Semidocumentary
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Semidocumentary is a form of book, film, or television program presenting a fictional story that incorporates many factual details or actual events, or which is presented in a manner similar to a documentary.
One of the first films of this kind was The House on 92nd Street (1945): Time used the term "semidocumentary" to describe this film in 1952 [1]. The producer of the film had previously worked on newsreels which inspired the film making style.
In the late-1940s, semidocumentary films were often associated with film noir thrillers, sharing a commitment to on-location shooting, gritty realism, and understated performances. Several of Richard Fleischer's films had semidocumentary qualities; see external links below.
Some examples of movies that at least have some elements of a semidocumentary in their style:
- Armored Car Robbery (1950)
- Boomerang (1947)
- Bodyguard (1948)
- Call Northside 777 (1948)
- Dragnet (1951)
- He Walked by Night (1948)
- Highway 301 (1950)
- The Hitch-Hiker (1953)
- The House on 92nd Street (1945)
- Kiss of Death (1947)
- Mystery Street (1950)
- The Naked City (1948)
- On Dangerous Ground (1952)
- Panic in the Streets (1950)
- The Racket (1951)
- Side Street (1950)
- The Street with No Name (1948)
- The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967)
- T-Men (1947)
- Zelig (1983)
