Abstract
This paper assesses gangsters and Prohibition in America in the 1920s. They are a constant theme in "The Great Gatsby" because they were a presence throughout American life in the 1920s. Prohibition created a vast black market for liquor that gangsters controlled. This contemporary reality inspired the gangster themes in "The Great Gatsby".

Abstract
The paper explains that, in the same way that the Wild West outlaw represented certain values to audiences of the nineteenth century, the urban, organized crime element came to represent many of the same values in the following century. The paper then discusses the films of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s and relates that the first significant break from the traditional storytelling technique came with Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 creation of "The Godfather" that arguably set the tone for organized crime based films for the next three decades. The paper also focuses on the film "Goodfellas" by Martin Scorsese that attempted to make this picture of the dark side of the American dream a bit more vivid and even more gritty in its realism. Finally, the paper examines "The Sopranos" by David Chase that was a modern day fusion of many different ways of representing gangsters in entertainment that resulted in a shocking amount of realism.

From the Paper
"The era of the gangster movies began shortly after the era of organized crime in the United States first began. The outlaw, in one form or another, has always been a fascination of mainstream America, and this has been reflected in our popular culture. The dime store novels of the nineteenth century were, in some ways, the precursors to the crime-based films of the twentieth century. In these books, characters like Billy the Kid and Jesse James were immortalized as rugged individualists who lived by their own rules and challenged authority in cunning and daring manners. Essentially, the character of the outlaw has been fascinating to American audiences for ages. But what the Wild West outlaw was to audiences of the nineteenth century, the urban, organized crime element came to represent many of the same values in the following century."

Tags:The Godfather, Goodfellas, The Sopranos, criminals, violence, popular, culture, entertainment, outlaw, mafia, villain

Abstract
This paper examines the gangster film genre, which from the beginnings during the Great Depression have challenged American culture's dominant ideology about capitalism and democracy. According to the paper, these films have done so by glorifying a criminal lifestyle, by undemocratically focusing on ethnic and racial stereotypes, and by idolizing individuals and groups who have been otherwise marginalized by society and our economic system. While the genre has changed over time, it could be said that the modern gangster film retains strong parallels with its roots in the 1930's and that these roots include a challenge to dominant American ideology and culture

From the Paper
"From their beginnings during the Great Depression gangster films have challenged American culture's dominant ideology about capitalism and democracy. It has done so by glorifying a criminal lifestyle, by undemocratically focusing on ethnic and racial stereotypes, and by idolizing individuals and groups who have been otherwise marginalized by society and our economic system. According to Richard Pena, former program director of the New York Film Festival, ''The gangster movie can always be seen as a perverse mirror-image of capitalism...'' ("Public Enemies"). While the genre has changed over time, it could be said that the modern..."

Tags:gangster, film, genre

Abstract
This paper examines the movie "American Gangster" and finds that the movie is a near-miss. The paper tells the story of Frank Lucas, a Harlem heroin boss who managed brief but incredible success in the 1960-70s delivering high quality heroin from Southeast Asia, selling it at very low prices. The paper asserts that the film is interesting but emotionally flat, not engaging the audience.

From the Paper
"Frank Lucas was, in some ways, a man living out the classical American dream. Seeing an entrepreneurial opportunity, he moved aggressively to move on that opportunity. He built a substantial business empire, providing a product that the public desired, obtaining the produce through more aggressive acquisition than competitors had imagined, selling it at a price substantially below what competitors were willing to match. As a result of his business skills, he became a man of considerable wealth and power. At the same time, Frank Lucas was a family man, who moved his extended family from North Carolina to New York, set each of his..."

Tags:gangster, washington, crowe

Abstract
This paper looks at the history of the gangster film genre in the United States from the 1930s to the 1960s. It specifically looks at the impact that this film genre has had on American society and culture. The paper discusses the historical context of the rise of the gangster film genre and why it appealed to Americans at that time in their history. It gives specific examples of films and characters that fit into this category.

Table of Contents:
The Rise of the Gangster Genre
The Postwar World
1960's and Beyond

From the Paper
"As World War I ended, the 18th Amendment ushered in Prohibition and with it a wave of crime matched only by the drug and gang wars of our own era. Where brewing and distilling were once respectable trades, the importation, production, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages was taken over by criminals during the 1920s. In big cities like New York or Chicago, headline grabbing mobsters battled for control of this illegal market. Competition among newspapers sensationalized and romanticized the stories of events like the St. Valentine's Day Massacre or the exploits of "Scarface" Al Capone. Our contemporary war on drugs can be seen as a parallel event - both of which run counter to the dominant free market and individual free choice ideology of the United States. Just as ethnic minorities were disproportionately represented as violating prohibition in the 1930s, those portrayed in modern gangster films are disproportionately Latino and Black or immigrant."

Tags:godfather, prohibition, hero, violence

Abstract
The author of this paper uses four films and quotes to illustrate the influence that the Godfather Saga had on the film "Goodfellas." It summarizes each of the Godfather movies including character analysis and connects them to the characters in Goodfellas.

From the paper:

"Gangster films have been popular for many years. Everybody loves a film that depicts the days of mobsters and the many deals and connections that were portrayed within those films. Perhaps there is a small piece of each of us secretly wishing we could throw away the straight-laced life and become a part of the gangster scene back when it had respect. Whatever the reason America loves the films they are a sure moneymaker at the box office. The Godfather Trilogy began in 1972 and had three films to its saga. Each one was popular and picked up where the other left us hanging to continue the story. We expected each Godfather film to resemble the previous work of art. What we didn't expect was the impact and influence these three films would have on a more recent project called Goodfellas. While Goodfellas is its own movie in its own right the movies is filled with the obvious influence of the Godfather Saga. "

Tags:movies, films, mob, society, characters, project, audience, influence, history, family

Abstract
This paper discusses the gangster movie genre in film and how "The Godfather" and "Godfather Three" are representative of this genre. The gangster world and its history are presented and an overview of the films given. Examples from the movies that illustrate characteristics of the genre are provided.

From the Paper
"Film productions often mimic real life. It is what allows them to be placed into genre categories. Genres in the movies are very much like genres in the world of literature. There are romance genres, history genres and others that depict the type of movie that the film falls under. One genre waxes and wanes in its popularity. The gangster genre is one in which many movies have been made and they are classified as gangster genre by the characters attitudes, the events and the historical context of the movie plot. Two very classic gangster genre films are The Godfather and The Godfather Part Three. Critics have admired as well as panned these movies depending on the critics taste and film desires, however they all agree that they are classic illustrations of the gangster genre."

Tags:illegal, mobster, Mafia, family, organization, drug, business, gang, Brando

Abstract
This paper shows how William A. Wellman, Raoul Walsh, Howard Hawks and Michael Curtiz used innovation and manipulation of genre conventions to convey the message that crime does not pay in their respective gangster films: "The Public Enemy," "White Heat," "Scarface," and "Angels with Dirty Faces."

From the Paper
"Genre directors often innovate and manipulate genre conventions to make social comments on contemporary life. The new directors who shaped the gangster genre like William A. Wellman, Howard Hawks, Raoul Walsh and Michael Curtiz were no different. The respective directors of "The Public Enemy", "Scarface", "White Heat" and "Angels with Dirty Faces", all of these men used innovative genre conventions to express the social comment to American film goers that crime does not pay. The directors of the ...s and ...s were reigned in by the Hollywood..."

Tags:criminals, production code, Hollywood, cinema, symbolism, morality

Abstract
The paper reviews Jessica Hadgedorn's novel, "The Gangster of Love" which depicts the struggle between the Philippines and America and their history of mutual delusion, strife, and misleading affection. The paper explores the main character, Rocky, and explores the relationships and themes of the book.

From the Paper
"Negligent of the cultural tradewinds reeling around her, Rocky constantly constitutes a psychological niche for herself in asserting her independence as a female spirit. Geared up to seek the extent of America's potentialities, she decides to take a chance by embarking on a cross-country trip with Elvis Chang to New York. Armed with little more than a limited amount of funds, a shaky pickup truck, and a repletion of dreams conceiving musical triumph, the couple make plans to start up a rock band called ?The Gangster of Love.?"

Tags:Rivera, Elvis, Chang, Milagros, Dogeaters

Abstract
This paper examines three gangster films in detail from the perspective of the director's use of evoking an emotional range in the viewer that causes the characters to be as powerful dead as they are alive. It specifically examines "The Godfather," directed by Frances Ford Coppola, "Goodfellas," directed by Martin Scorsese and "Bonnie and Clyde," directed by Arthur Penn.

From the Paper
"In each of these films, the directors have been able to kill off main characters, and create character personas that were in death equally as large as they were in life in the minds of the audiences. These are very successful films because of all the elements of filmmaking that were successfully pulled together; casting, directing, editing, scripting and wardrobe. Each of the three films are formulas for successful gangster films, which is a genre that is difficult to fail with because it is one with which Americans are endlessly fascinated with. However, add to that fascination the elements of success in filmmaking formula, and it is a box office smash."

Tags:filmmaking, characters, audience