In order to comprehensively examine one of the most important films of the Hollywood canon, these essays analyze the screenplay, Elia Kazan as director, Budd Schulberg as screenplay writer, Leonard Bernstein's score, and the reception of the film in classrooms. Collectively, they demonstrate how and why this film has been an enduring favorite among cineastes and movie buffs alike. A preface by Budd Schulberg, contemporary reviews, and reproductions of stills complete the volume.

Dogs have been part of motion pictures since the movies began. They have been featured onscreen in various capacities, from any number of "man's best friends" (Rin Tin Tin, Asta, Toto, Lassie, Benji, Uggie, and many, many more) to the psychotic Cujo. The contributors to Cinematic Canines take a close look at Hollywood films and beyond in order to show that the popularity of dogs on the screen cannot be separated from their increasing presence in our lives over the past century.
The representation and visualization of dogs in cinema, as of other animals, has influenced our understanding of what dogs "should" do and be, for us and with us. Adrienne L. McLean expertly shepherds these original essays into a coherent look at "real" dogs in live-action narrative films, from the stars and featured players to the character and supporting actors to those pooches that assumed bit parts or performed as extras. Who were those dogs, how were they trained, what were they made to do, how did they participate as characters in a fictional universe? These are a just a few of the many questions that she and the outstanding group of scholars in this book have addressed.
Often dogs are anthropomorphized in movies in ways that enable them to reason, sympathize, understand and even talk; and our shaping of dogs into furry humans has had profound effects on the lives of dogs off the screen. Certain breeds of dog have risen in popularity following their appearance in commercial film, often to the detriment of the dogs themselves, who rarely correspond to their idealized screen versions. In essence, the contributors in "Cinematic Canines" help us think about and understand the meanings of the many canines that appear in the movies and, in turn, we want to know more about those dogs due in no small part to the power of the movies themselves.

Sidney Lumet (b. 1924) is considered one of the most gifted and socially conscious American filmmakers of his generation. His best-known movies--including "Serpico," "Dog Day Afternoon," "The Verdict," "12 Angry Men," and "Network"--have garnered him an Honorary Academy Award in 2005, multiple Oscar nominations for Best Director, the D. W. Griffith Award for Lifetime Achievement, and numerous other tributes.

This book features over twenty interviews with the director, including an interview conducted by the editor for this volume. One of the few mainstream directors who works outside of Hollywood, Lumet discusses how his home base, New York City, fuels his films. Candid, outspoken and occasionally brash, Lumet talks passionately and clearly about his work with great actors (among them Al Pacino, Faye Dunaway, River Phoenix, and Sean Connery) and acclaimed screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky.

Insisting that moviemaking is collaborative, Lumet often notes his determination to find styles that serve the many different kinds of stories he has told, such as the social drama "The Pawnbroker," the crime films "Prince of the City" and "Serpico," the intimate family piece "Garbo Talks," the play adaptation "Long Day's Journey into Night," and the television series "100 Centre Street."

Joanna E. Rapf is professor of English and of film and video studies at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. She is the author of "On the Waterfront" and "Buster Keaton: A Bio-Bibliography," and her work has appeared in "Film Quarterly," "Literature/Film Quarterly," "Post Script," and "Journal of Popular Culture."

In order to comprehensively examine one of the most important films of the Hollywood canon, these essays analyze the screenplay, Elia Kazan as director, Budd Schulberg as screenplay writer, Leonard Bernstein's score, and the reception of the film in classrooms. Collectively, they demonstrate how and why this film has been an enduring favorite among cineastes and movie buffs alike. A preface by Budd Schulberg, contemporary reviews, and reproductions of stills complete the volume.