Joseph Andrew "Drew" Casper was previously a Professor who worked at the School of Cinematic Arts as part of the University of Southern California and is an authority on American film from World War II to the present.[1] While a Ph.D. student at USC, Dr. Casper's mentor, Irwin Blacker, died suddenly and the Cinema department offered Dr. Casper a position. Casper rose to become the third-highest-paid person at USC. In the fall of 1997, the estate of Alfred Hitchcock and USC made Dr. Casper the first Alma and Alfred Hitchcock Professor for the Study of American Film.[1] He retired from his role at USC in December 2019 after 47 years. Casper provides a steady stream of DVD commentaries and expertise on films.[2] He is the author of books about Vincente Minnelli,[3] Stanley Donen, a book on Postwar Hollywood 1946–1962.,[4] and a volume called Hollywood Film, 1963-1976: Years of Revolution and Reaction.
DVDs provided commentary for
edit- Act of Violence
- Advise and Consent
- The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse, with film historian Richard B. Jewell
- The Asphalt Jungle, with actor James Whitmore
- Cabin in the Sky, with Evangela Anderson and Eva Anderson (wife and daughter of actor Eddie "Rochester" Anderson), dancer Fayard Nicholas, and black cultural scholar Todd Boyd, plus interview excerpts of actress Lena Horne
- The Dolly Sisters
- The Gang's All Here
- The Hustler
- Lady Killer
- Lifeboat[5]
- Lust for Life
- My Blue Heaven
- Notorious
- Possessed
- The Prodigal
- This Is the Army, with actress Joan Leslie
- To Catch a Thief
- 12 Angry Men
- White Heat
- The Young Philadelphians, with director Vincent Sherman
References
edit- ^ a b Lawrence Van Gelder (1997-11-13). "Footlights". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-02-25.
- ^ Glenn Abel (2005-05-20). "Big Red One". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2008-02-25.
- ^ Casper, Joseph Andrew (1977). Vincente Minnelli and the Film Musical. A.S. Barnes. p. 192. ISBN 0-498-01784-2.
- ^ Casper, Drew (2007). Postwar Hollywood, 1946-1962. Blackwell. p. 448. ISBN 978-1-4051-5074-3.
- ^ RateThatCommentary.com (2008-12-11). "Lifeboat (1944) DVD commentary track review". Retrieved 2009-04-20.