A History of the Screenplay

The screenplay is currently the focus of extensive critical re-evaluation, however, as yet there has been no comprehensive study of its historical development. International in scope and placing emphasis on the development and variety of screenplay texts themselves, this book will be an important and innovative addition to the current literature.

Steven Price's A History of the Screenplay as the work constitutes a valuable addition to reference material and has implications for the examination of textual material. (A Year's Work in English Studies, 2015)

Autorentext
Steven Price is Senior Lecturer in English at Bangor University. He is the author of The Screenplay: Authorship, Theory and Criticism; The Plays, Screenplays and Films of David Mamet; and (with William Tydeman) Oscar Wilde: Salome. His previous book, The Screenplay: Authorship, Theory and Criticism , was shortlisted for the American Theatre Library Association's Richard Wall Memorial Award in 2011.

Inhalt
Introduction 1. Prehistory of the Screenplay 2. Copyright Law, Theatre, and Early Film Writing, 1904-1912 3. Outlines and Scenarios, 1904-1917 4. The Continuity Script, 1912-1929 5. The Silent Film Script in Europe 6. The Coming of Sound 7. The Hollywood Sound Screenplay to 1948 8. Narrative Fiction and European Screenwriting, 1948-1960 9. The master-scene Screenplay and the 'New Hollywood' 10. The Contemporary Screenplay and the Screenwriting Manual 11. Screenwriting Today and Tomorrow 12. Conclusion Bibliography