Broadway boogie woogie : Damon Runyon and the making of New York City culture

This analysis of Damon Runyon's high spirited work in terms of historical contexts, popular culture, and of the changing function of the media, argues that Runyon was an indispensible figure in creating public images of New York City culture, including an interest in the demi monde and underworld that explains in part the success of "The Godfather" films and "The Sopranos". With chapters including a panoramic view of New York City between the World Wars with a focus on its colourful nightlife Schwarz examines virtually every facet of Runyon's career from sports writer, daily columnist, trial reporter, and Hollywood figure to the author of the still widely read short stories that were the source of the Broadway hit "Guys and Dolls". As part of his discussion of Runyon's art and artistry of Runyon's fiction, he examines the special language of the Broadway stories known as "Runyonese" and explains how this word has become an adjective describing flamboyant behaviour.