Semidocumentary

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 [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,816557,00.html] . 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)

External links

* [http://members.aol.com/MG4273/fleisch.htm The Films of Richard Fleischer]