Movies, Television and Radio

General Reference Works | Biographical Sources | History | Online Sources | Periodicals & Indexes | Reviews & Synopses

GENERAL REFERENCE WORKS

Bowker's Complete Video Directory.
791.453 BOWKERS [REFERENCE]

An annual guide to films available on video. Covers both fiction and nonfiction films. Entries include title; principal cast; plot summary; distributor and order number; and price. Fiction films are indexed by cast/director, genre, and series; nonfiction films are indexed by series and subject.

International Motion Picture Almanac
791.4 INTERNATIONAL [INFORMATION DESK (Current issue)/REFERENCE]

International Television and Video Almanac
791.4 INTERNATIONAL [INFORMATION DESK (Current issue)/REFERENCE]

Annual volumes containing a plethora of information on the motion picture and TV/video industries, respectively, throughout the world. These are particularly useful for finding business-related contact information.

The Film Encyclopedia / Ephraim Katz. -- (4th ed.)
791.4303 K19f, 2001 [REFERENCE]

Nearly 8,000 entries on the artistic, technical, and commercial aspects of moviemaking. One of the most comprehensive one-volume reference sources in this subject area.

The Motion Picture Guide.
791.437 N251m [REFERENCE]

Information on "More than 50,000 entries of English-speaking (and notable foreign) films released theatrically." with release dates between 1927 and 1984. Annual volumes continue the series through 1999, with a separate volume for silent films and a two-volume index to personal names. Entries include full cast and production information, running times, critical rating, MPAA rating, and a plot synopsis. Editors: 1985- J.R. Nash, S.R. Ross.

World Radio TV Handbook.
384.54 WORLD [NONFICTION & REFERENCE]

An annual reference guide on medium wave, shortwave, FM broadcast, and television broadcast information. All the world's national and international radio services are included, with full schedules for each, and dozens of color pages provide articles, radio reviews, propagation predictions, and maps. Indexed by frequency and language of broadcast, this is an indispensable information source for shortwave radio listeners.

BIOGRAPHICAL SOURCES

Contemporary Theatre, Film & Television.
792.092 CONTEMPORARY [REFERENCE]

A continuing series (53 volumes as of spring 2004) containing biographical information, contact details, awards/honors, and credits for thousands of performing arts professionals. Covers performers, writers, directors, producers, and other behind-the-scenes personnel. Emphasis is on "people who are currently active."

New Biographical Dictionary of Film / David Thomson.
791.430922 THOMSON 2002 [REFERENCE]

Interestingly written, opinionated biographical sketches of hundreds of actors, actresses, and directors.

HISTORY

A Tower in Babel : a history of broadcasting in the United States to 1933 / Erik Barnouw.
384.54 BARNOUW

The Image Empire : a history of broadcasting in the United States from 1953 / Erik Barnouw.
384.54 BARNOUW

Two volumes of a well-written, thoroughly researched, and highly regarded trilogy, written by one of the most renowned authors in this subject area. A must-read for anyone interested in the subject.

Tube : the invention of television / David E. Fisher and Marshall Jon Fisher.
621.388009 FISHER [NONFICTION & REFERENCE]

An engrossing and accessible history of the invention and development of television technology.

The Oxford History of World Cinema / edited by Geoffrey Nowell-Smith.
791.4309 O98 [REFERENCE]

A one-volume history covering cinema's first hundred years (1895-1995). Written as a series of essays, with "special features" (sidebars) on important people in cinema history.

Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960 / Luther F. Sies.
791.44097303 S573e [REFERENCE[

An alphabetical listing of on-air performers, musical groups, behind-the-scenes personnel, and special topics during the four-decade heyday of network radio. Entries include airdates, stations/networks, and series length (for programs); occupation and years active, for personnel. Almost 29,000 entries in all. Thoroughly indexed by station, program title, and personal name; also includes a chronology and bibliography.

The American Film Industry : a historical dictionary / Anthony Slide.
791.430321 S633a [REFERENCE]

"A dictionary of American producing and releasing companies, technological innovations, film series, industry terms, studios, genres, and organizations." Some entries include a short bibliography.

ONLINE SOURCES

The Encyclopedia of Television
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/Encyclopediatv.htm

The online version of the Encyclopedia of television, a very comprehensive three-volume reference source published by the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago.

The Internet Movie Database
http://www.imdb.com

One of the most comprehensive film and television resources on the Internet. Contains over 375,000 film and TV-series titles, with cast, credits, synopsis, reviews and links to related sites, and information on over one million people involved in the film and TV industries. An excellent starting point for film and TV research.

Radio-Locator.com
http://www.radio-locator.com

This site identifies itself as "the most comprehensive radio station search engine on the internet," and includes "links to over 10,000 radio station web pages and over 2500 audio streams from radio stations in the U.S. and around the world."

PERIODICALS & INDEXES

Film Review Index / edited by Patricia King Hanson, Stephen L. Hanson.
791.437016 F487 [REFERENCE]

Citations to reviews appearing in general-interest periodicals, film-related periodicals, and books on film history, of films dated from 1882 to 1985. Includes separate indexes for directors, year of production, and country of production.

InfoTrac Web
http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/fjp_jvpl

A collection of online periodical indexes to various subjects. Three indexes which include coverage of periodical articles on movies, film and radio are InfoTrac OneFile, General Reference Center Gold, and Expanded Academic ASAP. InfoTrac Web is available for in-library use, and by remote access to library cardholders.

International Film, Radio & Television Journals / edited by Anthony Slide.
791.4305016 I61 [REFERENCE]

Coverage of over 200 periodicals, both defunct and still active (as of 1985). Entries include a prose overview of the magazine's history and coverage; publication history; indexing if any; availability of reprints; and location of libraries containing "complete (or almost complete) runs" of the journal.

Some film and TV-related periodicals in JPL's collection:

Broadcasting & Cable
[PERIODICALS]

Variety
[PERIODICALS]

REVIEWS & SYNOPSES

Movie Review Query Engine
http://www.mrqe.com/lookup

A database of film reviews which have been published on the Internet. Claims to include over 38,000 films and 380,000 reviews. Includes a feature for complex queries; also has some predefined topical lists of movies such as: newly released on video/DVD; upcoming releases; Academy Award winners; and much more.

New York Times film reviews.
791.437 N532 [REFERENCE]

Reprints of film reviews and film-related news articles appearing in the New York Times between 1913 and 1996. Includes indexes to personal names and corporate names.

Variety Television Reviews, 1923-1988 : a fifteen-volume set including a comprehensive index / edited by Howard H. Prouty.

Variety and Daily Variety Television Reviews.
791.457097 V299 [REFERENCE]

Reprints of television program reviews and TV-related news items from 1923 to 1994. A unique primary source of contemporaneous TV criticism.