Dialog books using Golden Age Hollywood examples?

[perfectpawn]

Several years ago I saw an interview with Carrie Fisher, who said that while writing "Postcards from the Edge" (which I've never read) she had her TV on AMC -- so she could soak up the "great dialog of those old movies." This made such an impression on me that to this day I remember her saying that, though I have no idea where or when I saw the interview.

Anyway, I'm a Golden Age Hollywood fan myself -- pretty much all I watch are movies from the '30s and '40s. And they do have fantastic dialog, especially those known as "screwball comedies."

I've looked around but can't find anyting: does anyone know of any writing books (or general interest) which focus on Classic Hollywood Era dialog?

[Use Her Name]

There are scripts from movies like "on the waterfront" available online to study. YOu would probably need to look at the actual scripts, and theater or movie critisism books.

[Lady Ice]

Several years ago I saw an interview with Carrie Fisher, who said that while writing "Postcards from the Edge" (which I've never read) she had her TV on AMC -- so she could soak up the "great dialog of those old movies." This made such an impression on me that to this day I remember her saying that, though I have no idea where or when I saw the interview.

Anyway, I'm a Golden Age Hollywood fan myself -- pretty much all I watch are movies from the '30s and '40s. And they do have fantastic dialog, especially those known as "screwball comedies."

I've looked around but can't find anyting: does anyone know of any writing books (or general interest) which focus on Classic Hollywood Era dialog?

Get the DVDs and put the subtitles on. Films were great back then.

[IceCreamEmpress]

The University of Wisconsin Press is publishing a bunch of classic screenplays (http://uwpress.wisc.edu/warnerbrothers.htm).

[bearilou]

Get the DVDs and put the subtitles on. Films were great back then.

That's a great idea!

[perfectpawn]

Well, I appreciate the responses...but still...put on the DVD subtitles? Why didn't I think of that??? :evil

What I'm looking for is a book specifically about the rich dialog in old films, either featuring examples of dialog or just a general study on it. I mean, there are books out there focused solely on the art deco architecture shown in classic films, so it's a wonder no one has thought of this.

Rather than just a straight-up screenwriter, studios would also employ "scenarists" and dialog specialists, who would come in and tweak as necessary -- sometimes without credit. (Ben Hecht being a prime example, the guy had his hand in everything, usually without any sort of credit, such as in "Gone with the Wind.") So how did these dialog specialists work? What methods did they use, how did they fix up the scripts they'd been hired to fix? And what learnings can we fiction-writers of today take from them?

If anything it looks like I've stumbled upon an opportunity for a new dialog book...someone at Writer's Press is probably hammering out a proposal right now.

[Lady Ice]

The Depression meant that in the 30's you get a lot of escapist films, therefore this has some effect on it. Cinema was the great leveller back then.
A lot of famous films were adaptations (Casablanca is based on a play) and novels and especially theatre tend to have 'quicker', more clever and witty dialogue- especially in the theatre.