Crime Films of the 1970s: Contemporary Perspectives

The 1970s was a pivotal era for crime and criminal justice films in the United States. Many films produced during this period provocatively captured the tumultuous spirit of the era, while also shaping cinematic representations in the decades that followed. This edited volume offers a captivating exploration of the intricate connections between these films and the administration and social perceptions and attitudes toward justice, marginalized individuals, and the complexities of the criminal justice system.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments Preface David A. Mackey (Plymouth State University, USA) Introduction Kevin Swift (University of North Carolina at Pembroke, USA) 1. A Clockwork Orange and Our Parallel Societies Robert Heiner (Plymouth State University, USA) 2. Feeling Lucky, Punk? Reflections on the Social and Cultural Significance of Dirty Harry Eric S. See (Methodist University, USA), Sarah A. See (Methodist University, USA), Kaydee Adams (Methodist University, USA), Bertha Llamas, and Cameron See 3. Popeye's Quest for the Frog: Social and Legal Analysis of The French Connection David A. Mackey (Plymouth State University, USA) 4. An Offer They Should Have Refused: The Godfather, Family, Respect, Crime Eric S. See (Methodist University, USA), Andrew Clark, and Kaydee Adams 5. Serpico and the Future of the Blue Code of Silence Martin Alan Greenberg 6. Cotton Comes to Harlem Across 110th Street, Trick Baby: Race, Identity, and Power in 1970s American Crime Drama Declan O'Reilly 7. Death Wish: The Social Construction of Crime, Justice, and Self-Help David A. Mackey (Plymouth State University, USA) 8. Control, Urban Ecology, and Sexual Commerce in 1970s Cinema Aaron Hammes (Case Western Reserve University, USA) 9. Hauntological Horrors: Bridging Together Postwar Americas in The Town That Dreaded Sundown Fernando Gabriel Pagnoni Berns (Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina) 10.“For the Money, for the Glory, and for the Fun:” Reassessing Smokey and the Bandit and the “Trucker Films” of the 1970s Stephen E. Nepa (Temple University, USA; Rowan University, USA; Moore College of Art and Design, USA; Holy Family University, USA; and Penn State University-Abington, USA) 11. Systematic Suspicion: Offender Control and Reformation as Portrayed in Escape from Alcatraz and Straight Time Kevin E. Courtright (Penn West University at Edinboro, USA) and Ihor J. Bemko (Penn West University at Edinboro, USA) 12. Dog Day Afternoon: Every Dog has his Day……or Does He? Kevin Swift (University of North Carolina at Pembroke, USA) 13. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and Reducing the Opportunities for Subway Crime Martin Alan Greenberg 14. Shaft: “An African-American Hero or a Pawn in the Machine” Keith L. Coleman (North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, USA) 15. The Charm of the Con Joshua Wakeham (Plymouth State University, USA) About the Contributors Index

About the Author :
David A. Mackey is professor of Criminal Justice at Plymouth State University. Eric S. See is professor and division head of criminal justice and military science at Methodist University. Sarah A. See is assistant professor in the division of criminal justice and military science at Methodist University.