Looking for recommendations for good movie reads

[charliechaplinfan]

I just read Karl Brown's book Adventures with DW Griffith. It looked quite a formidable tome, very small writing with the text packed tightly into each page. I braced myself for a hard read, I couldn't have been further from the truth. Karl Brown has a writing style all of his own that completely won me over. He was a lad of 16 when he started working for Griffith and 21 when he left his employment just before Griffith returned East with his prodution company. He jumps off the page at the reader as ths young lad, who started with Griffith with some film experience and who Griffith allowed to blossom by allowing him to do experiments. Insights are gained into the filming of primarily Birth of a Nation and Intolerance and also into the stars such as Lillian Gish and the cameraman Billy Bitzer. One of the best books on silent cinema I've read.

[moviemagz]

Thanks for the further recommendations!!!

I also recommend the vintage James Robert Parish books:

Paramount Pretties
The RKO Gals
The Fox Girls

Parish was often very harsh with his comments about the various films, it almost made you wonder if he liked old movies at all. And you certainly can tell which stars are NOT on his favorites list (ie: Miriam Hopkins in the Paramount book [even though she's also not on mine LOL] .)

[MichiganJ]

In the middle of a number of books, but one I can't put down (and can barely pick up, it's so heavy) is Art of the Modern Movie Poster. Featuring over 500 pages of absolutely stunning pictures of film posters from around the world, this book is fantastic. Rather than comparing the various posters for each film (although this is done with some), the book is broken into chapters by country, and so far, I've made it through Poland, The Czeck Republic, Russia, Germany and France (and boy are my arms tired....from holding this tome!) Each page holds anywhere from one to six posters, and, brilliantly, the information identifying the poster is not directly under the picture, forcing me to try and figure out what movie is being represented. Naturally, many you can tell by the cast, etc. but a lot are difficult and yet make perfect sense once you learn what the film is. The various posters for Hitchcock's The Birds, for instance, are spectacular, if somewhat bizarre (as is the film, I suppose). So far, some standouts include: the Czech's The Big Sleep (the "new" version); Russia's Once Upon a Time in America; Czech's The Seven Year Itch; a 2-page spread of some of Godard films from France. France's Love at Twenty (Truffaut's film); and the stunner: the Czeck poster for Bergman's Persona, which has the famous photo of Liv and Bibi made out of sand.

[charliechaplinfan]

That sounds like an absolutely great book, might keep my eyes peeled for that one

Over the past month I've read Mary Pickford Rediscovered by Kevin Brownlow which is highly recommended for so many reasons but mostly for the reflection on her body of work and the beautiful illustrations.

Then following along that road I read Eileen Whitfields book on Mary, well written, lots of narrative, I didn't completely agree with her opinions on some of Mary's films, I thought she was a little harsh but all in all very good.

I'm half way through Jeffrey Vance's book on Douglas Fairbanks which I highly recommend for the details it gives on his career and his movies.

[rudyfan]

I just read Karl Brown's book Adventures with DW Griffith. It looked quite a formidable tome, very small writing with the text packed tightly into each page. I braced myself for a hard read, I couldn't have been further from the truth. Karl Brown has a writing style all of his own that completely won me over. He was a lad of 16 when he started working for Griffith and 21 when he left his employment just before Griffith returned East with his prodution company. He jumps off the page at the reader as ths young lad, who started with Griffith with some film experience and who Griffith allowed to blossom by allowing him to do experiments. Insights are gained into the filming of primarily Birth of a Nation and Intolerance and also into the stars such as Lillian Gish and the cameraman Billy Bitzer. One of the best books on silent cinema I've read.

I could not agree more. Sadly, Brown was working on a second manuscript which I recall Kevin Brownlow telling me was completed. It was mentioned in a footnote in Brownlow's The War The West and The Wilderness and I asked him about the follow up volume. Keving told me that Farrar Strauss & Giroux decided not to publish it. I wish Brown's descendents would offer it up to a smaller publisher, that is one man who does not deserve to be silenced. His book is right next to Brownlow's (and not due to alphabetizing!)

[charliechaplinfan]

Donna, that's such a shame, I wish we could contact his family and tell them how fascinating we find him. Karl Brown's a natural at telling a story, I just love how his personality came shining through the text.

[Professional Tourist]

If anyone might be interested in reading about Judy Garland, for a couple of years I read just about every book about her I could find -- and there are plenty since she lived her life so publicly. I can recommend the following:

Judy -- Gerold Frank
Rainbow's End -- Coyne Steven Sanders
World's Greatest Entertainer -- John Fricke
Get Happy -- Gerald Clarke (a bit spicier than the others )

Some of these books are out-of-print, but it's easy to find used copies on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

[rudyfan]

Kay Francis, A Passionate Life and Career by Lynn Kear and John Rossman is a good book, with its sources very well identified, but I felt it focused more on Kay's personal life rather than her career. Is her other biography I Can't Wait to Be Forgotten more focused on her career?

I'm sorry I'm late dropping in to this thread, so this question may well have been answered. Scott O'Brien's book is okay. Too much plot of film filler and covers much the same territory as the Lear/Rossman book.

I adore Kay, absolutely fascinating person on screen and off.

I recently read Mary Astor's two books, My Story and A Life on Film. Taken in the context of when My Story was written, Astor is quite candid on some things and is quite skittish about others (the mores and morals of the time, I expect as well as the dainty none of your damned business)

David Skal's bio on Claude Rains is pretty good. I've always had a fascination with Rains and this book does quench that thirst to a degree.

I'm looking forward to Emily Leider's forthcoming bio of Myrna Loy. I loved and love Being and Becoming, but I'm glad someone else is taking a look at Myrna.

Donna

[feaito]

Thanks for your feedback Donna. I truly appreciate it.

What about Kear's & Rossman's second book on Kay, "The Complete Kay Francis Career Record: All Film, Stage, Radio and Television Appearances"? Have you read it? I also have that one in my Wish List.

[Vienna]

I am surprised there isn't more on this thread. So many good books out there.
I'm re- reading HITCHCOCK AND SELZNICK by Leonard Leff (1987). This partnership was never going to survive as both men had to be in charge.Very readable with lots of illustrations.
THE BIG BOOK OF 'B' MOVIES or HOW LOW WAS MY BUDGET is by Robin Cross (1981) . More an illustrated history, there are over 300 photos of film scenes - films like NANCY DREW, THE SAINT, HOODLUM EMPIRE, MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS.
One of my all time favorite books is DARK CITY,THE LOST WORLD OF FILM NOIR, written as if by a noir scriptwriter, by Eddie Muller.
I realise so many books are no longer easy to find but it's worth the search!

[charliechaplinfan]

I think this thread got lost because we also have a What Are You Reading Thread under General Chat but with Christmas coming up it's a good thread to start going again.