Dr. Ina Rae Hark

Dr. Ina Rae Hark, 75, of Columbia, died on Monday, August 18, 2025, after a long illness. She was born in Charleston, West Virginia, on August 19, 1949, to the late Annette Cohen Hark and Hershel Robert Hark. Ina received her BA in English from Northwestern University and her PhD in Victorian Literature from UCLA, but her heart was in film and theatre. Not long after joining the University of South Carolina faculty in 1975, she founded and directed the Film and Media Studies program and enjoyed teaching popular courses in drama and film, including such topics as “Alfred Hitchcock,” “Star Trek,” “Satire,” “Science Fiction,” and “Twentieth Century Drama.” She was known for her wit, her humor, her brilliant critical mind, her joie de vivre, and her kindness toward and advocacy for students. At USC, Ina served as Director of Undergraduate Studies in English and Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. After her retirement in 2009, she continued to formally advise undergraduate students, an activity she relished. In 2015, the University of South Carolina established the Ina Rae Hark Award to recognize a rising senior in Film and Media Studies for outstanding academic achievement and scholarly engagement. Over the years, she became a distinguished presence at the Society for Cinema and Media Studies. Dr. Hark’s areas of specialization included Hollywood cinema and television studies. Her career shaped how contemporary scholars now understand popular media, masculinity, genre studies, and fandom. She was the author and editor of many books and articles, including Edward Lear (1982), Screening the Male: Exploring Masculinities in Hollywood Cinema, 1993), The Road Movie Book (1997), Exhibition: The Film Reader (2001), American Cinema of the 1930s: Themes and Variations (2007), Star Trek (2008), and Deadwood (2012). Her favorite genres both to write about and to watch were science-fiction and the western, although she also had a special fondness for the Biblical and Classical epic. All her life she was a proud and devoted Trekker and was active in the fan community. Ina’s energy and talents were by no means confined to the classroom or the printed page. For many years, she was a committed volunteer for Workshop Theatre and the Film Committee at the Russell House Student Union. She enjoyed teaching Sunday school at the Tree of Life Congregation and reading skills to disadvantaged children, attending the symphony, playing poker or bridge with friends, and visiting New York City at least once a year to see the latest shows. Most of all, she treasured her friends and adored her many pets—no stray cat was homeless for very long if she had her way. For a long while she had four cats and a dog, and each one was spoiled and very happy. She was especially apt in choosing names for her companion animals, usually with a literary or filmic reference or an affectionate tongue in cheek, and sometimes with both: most recently, she acquired a stray cat, Willy, whose full name is “Will Feral.” We remember Ina Rae Hark with love and celebrate her memory. The graveside service will be held at 2 o’clock, Thursday, August 21st, at Greenhaven Preserve, 1701 Vanboklen Road, Eastover, SC 29044, with Rabbi Erik Uriarte officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the animal rescue organization of your choice. Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, is assisting the family.

Tributes

Dr. Ina Rae Hark

August 19, 1949 - August 18, 2025