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Article: A GENRE IS BORN
- Article from:
- The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)
- Article date:
- October 16, 1988
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1988 The Boston Globe. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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The enormously popular American gangster movie got its start with
Josef Von Sternberg's "Underworld" (1927). It wasn't a loudly
heralded start. Ben Hecht, the ex-Chicago crime reporter making his
debut as a screenwriter, wanted his name removed from the credits.
Paramount's sales force said it couldn't be sold, and should be
shelved. Von Sternberg, to avoid critics, opened the film cold at
10 a.m. at the Paramount in Times Square. Three hours later, there
were lines around the block. The theater had to stay open all night
to accommodate the crowds. A genre was born, and Hecht decided to
leave his name on the film after it won him his first Oscar. Its
atmosphere, narrative and visual ...
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