Book Description
Ideal for Introduction to American Cinema courses, American Film History courses, and Introductory Film Appreciation courses focused on American Film, this text offers a cultural examination of the American movie-making industry, with particular attention paid to the economic and aesthetic institution of Hollywood.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent as a Historical Text Book.......2007-03-24
So, I expected this book to be a bit more fun. Unfortunately, the fun element is missing. However, in fairness, the book serves as a thorough textbook for the history of American Cinema and its techniques and various genres. I did enjoy reading about the early studio system and the vast amount of control this oligopoly held. There were some very good critiques and studies of specific films, and a bit about specific actors and actresses. Even a bit about directors. Though packed with information, the book just lacks an entertainment value that it could and should have pulled off based on the subject matter.
The different genres studied include:
Westerns
War Movies
Silent Films
Film Noire
Screwball Comedies
As well as an overall dissertation on Classical Hollywood Style and its various techniques.
Not very good..........2005-03-05
I got this book for a class on the history of cinema. Unfortunately, as the title implies, it only deals with American Cinema. If this is a book for school, check out the class to see if foreign films and film history will be discussed. This book is, again, as the title implies--one-sided. Most of the movies it discusses, gives away crucial plot-points and endings. Some movies that I've been dying to see were ruined in just one or two sentences. This book is also very puffed-up and biased (I don't know any other way of explaining it). Many times throughout the book, Belton seems like James Lipton of "Inside the Actor's Studio", and goes on and on about the greatness of Hollywood, actors, director's, and films with nothing negative to say. It's not at all critical of anything and the author frequently inserts his own interpretation of films into the general text, which I found a little pompous. The book does offer up some interesting facts about the early history and the birth of cinema, but there's something about the way this book was written that makes it hard to stay interested. I think the chapters about film genres exaggerate the importance of some of them, and neglects other genres completely, ie. Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Sci-fi, Animation, Epics, etc. Again, question the instructor and/or look at the class syllabus before siging up if this is the only book for this class. I don't believe this is a comprehensive and unbiased view of cinema and it's history.
A very useful beginners guide to American film........2003-01-08
Years ago I took an intro-level film class at a community college. This was the text for the class. It was accompanied (at least in my class) by a PBS video series that combined film clips with interviews and historical information. Going into the class I had little more than a passing interest in film and film history. But after taking that class, my passion for film has grown exponentially with each year. But back to the book, I really liked this book and highlighted my way from the front cover to the back cover. There are of course limitations to this book. Firstly, it deals only with American films. Secondly, this book barely breaks the 300-page mark - hardly a comprehensive volume. You aren't going to get any information on John Cassavetes here or anything. Now if you have a chance to use this book in conjunction with the PBS films, I think you'll do much better (in fact I think the vids even give a nod to Cassavetes), but even then please note that this material is for an INTRO-level film class, and won't be much good for someone who already knows a fair amount about American film. But with that in mind, the book still has a lot to offer someone looking to introduce themselves to film history.
The first third of the book starts with the birth of film, moves quickly on to the Hollywood studio system, and walks us through the basics of film style (camerawork, lighting, editing, etc.). The second third covers the basics of film genre; there is a chapter about film noir, one on comedies, one on war films, and one on westerns. This second section was particularly useful to me. I could read each chapter, jot down a list of promising titles, hit my local video store, and I was good to go. The third section covers American film after World War II. In this section things seem a little compressed. 110 pages for 50 years of film? A lot is lost on the cutting room floor. But there's lots to dig into all the same. There's a chapter on Hollywood during the McCarthy years (yikes!), one on film's evolution during the emergence of television, a chapter on 1960s counterculture films, one on the film school directors of the 1970s and 1980s, and finally a pretty weak chapter on film in the 1990s. Oh yeah, and at the end of the book there's a handy glossary (in case you're ever stuck on what point-of-view editing is) and a pretty thorough index.
Again, not a book for someone who already has a good feel for film history. But definitely a great resource for someone new to film studies, or for someone who has trouble finding a movie at Blockbuster on Fridays. It did a great job getting me excited about movies, and I imagine its done the same for others.... A good companion to this text (or possibly an all-out replacement of it) is Scorsese's VHS/DVD, "A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies."
Movie spoiler.......2002-10-08
This would be a great book to read if you have no intention of watching the films discussed within, or if you've already seen them. On quite a few films, it tells the whole plot, in detail, from opening to end credits.
I also don't like the prose of the author, as he excessively uses sentences "in quotations". The writing structure is very formulaic and boring. The "5 paragraph essay" format is good for high school students learning to write, but imagine an entire book written that way. I can only read it for 15 minutes before losing interest.
The book does, however, provide plenty of examples from a variety of films.
This book is a companion piece to the PBS series by the same name. The series is much more interesting. Don't bother with the book. A much better film text is "Film: An Introduction", by William Phillips, ISBN: 0312258968.
Customer Reviews:
a very interesting book to page through.......2007-07-18
Kenneth Anger's hollywood babylon is the kind of book you can pick up and put down at any time.. I find it interesting to page through before or after I watch one of the older movies of hollywood's golden age.. I can't get enough of this sort of look into the dumpster of tinseltown.. the scandals and episodes that have been brushed under the carpet or just are no longer known about.. The list of characters that populate these pages are as colorful as they were glamorous.. and also at times hideous..
This is not very heavy reading but it is endlessly fascinating..
Thumbs down on the (myth-ridden) text, thumbs up on (some of) the pictures.......2007-07-12
What saves the sensationalistic - not to say trashy and in many places inaccurate - _Hollywood Babylon_ from being a total failure is the huge number of pictures, many shocking and some downright grisly (as in the picture of poor Thelma Todd lying done to death in her car), but mostly fascinating if sometimes nauseating (I'll talk about one of the worst offenders shortly). Which is a good thing, because frankly I want to take a bath every time I read the text to wash off the grime. We all know that Hollywood in its "Golden Age" was a long way removed from the image of saintly morality painted by its self-appointed guardians, the studio moguls - very many of whom had guilty secrets among them - chief among them, but Kenneth Anger seems to take a little too much delight in the sordidity and scandal for my own taste. What makes it worse is that he passes on a number of urban legends rather than do the boring work of get at the truth.
One of the most objectionable myths he fosters in this book, in my view, is the story that Jayne Mansfield was decapitated in the auto accident that took her life in 1967. This is simply not true. There is a ghastly photo in circulation on the web - I won't link to it but those who really want to know can Google for it - that makes it clear that her injuries, while fatal, did not result in the removal of her head. What you see on the car's crumpled hood in that photo (that Anger claims was Mansfield's noggin) is actually her wig. (And did we really need to see that photo of her dead Chihuahua? Ugh.)
If people want a really good book on Hollywood scandals, I strongly suggest they go find James Robert Parish's well-researched, evenhanded, brightly-written _The Hollywood Book of Scandal_ instead. (And that book doesn't contain any photos likely to make you lose your lunch, either!)
Juicy delicious!.......2007-05-19
If you think today's stars are misbehaved, wait til you read this! I couldn't put it down and read it in few days. Anger's style of writing is witty, sarcastic, and will compltely put you back into another era. The book focuses mainly on early, pre-code Hollywood up until Jayne Mansfield's death in 1967. There are so many juicy stories and even morbid details in this book, and tons of awesome pictures. (Although be warned- picture of Jayne Mansfield's car crash and dead dog are depressing and bloody). Includes everyone who was ever anyone- Clara Bow, Carole Landis, Carole Lombard, Marilyn Monroe, Valentino, Novarro, Judy Garland (who died on the toilet), Gary Cooper, William Randolph Hurst, Jayne Mansfield, Charlie Chaplin, etc. etc. etc. All the old legends are in here. Completely worth the price. I just wish there was a newer version.
great book and wonderful gossip.......2007-02-18
if your the type that is intrigued by anna nichole , michael jackson, brittney spears and paris hilton then get this book these people were the real hollywood deal the stars from the 20s 30s and 40s make todays stars seem like cub scouts. this book has it all sex , glamor , drugs all the stuff that will make you not put this book down . you couldnt make this stuff up if you tried .
VERY ENTERTAINING.......2007-01-12
I love reading the trash & gossip about the stars and this book provided it all. It was hard to put down and I was sorry when I finished it.
Great reading!
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful Insight to a GREAT MAN.......2007-03-08
If you are a Disney fan this is the one to read. Lots of info about his early days & how Disneyland came to be. He was sure he would die before he had finished what he set out to do. The Disney company was never the same after his death.
But is John Lassiter the new Walt..... Let's hope so.
Walt Disney: An American Original.......2007-01-05
This was a great and interesting book. I loved reading it and learning things about Disney and his history that I didn't know. A great read.
Great book on a great man........2006-11-24
Like the man himself, An American Original is at times quirky, innovative, sad, and uplifting. There are those out there that will push whatever drivel there is about Walt - that he hated children, was a money hungry monster, supposed anti-Semite, sexual deviant, etc. but mr. Thomas fortunately leaves the tabloids aside and deals with those that knew Walt personally. One then gets a portriat of a hopeful Horatio Alger who frequently went without full meals so he could pay early employees, volunteered his studio and expertise to make WW 2 films and lost thousands in the process when the majority of his funds were already frozen, and that fondly reminisced "I believe that every conception is immaculate because there is a child involved." On the other hand, he was indeed human - stubborn, willfull, and hot tempered at times to his best friend and brother, Roy (for a better account of their temporary falling out and Walt's attitude towards Roy's family, see mr. Thomas' also excellent bio on him). But he loved him in the end. Simply flawless account on Snow White, the creation of Disneyland (which contains the Walt-ism "people can buy Pepsi-Cola but they can't pee in the street"), and Mary Poppins. Altogether a very good portrait of the father of modern animation and family entertainment.
Corporate puff piece.......2006-04-25
Published by the Disney Corporation, not exactly an objective source for a biography of Walt Disney. You'll learn more about the man just wandering his parks and watching his films than you will from this extended press release, which completely ignores key individuals and events that helped shape Uncle Walt. The photos aren't very interesting either -- pass on this one.
the world of disney.......2006-02-01
A very good overview of the life of the master that tells all the general reader needs to know of walt's life and work. Highly recommended, despite the occasional faux pas which does not detract from this informative work.
Average customer rating:
- A must for anyone interested in hollywoods's golden age
- Fascinating, but buyer beware
- A refreshing take on Hollywood where business men are stars!
- Fantastic resource of film history, and a fun read to boot
- Just an excellent book on the subject
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The Genius of the System: Hollywood Filmmaking in the Studio Era
Thomas Schatz
Manufacturer: Owl Books
ProductGroup: Book
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ASIN: 0805046666 |
Book Description
At a time when the studio is making a stunning comeback, film historian Thomas Schatz provides an indispensable account of Hollywood's tradional blend of business and art. This book lays to rest the persistent myth that businesspeople and producers stifle artistic talent and reveals instead the genius of a system of collaboration and conflict. Working from industry documents, Schatz traces the development of house styles, the rise and fall of careers, and the making-and unmaking-of movies, from Frankenstein to Spellbound to Grand Hotel. Richly illustrated and highly readable, The Genius of the System gives the definitive view of the workings of the Old Hollywood and the foundations of the New.
Customer Reviews:
A must for anyone interested in hollywoods's golden age.......2005-03-08
Thomas Schatz does a remarkable job of diagraming the rise of the studio system in Hollywood. The book is remarkably easy to follow (compared to any of Andrew Sarris's works) and includes numerous photographs. He focuses most on the trials and tribulations of Universal Studios, Warner Bros. and MGM and their distinct, integrated studio styles (He mentions RKO as well).
Irving Thalberg, David O. Selznick, Daryl Zanuck and Hitchcock are featured prominently and rightfully so. Also, includes many of the behind the scene battles between studios and directors/ producers.
There are some minor criticisms though. He almost completely ignores Paramount and Colombia. And the decline of the studio system is sparse compared to the rise of. But aside from that, this book is an enjoyable read and recommend it to anyone who is fascinated with early hollywood
Fascinating, but buyer beware.......2004-08-02
Schatz's book is well-rounded and nicely structured. It was a good decision on his part to take a round-robin focus on each studio instead of trying to mix them together, as some authors have. All of the studios had different ideas about what they wanted to achieve in their work, so this approach makes sense. Twentieth-Century Fox and Paramount were left out completely, but Schatz was clearly trying to choose one studio of each type of size and characteristic so as to keep control of the scope of the book.
I did find a glaring error--the finale to "Babes in Arms" was not the minstral number, but the song, "God's Country." In a book of this size, or of any size for that matter, errors will creep in, so it isn't the kiss of death. However, if the reader is familiar with MGM musicals, it may be a small turn-off.
Also, I wasn't satisfied with the epilogue. Instead of citing examples of the comeback of the studio system (LucasFilm, for instance), Schatz simply outlines the creative decline of Alfred Hitchcock. Huh.
Slight shortcomings aside, this book is very entertaining. I wish my film studies textbooks had been this interesting.
A refreshing take on Hollywood where business men are stars!.......2003-11-26
Film theorist Andre Bazin once wrote "The American cinema is a classical art, but why not then admire in it what is most admirable, i.e., not only the talent of this or that filmmaker, but the genius of the system." Quite simply author Thomas Schatz had done just that with this groundbreaking and wondrously entertaining history of the Hollywood studio era.
Up until its publication in 1988, film history had been defined by the "auteur" school of thinking where the director is the supreme artist who nurtured the art form. The studio executives- the money men- were relegated to the background and often depicted as crass capitalist who often hindered the creative process.
In Schatz's eyes, men like Carl Laemmle, Darryl F. Zanuck, David O. Selznick, Harry Warner, and Irving Thalberg were intuitive geniuses who understood the art of storytelling and were able to systematically deliver that art to the masses with drive and innovation. From the low rent beginnings of the Nickelodeon to steady decline of the studio system amid the dawn of Television, these men set standards that are sadly not met by today's faceless conglomerates. They all created "the movies" as we fondly perceive it and Schatz lets the creation of 20th century popular culture unfold with a finely turned narrative sweep.
Fantastic resource of film history, and a fun read to boot.......2003-01-07
It's rare that one can read a book containing so much dry information such as the budgetary concerns of many many films, and still be captivated by the storytelling enough to make it work. This book reads like a well-crafted novel, with the main characters being a handful of studio executives. What results is an utterly readable, insider's look into the business of filmmaking in the studio era. The artistic genius of some of these men is acknowledged, but largely, their business dealings are highlighted. If you're afraid of such business talk, don't be. The author makes budgets and salaries an interesting and integral part of the story. I highly recommend this book to anyone who just loves movies and wants to learn more about how it all started. I also recommend this book to anyone who is in or getting into the producing biz now. What a helpful and inspirational resource. My only regret is that there is just no way that I can remember all of the information that I read in this book. That's why I refer to it as a resource in the title of this review and why I will use it as such for years to come.
Just an excellent book on the subject.......2000-07-28
Prof. Schatz does not suffer from the scholar's disease of academic-speak and writes a book that clearly demonstrates his expertise on the studio structure. Most books I have read extended the view of the outsider looking in at the star system and not the economics of the studios. "Genius of the System" chronicles the history of the studio's business, that is to say the economics and the people behind the economics.
If you want to read about the business structure of Hollywood during its beginnings, this is the book for you. I cannot recommend it enough.
Book Description
Can films about black characters, produced by white filmmakers, be considered "black films"? In answering this question, Mark Reid reassesses black film history, carefully distinguishing between films controlled by blacks and films that utilize black talent, but are controlled by whites. Previous black film criticism has "buried" the true black film industry, Reid says, by concentrating on films that are about, but not by, blacks.
Reid's discussion of black independent films--defined as films that focus on the black community and that are written, directed, produced, and distributed by blacks--ranges from the earliest black involvement at the turn of the century up through the civil rights movement of the Sixties and the recent resurgence of feminism in black cultural production. His critical assessment of work by some black filmmakers such as Spike Lee notes how these films avoid dramatizations of sexism, homophobia, and classism within the black community.
In the area of black commercial film controlled by whites, Reid considers three genres: African-American comedy, black family film, and black action film. He points out that even when these films use black writers and directors, a black perspective rarely surfaces.
Reid's innovative critical approach, which transcends the "black-image" language of earlier studies--and at the same time redefines black film--makes an important contribution to film history. Certain to attract film scholars, this work will also appeal to anyone interested in African-American and Women's Studies.
Book Description
The ultimate biography of National Lampoon and its cofounder Doug Kenney, this book offers the first complete history of the immensely popular magazine and its brilliant and eccentric characters. With wonderful stories of the comedy scene in New York City in the 1970s and National Lampoon’s place at the center of it, this chronicle shares how the magazine spawned a popular radio show and two long-running theatrical productions that helped launch the careers of John Belushi, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and Gilda Radner and went on to inspire Saturday Night Live. More than 130 interviews were conducted with people connected to Kenney and the magazine, including Chevy Chase, John Hughes, P. J. O’Rourke, Tony Hendra, Sean Kelly, Chris Miller, and Bruce McCall. These interviews and behind-the-scenes stories about the making of both Animal House and Caddyshack help to capture the nostalgia, humor, and popular culture that National Lampoon inspires.
Customer Reviews:
This Is Where Modern American Humor Begins.......2007-02-08
Say the name "Doug Kenney", and you're likely to draw blank stares and numerous "who"s from the average comedy fan. But say "Animal House", "Caddyshack" or "National Lampoon", and they'll likely know what you're talking about. That's the time to tell them why the first name is so important.
Doug Kenney was a shadow figure in the history of comedy, a magazine writer and co-founder of the Lampoon's national version who managed to write some great articles, the scripts for two legendary comedy classics, and numerous other artifacts of his time all before his death in 1980, of an apparent suicide or accidential fall from a cliff in Hawaii. The fact that he died so young and so unheralded outside the insular world of comedy is a shame, especially considering what a legacy he left.
In Josh Karp's book, Kenney is even a minor character in his own life story, as whole portions of the book focus on the hangers-on at the Lampoon (various writers and other talents whose lights shined more brightly than that of Kenney or his co-founder, Henry Beard). But this is not a fault of the biographer: Kenney's own story is inevitably tied to the magazine and entertainment empire he helped found, and which owes him more than the current crop of "direct to DVD" releases and smarmy Paris Hilton cash-ins currently under the banner of "The National Lampoon".
Kenney's gift and his curse was his talent, one which produced masterpieces like "Animal House" and Nancy Reagan's "dating tips" but also let him down when it came to writing his "great American novel" of TACOS (Teenage Commies From Outer Space). Karp gives us a peek inside the mind of this elusive character and reveals a man of deep contradictions whose short, happy-sometimes-sad-othertimes life was offset by the impact he and his cohorts made on the world of American humor in the Seventies.
If you're an admirer of the Lampoon's golden era, or simply curious thanks to Animal House or Caddyshack, do yourself a favor and get this book. Whereas Tony Hendra's memoir of his time at the magazine (Going Too Far) is grandiose and self-congratulatory, this book offers a great history of one of the leading lights of American humor, and a man who arguably should be listed with the greats.
A Futile and Stupid Gesture.......2007-01-18
The first book I have read straight through in a LONG time, and I read lot of books. Very acute social history of the period--having myself been a bright Midwestie (from Dacron, Ohio) in a an elite east coast college circa 1962-6, I could fully understand Kenny's insider/outsider conundrum and Beard's drive to succeed on his own terms. The mix of types and personalities on the the creative side was well deliniated, and their continual tension with the business end--but for whom they would not have had careers--was the heart of the story. The book appears to be thoroughly researched and clips along nicely. The "what happened in the year" intros to each segment were seriously useful. Anyone who watched SNL when it was funny or looked at the parody yearbook and mistook it for his or her own MUST read this book.
thanks to Josh Karp.......2006-11-10
More information than I never knew existed about National Lampoon. The extraordinary detail that Josh Karp uncovered to put this book together is absolutely amazing.
Only Because I Paid for It........2006-11-05
I more or less forced myself to read the entire book because there were some great anecdotes and also several nodes of connectivity where someone famous first got their start working with some of the other persons mentioned in its pages.
But the factual detail and the amount of time spent on uninteresting background and financial dealings made for slow reading. I really wasn't all that interested in the various ownership deals between the principals of the story. Too much blah, blah, blah and not enough sizzle.
By the second half of the book I was skimming the pages trying to find something/anything interesting to keep me engaged. I'm donating this along with a bunch of other books that I've read, to a local shelter.
Outstanding Cultural History (And It's Funny, Too).......2006-10-10
The title "A Futile and Stupid Gesture" is, of course a quote from "National Lampoon's Animal House", one of the most beloved, successful, and influential films of the past 30 years. Doug Kenney helped write that movie and played the role of "Stork", as well as writing the almost-as-adored "Caddyshack", along with being one of the first and most powerful editors of the legendary magazine "National Lampoon". Josh Karp's book is both a biography of Kenney and a history of the whole "Lampoon" scene, which because of the sway of the quasi-spinoff "Saturday Night Live", becomes a social history of American comedy during the 1970's. And that decade was to comedy like the 1960's was to rock--a time which transformed show business and culture not just in the U.S. but in the whole Western world. The irony is that, as a woman who worked with the almost all-male writers of that scene said of them, "they were the most miserable bunch of guys I've ever known."
Karp's book is astoundingly thorough. He has interviewed pretty much everyone involved with the epic story and read encyclopedic amounts of social history so he can present the whole Lampoon cultural revolution in its widest context. Kenney was like the Forrest Gump of comedy in that he met almost everyone during that time, so you get sharply etched portraits of the SNL gang, Michael O' Donoghue, Harold Ramis, P.J. O'Rourke, Tony Hendra, Anne Beatts, and a whole constellation of stars that came into contact with the Hollywood-Lampoon axis. Karp is a smooth, novelistic storyteller so the book is as fun to read as the old magazine itself. And there are large chunks of the Lampoon excerpted, so you get a rich taste of what the publication was like at its best.
Karp is also a competent historian, so you also get a suprisingly objective and rationally considered picture, especially about the above-mentioned personal misery of Kenney and his crew. Karp is unsparing in writing about the drug abuse which may have eventually wrecked Kenney's life, and about the misogyny and darkness of much of the comedy produced at the time. At this late date it's still hard to know whether Kenney's death was an accident or suicide, but his demise was a signature event of the era, not unlike the more famous passing of John Belushi 18 months later. It was a signal to "come inside and join the adults at the table", as O'Rourke would put it. Anyone who wants to have a fuller understanding of American cultural history in the twilight of the 20th century should consult Karp's excellent book.
Average customer rating:
- Great volume among all 10 of the Series now published.
- Surprisingly Dull
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Grand Design: Hollywood as a Modern Business Enterprise, 1930-1939 (History of the American Cinema , No 5)
Tino Balio
Manufacturer: University of California Press
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The Fifties: Transforming the Screen, 1950-1959 (History of the American Cinema)
ASIN: 0520203348 |
Book Description
The advent of color, big musicals, the studio system, and the beginning of institutionalized censorship made the thirties the defining decade for Hollywood. The year 1939, celebrated as "Hollywood's greatest year," saw the release of such memorable films as Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, and Stagecoach. It was a time when the studios exercised nearly absolute control over their product as well as over such stars as Bette Davis, Clark Gable, and Humphrey Bogart. In this fifth volume of the award-winning series History of the American Cinema, Tino Balio examines every aspect of the filmmaking and film exhibition system as it matured during the Depression era.
Customer Reviews:
Great volume among all 10 of the Series now published........2003-09-24
Balio et al. assemble a fine addition to the Ten Volume Series of the History of American Cinema, conceived and edited by Charles Harpole, foremost film scholar and documentarian. No library, large or small, should be without all ten volumes in the Series because this is the definitive work on the subject.
The Series is published by Scribner-Thomson-Gale company and by the University of California Press. You may have to order direct because these are not discounted trade books.
Surprisingly Dull.......2003-03-27
I had high hopes for this book. The volumes in this series on the origins of cinema, the Twenties and the Forties are very good. This book, however, proved a chore to get through.
The big problem for me was that Balio seemed more interested in the movie companies as organizations and less interested in the films themselves. Compounding this was the fact that he sees the Thirties as a unit, and believes that the division of the decade's films into pre-Code and post-Code, with 1934 as the turning point, is a myth. Thus, to him, the "fallen women" films, Mae West comedies, classic gangster films, and horror films all died out because the public was tired, not because of censorship problems.
Balio sees filmmaking in the Thirties as dominated by the studios and with directors being hired guns. Hence there is no real discussion of any directors. Ernst Lubitsch, Frank Capra and Josef von Sternberg are barely mentioned, except when Balio complains that their films didn't make enough money.
Indeed, he seems to have no view of his own about the films. Instead, he views FILM DAILY and VARIETY as the voice of God. If they put the film on their 10 best list, it is good, and if they didn't, it isn't worth talking about. The idea that some films popular in the Thirties are no longer highly regarded or that some films despised at the time have become viewed as classics seems not to interest him at all.
If someone who had no idea about the history of American film read this book, he would come away thinking that the "Golden Age of Hollywood" was a myth and these films were artifacts not worth seeing.
Average customer rating:
- One of the greatest books on the silent age
- An Incredibly Thorough Look at the Silent Film
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An Evening's Entertainment: The Age of the Silent Feature Picture, 1915-1928 (History of the American Cinema, Vol 3)
Richard Koszarski
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0520085353 |
Book Description
The silent cinema was America's first modern entertainment industry, a complex social, cultural, and technological phenomenon that swept the country in the early years of the twentieth century. Richard Koszarski examines the underlying structures that made the silent-movie era work, from the operations of eastern bankers to the problems of neighborhood theater musicians. He offers a new perspective on the development of this major new industry and art form and the public's response to it.
Customer Reviews:
One of the greatest books on the silent age.......2006-11-28
This is a must have for any film buff . This volume is endlessly fascinating as it covers all areas of the silent film age from the studios to the theatres and everything in between. The author speaks in a factual style without being dry and the photo's all serve to illustrate the text. I have seen and read an endless amount of books on film being a dye-in-the -wool film fanatic all my life and this book stands amongst the most informative, fascinating well researched volumes I have ever seen. You know you love a book when you can't put the darn thing down, which was the case with this one.
An Incredibly Thorough Look at the Silent Film.......2002-08-05
Don't be fooled by the slimness of this book. It is packed with information and is extremely useful in giving the reader a view of the American film industry in the heyday of the silent era.
One can read not only about popular genres and movie stars, but about how the studios came into existance (and Koszarski presents this in a clear, understandable way), and how movies were shown to the public, including the legendary "dream palace" movie theaters.
I am left breathless by this book. Was there an aspect of movies in the 1920s that Koszarski overlooked? If so, it must be unimportant. He mastered an incredible amount of information and presented it very clearly and concisely here. Highly recommended to all interested in the American film industry.
Book Description
Completing the landmark, award-winning, ten-volume series on the first century of American film, The Fifties covers a particularly tumultuous period. Peter Lev explores the divorce of movie studios from their theater chains; the panic of the blacklist era; the explosive emergence of science fiction as the dominant genre (The Thing, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Forbidden Planet, War of the Worlds); the rise of television and Hollywood's response to the new medium, as seen in widescreen spectacles (The Robe, The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur) and mature Westerns (High Noon, Shane, The Searchers). The richly detailed text elucidates a number of emerging trends as Hollywood, with its familiar stars and genres, reached out as an industry to the newly acknowledged "teenage" generation with rock and roll films, and movies as diverse as Rebel Without a Cause and Gidget.
Customer Reviews:
In the Middle.......2007-01-13
This is a good book, but it could have been a better book.
The main text, by Peter Lev, is very good. He clearly appreciates the movies of the Fifties, yet he is not uncritical of their shortcomings. Lev writes about the ups and downs of the major and minor studios and makes this business history informative and interesting. He also describes the major genres of the Fifties (except for sci-fi) and he does a superb job of discussing key films in those genres.
The problem lies with the "expert" chapters on special topics, such as the blacklist, censorship, the response to TV, and sci-fi films. These chapters are not written by Lev but by experts. The result is that Lev's narrative is interrupted by huge chunks of convoluted academic prose that make the reader wish that Lev had been trusted to write the whole book himself. Lev's part of the book soars. The expert chapters bring it crashing down to earth.
The Fifties came in the middle of the Twentieth Century, and "The Fifties" is about the middle of this history of American film series in terms of quality. It isn't one of the best books, but it isn't one of the worst either. The annoying thing is that it could have been better.
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