The year 1955 was a watershed one for New York's film industry: Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront took home eight Oscars, and, more quietly, Stanley Kubrick released the low-budget classic Killer's Kiss. A wave of films that changed how American movies were made soon followed, led by directors such as Sidney Lumet, William Friedkin, Woody Allen, Francis Coppola, and Martin Scorsese. Yet this resurgence could not have occurred without a deeply rooted tradition of local film production.
Richard Koszarski chronicles the compelling and often surprising origins of New York's postwar film renaissance, looking beyond such classics as Naked City, Kiss of Death, and Portrait of Jennie. He examines the social, cultural, and economic forces that shaped New York filmmaking, from city politics to union regulations, and shows how decades of low-budget independent production taught local filmmakers how to capture the city's grit, liveliness, and allure. He reveals the importance of "race films"-all-Black productions intended for segregated African American audiences-that not only helped keep the film business afloat but also nurtured a core group of writers, directors, designers, and technicians. Detailed production histories of On the Waterfront and Killer's Kiss-films that appear here in a completely new light-illustrate the distinctive characteristics of New York cinema.
Drawing on a vast array of research-including studio libraries, censorship records, union archives, and interviews with participants-"Keep 'Em in the East" rewrites a crucial chapter in the history of American cinema.
Industry Reviews
Among recent books on cinema, one of the most nourishing is Richard Koszarski's "Keep 'Em in the East". -- Anthony Lane * The New Yorker *
Koszarski's latest movie-industry history is an essential resource for your bookshelves, a detailed inspection of critical film work in the New York City area from the 1930s to 1950s and the release of Elia Kazan's On The Waterfront. -- Greg Young * The Bowery Boys *
This deep dive into the history of Postwar New York cinema is a thrillingly paced read, taking the scholarly headiness of your typical Columbia-backed book and this time pairing it with a palpable energy that feels very much influenced by its subject. At over 500 pages, the book isn't short on stories or deep dives into films, and with focuses on Kubrick and Kazan, will surely draw many eyes when gift hunting. -- Joshua Brunsting * Criterion Cast *
"[This] book is rich with anecdotes, facts, and original insights, no doubt ensuring it will be an indispensable work to scholars of post-war American filmmaking. . . the book overall is a fitting tribute and history to what is both an overlooked, yet rich and influential period in American filmmaking." -- JAMES FENWICK * Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television *
This is an exceptional work of research and writing, years in the making. If the production of cheesy films with Pigmeat Markham doesn't interest you, rest assured that the story grows more captivating as it goes along. Keep 'em in the East is a knockout. * Leonard Maltin *
[A]n ambitious socio-political fresco dedicated to the 'renaissance' of cinema in post-war boom New York. * Cinecitta News *
Richard Koszarski is a bold historian, a meticulous researcher, and a spellbinding storyteller. "Keep 'Em in the East" masterfully displays all his talents. Only Koszarski could so deftly weave together industrial history, political infighting, social conditions, personal and very human biographies, and pointed appreciation of films as different as Naked City and Tall, Tan, and Terrific. In the process, Koszarski brings to light forgotten movies and trends, from little-known urban docudramas to the important 'race films' made for Black audiences. The book's final stretch "crosscuts" Kazan's making On the Waterfront with Kubrick's preparing Killer's Kiss, and the result is as exciting as a Hollywood chase. "Keep 'Em in the East" permanently reshapes our understanding of American film as an art, a business, and a cultural force. -- David Bordwell, author of Reinventing Hollywood: How 1940s Filmmakers Changed Movie Storytelling
Keep 'Em In the East is a valuable (and long overdue) work of cinema scholarship. It broadens the parameters of American film history to include the boroughs of New York, where independent artists thrived far from Hollywood's picture factories. Koszarski's exemplary research shows that New York's influence extended beyond Broadway's influential writers, directors, and performers; it included a whole cadre of cinematic talent who'd have a profound impact on American movies. -- Eddie Muller, host of TCM's Noir Alley
In this reassessment of the role of New York City in the history of film, "Keep 'Em in the East" restores the city's filmmaking reputation with impeccable research and enthusiasm. No one would dispute that Richard Koszarski is the only film historian who could have written this book. -- Jeanine Basinger, author of The Star Machine
Keep 'Em in the East is absorbing and enlightening. The dramas and disasters are expertly told and brilliantly researched. The book is a pleasure to read. -- Kevin Brownlow, author of The Parade's Gone By ...
Keep 'Em in the East is an extraordinary achievement. Koszarski knows more about the history of filmmaking in New York City than anyone else, living or dead. This distills the central part of his lifelong research. No one will ever match it. For those who love New York and the movies, this book's many surprises will provide an unending source of fascination and information. -- Charles Musser, author of The Emergence of Cinema: The American Screen to 1907
