Leo Braudy
Encyclopedia
Leo Braudy is University Professor and Bing Professor of English at the University of Southern California
, where he teaches 17th- and 18th-century English literature
, film history and criticism, and American culture. He has previously taught at Yale
, Columbia
, and Johns Hopkins University
. He is best known for his cultural studies
scholarship on celebrity, masculinity, and film, and is frequently sought after for interviews on popular culture, Hollywood cinema, and the American zeitgeist of the 1950s.
. He is the son of Edward and Zelda (Smith) Braudy; he received his B.A. from Swarthmore College
in 1963 and his M.A. 1963 and Ph.D. 1974 from Yale University
. He is married to the painter Dorothy McGahee Braudy. They live and work in Los Angeles
.
Both books address changing cultural definitions and fascinations by analyzing historical figures and archetypes to unpack what they tell us about the periods in which they emerge.
Along with Marshall Cohen, he co-edits the widely-used anthology Film Theory and Criticism (Oxford, 7th ed. 2008).
His most recent book, On the Waterfront (British Film Institute, 2006), is a study of the film's production, the post-war values it reflects, and the controversy surrounding Elia Kazan's testimony before the House Unamerican Activities Committee.
, World of Wonder, The Maria Shriver Show, and The South Bank Show
. A transcript of his interview with Bill Moyers
on Moyers's PBS
series appeared in The World of Ideas (Doubleday, 1990). He has acted in John Waters
' Polyester
(1981), and Robert Kramer's underground classic Ice (1970).
Other film appearances include:
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, where he teaches 17th- and 18th-century English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
, film history and criticism, and American culture. He has previously taught at Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, Columbia
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, and Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
. He is best known for his cultural studies
Cultural studies
Cultural studies is an academic field grounded in critical theory and literary criticism. It generally concerns the political nature of contemporary culture, as well as its historical foundations, conflicts, and defining traits. It is, to this extent, largely distinguished from cultural...
scholarship on celebrity, masculinity, and film, and is frequently sought after for interviews on popular culture, Hollywood cinema, and the American zeitgeist of the 1950s.
Background
Braudy was born in Philadelphia, PAPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He is the son of Edward and Zelda (Smith) Braudy; he received his B.A. from Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
in 1963 and his M.A. 1963 and Ph.D. 1974 from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. He is married to the painter Dorothy McGahee Braudy. They live and work in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Scholarship
Leo Braudy's books cover topics spanning literature, film, and cultural studies, often with an eye toward understanding the impact of historical context on artistic form and social construction. His books have been nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award and have been included among the Los Angeles Times' "Best of the Best Books of the Year" and the New York Times' "Outstanding Books of the Year." He is best known for two recent books on contemporary preoccupations: The Frenzy of Renown: Fame and its History (Oxford, 1986); and From Chivalry to Terrorism: War and the Changing Nature of Masculinity (Knopf, 2003).Both books address changing cultural definitions and fascinations by analyzing historical figures and archetypes to unpack what they tell us about the periods in which they emerge.
Along with Marshall Cohen, he co-edits the widely-used anthology Film Theory and Criticism (Oxford, 7th ed. 2008).
His most recent book, On the Waterfront (British Film Institute, 2006), is a study of the film's production, the post-war values it reflects, and the controversy surrounding Elia Kazan's testimony before the House Unamerican Activities Committee.
Film and Television Appearances
Braudy frequently appears as a commentator on popular culture, cultural history, and films on a variety of television shows, including CrossfireCrossfire (TV series)
Crossfire was a current events debate television program that aired from 1982 to 2005 on CNN. Its format was designed to present and challenge the opinions of a politically liberal pundit and a conservative pundit.-Format:...
, World of Wonder, The Maria Shriver Show, and The South Bank Show
The South Bank Show
The South Bank Show was a television arts magazine show, originally made by London Weekend Television , presented by Melvyn Bragg, broadcast on ITV and seen in over 60 countries worldwide — including Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States...
. A transcript of his interview with Bill Moyers
Bill Moyers
Bill Moyers is an American journalist and public commentator. He served as White House Press Secretary in the United States President Lyndon B. Johnson Administration from 1965 to 1967. He worked as a news commentator on television for ten years. Moyers has had an extensive involvement with public...
on Moyers's PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
series appeared in The World of Ideas (Doubleday, 1990). He has acted in John Waters
John Waters (filmmaker)
John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
' Polyester
Polyester
Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate...
(1981), and Robert Kramer's underground classic Ice (1970).
Other film appearances include:
- Facing the Past (2005)—Braudy is interviewed in this featurette included in the DVD of Elia KazanElia KazanElia Kazan was an American director and actor, described by the New York Times as "one of the most honored and influential directors in Broadway and Hollywood history". Born in Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, to Greek parents originally from Kayseri in Anatolia, the family emigrated...
's 1957 film A Face in the Crowd. - Empire of Dreams: The Story of the 'Star Wars' Trilogy (2004)—This feature-length documentary is included with the 4-Disc Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
Trilogy DVD set. - Mayor of the Sunset Strip (2003)—Braudy comments as an authority on fame in this documentary about the rise and fall of disc jockey Rodney BingenheimerRodney BingenheimerRodney Bingenheimer, born December 15, 1947, is a radio disc jockey on the long-running Los Angeles rock station KROQ who is notable for helping numerous iconic bands become successful in the American market. His contribution to the music business has been described as important...
. - Our Infatuation with Fame: Leo Braudy (1990)—In this interview, Bill MoyersBill MoyersBill Moyers is an American journalist and public commentator. He served as White House Press Secretary in the United States President Lyndon B. Johnson Administration from 1965 to 1967. He worked as a news commentator on television for ten years. Moyers has had an extensive involvement with public...
and Leo Braudy discuss the pleasures and perils of celebrity.
External links
- Leo Braudy's website
- “Paranoia and Patriotism” on Leo Braudy's Blog at The Lear Center
- “The Queen's English” on Leo Braudy's Blog at The Lear Center
- Random House Author Spotlight: Leo Braudy
- Braudy's introduction to the Criterion Collection edition of Ingmar Bergman's The Silence
- Faculty profile, Department of English, University of Southern California
- Profile of Braudy's work on From Chivalry to Terrorism in the USC Trojan Family Magazine
- On Point interview with Tom Ashbrook
- LA Times op-ed, September 2006
- http://www.uctv.tv/series/index.asp?detail=detail&showID=9875&number=20Interview with Connie MartinsonConnie MartinsonConstance Frye Martinson is an American writer and television personality. Since its 1979 debut, she has hosted the syndicated television show Connie Martinson Talks Books, which airs on public television. She is married to American film director Leslie H. Martinson...
] - "Cultural Shaping and Historical Change," video and summary of a talk given at Harvard University in November, 2005 as part of the conference "In the War Zone: How Does Gender Matter?"
- Terence Smith interviews Leo Braudy, Richard Schickel, and Richard Reeves on the public response to John F. Kennedy, Jr.'s death on PBS's Online Newshour
- Arthur Magazine on Robert Kramer's Ice