Hollywood Cycles

In the classic era of Hollywood cinema (1930-1945) the "cycles" or genres matured. They called them cycles which was a short term for stories that were similar. While we would recognize many of the genres as Westerns, Gangsters, Musicals, etc., often the cycles were significantly more specific. Instead of "Romantic Comedy" it might be "Boy-meets-girl-boy-loses-girl-boy-gets-girl" cycle.

See also film theory and genre film theory.

In literary works, generic storylines are referred to as Formula Fiction.