Masters of the American Cinema: Hitchcock, Ford, and Wilder with Howard Karren

In Hollywood's Golden Age, directors were considered to be hired hands rather than great artists, but that is a misconception. Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, and Billy Wilder were comfortable working in popular genres - Hitchcock became synonymous with horror and suspense, Ford with Westerns, and Wilder with dark comedy. But each has created something far more enduring than popular entertainment as their legacy: works of profound truth and indelible beauty. In this course, students will be asked to screen a movie by one director at home each week (DVDs can be purchased or rented) - Vertigo, by Hitchcock (with Kim Novak and James Stewart), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, by Ford (with John Wayne, James Stewart, and Lee Marvin), and Sunset Blvd., by Wilder (with Gloria Swanson and William Holden). The first class will be an introduction, and each following week will focus on one director, with clips screened from selected other works.

Howard Karren received a BA from Brown University in semiotics and MFA from Columbia University in Film. He was an editor at Premiere Magazine, national film monthly, for 13 years; also at People, New York Magazine, and Sony Style, as well as Editor of Premiere's Guide to Movies on Video.

"He is a superb teacher. Howard is so knowledgeable and so willing to share what he knows and give us great examples of what he is teaching."