George Sidney: A Bio-Bibliography

George Sidney directed many popular Hollywood films, including Anchors Aweigh, Show Boat, Kiss Me Kate, and Viva Las Vegas. Despite their commercial success, Sidney's films seldom received critical acclaim, and his many other contributions to the industry remain unknown and unheralded. In this first serious, full-length study of Sidney's life and work, Monder reassesses Sidney's critical reputation, arguing that he was a cinematic iconoclast who created mainstream films with a strikingly modern sensibility. The critical introduction to the volume explains why Sidney's work has been underrated and how it cleverly deconstructs traditional formula material. The biography highlights Sidney's career during the Golden Age of Hollywood studio filmmaking, including his 14-year tenure as President of the Directors Guild of America. The detailed filmography documents the production histories of Sidney's many features, short subjects, screen tests, documentaries, and uncredited sequences in other directors' films. Drawing on archival materials and interviews with Sidney's former coworkers, Monder reveals little-known facts about Sidney's films, and his career as a Hollywood insider. Rare stills and photographs illustrate his unique visual style. In short, Monder reevaluates the contributions of a significant but neglected artist.