime soon.