John McCarty is a full-time author who has made significant contributions to the world of film and entertainment. One of his notable works is the book "Bullets Over Hollywood: The American Gangster Picture from the Silents to 'The Sopranos'", which was produced as a major documentary by Hugh M. Hefner's Alta Loma Entertainment for the Starz/Encore cable network. The documentary aired in 2005 and 2006 and has been released on DVD by Image-Entertainment.
In addition to his work on "Bullets Over Hollywood", McCarty is also the co-producer, co-writer, and co-director of the 10-episode documentary series "The Fearmakers: Masters of Screen Suspense and Terror", which profiles some of the world's most influential makers of classic suspense and terror films. The series is based on his 1994 book of the same title, published by St. Martin's Press, and was released on DVD by Elite Entertainment, Inc. in May 2007.
As an author of over 20 non-fiction books on film and entertainment subjects, McCarty has appeared on various cable network programs, including Fox News Saturday, CNN's mid-day news, A&E's Biography, and the Bravo network series Backspin, as well as on numerous major market radio stations across the country.
McCarty has also collaborated on several high-profile books with leading experts in their fields, including Julie Morgenstern on her New York Times best-selling "Organizing From the Inside Out" and IRA expert Ed Slott on his top-selling "The Retirement Savings Time Bomb And How to Defuse It" (Viking, 2003).
Born in Albany, New York in 1944, McCarty attended Boston University, where he graduated with a degree in communications (broadcasting & film) in 1966. A former Peace Corps volunteer, he later wrote several un-produced scripts for the hit TV series "Family Affair" and "Death Valley Days" during a sojourn in Hollywood (1968-1970). He then worked in broadcasting and as a copywriter for General Electric Company.
McCarty published his first book in 1978 and became a full-time author in 1983. Some of his other notable books about the world of movies include "Hammer Films" (2002),"The Films of Mel Gibson" (1998),"Thrillers" (1992),"The Modern Horror Film" (1990),"The Complete Films of John Huston" (1992),and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1985). He has also been an adjunct professor of cinema in the Department of Theatre at the University at Albany and taught adult education courses in cinema for the Oasis program.
