Video Books

Outstanding. Highly Recommended. Excellent Book. A fascinating, engaging, innovative and original work. A fine account of film noir and 1940s Hollywood filmmaking, film censorship and propaganda, and wartime conditions in America's movie capital during World War II. Ample noir stories of Los Angeles, Raymond Chandler, Humphrey Bogart, James M. Cain, Billy Wilder, Fritz Lang, Alan Ladd, Peter Lorre, Howard Hawks with hardboiled crime, venetian blinds, swirling cigarette smoke and smoldering seductive femme fatales like black widow Barbara Stanwyck, Veronica Lake and Rita Hayworth. A rich provocative study. Terrific and enjoyable read for film buffs, cineastes, film critics, movie fans, industry insiders, cultural historians, researchers and cinema scholars, and an insightful and compelling look at the unexplored history of film noir and wartime Hollywood in the 1940s. Biesen's Blackout is quite a find, a must-read book on film noir. Wonderful revelations and essential reading for lovers of film noir.

"Blackout" is subtitled "World War II and the Origins of Film Noir," and Sheri Chinen Biesen, an assistant professor of radio, television and film studies at Rowan University, delivers the goods in this scholarly book. At the end of World War II, a large backlog of American films suddenly became available overseas. The French, seeing these films for the first time "all at once" instead of over a period of years, noticed a "dark" trend in them that had not been especially obvious to their American producers. French critics coined the term "film noir" to describe what they saw as virtually a new genre in filmmaking.

Films noir typically (but not exclusively) featured hard-boiled private detectives, alluring but deadly "femmes fatale," stories told in flashbacks, complex plots, unconventional camera angles and stark black-and-white photography. Many of them involved crimes gone wrong, double- and triple-crosses, murder and mayhem, and the nastier side of human relationships. "Blackout" shows how these characteristics arose from the political, social, cultural and material conditions that existed in America during World War II. For example, films noir are "dark" because: a) lights were in short supply, b) power was rationed, and c) the West Coast (where most films during the War were made) was blacked out nightly because of the fear of Japanese submarine attacks. Many film noir stories took place at night, because the Government prohibited daytime photography that could accidentally include defense installations--thus eliminating most of the favored movie-making locations in Southern California. Relationships between men, serving overseas in combat, and women, who now did many of the previously male-dominated jobs on the Home Front, changed during the War, and films noir could not help but reflect these changes.

One of the most fascinating aspects of film production in World War II was the interaction of the movie studios with the Production Code Administration (PCA). "Blackout" describes in detail how the PCA enthusiastically carried out its "responsibility" of censoring screenplays that the studios presented to it in order to obtain the important "seal of approval." For example, the PCA banned "excessive drinking...references to sex, suggestive dancing, [and] any condoning of divorce..." from the screenplay for "Phantom Lady." This is just one very minor example. One wonders not only how films made under the heavy hand of PCA censorship could be very good (which many are), but indeed how any meaningful films could possibly have been made at all.

"Blackout" covers the evolution of film noir trends in great depth. It focuses on genre classics such as "Double Indemnity," "This Gun For Hire," "The Postman Always Rings Twice," "Murder, My Sweet" and "Laura," but it also covers many other films. The text is detailed, readable and thoroughly footnoted, although I did find it somewhat repetitive in parts. For example, the point about location filming restrictions is similarly made many times. "Blackout" may be heavy going in some places for readers with just a casual interest in the subject, but it is nevertheless an excellent primer on the development of a uniquely American film style.

Yes, Shari Chinen Biesen has detonated a landmine in the field of film noir studies with her contention that, far from being a postwar movement, noir is totally tied up with actual conditions of the war being felt and fought during Hollywood studio production; so we might come to see the heyday of film noir as not the release of OUT OF THE PAST, nor any of the location-dominated "March of Time" inspired docudramas, but much earlier on, with the filming of THIS GUN FOR HIRE with Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake.

She invites us to attend to the way WWII scared the daylights out of Los Angeles and curtailed social activity through a literal blackout in which the previously iconic klieglights were darkened "for the duration," while West Coast citizens and government officials and conspiracy theorists worried about how soon the Japanese would attack southern California by bomber or submarine or from within.

Secondarily the arrival of so many talented artists from Nazi-dominated Europe gave film a darker cast, both in front of the camera and behind. She points to STRANGER ON THE THIRD FLOOR, THE MALTESE FALCON, PHANTOM LADY, and DOUBLE INDEMNITY as beneficaries of this process. With the top male stars in uniform, like Gable, Jimmy Stewart, Robert Taylor, the studios had to improvise and invent a new sort of cinema, one in which their female stars would henceforward be paired with freaks--old men, foreign men, little boys--the refuse of the draft. This was a time when an actor like Albert Dekker, Orson Welles, Peter Lorre, Laird Cregar, George Sanders, could dreeam of Hollywood stardom; when super short actors like Alan Ladd were suddenly magnified; when gay actors who'd been declared unfit for military service could become huge box office draws, their heterosexuality reinscribed by press flacks; and older men found their stardom artificially extended by a decade or more (William Powell, Ronald Colman, guys like that.) A few remaining tall, handsome, young and heterosexual men remained employable--John Wayne, Ronald Reagan, becoming stars no little thanks to the vacuum around them. And they were talented too, of course.

And women moved behind the camera too, as editors, producers, writers: Joan Harrison, Catherine Tunney, Harriet Parsons, Virginia van Upp, Leigh Brackett. As BLACKOUT progresses towards the end of the war in 1945, we relive a strange moment in history in which Hollywood once again hardened itself for the invasion--the re-entry into their midst of all the returning vets, stars, writers, directors and miscellaneous personnel--who would put these trends on fast track and bring them outdoors.

This volume stands out as one of, if not the, best book in English on film noir, a movement previously largely defined mostly through stylistic analysis and psychoanalytic interpretation. It differs from traditional approaches, offering background which the other books fail to include. By relying on historical sources and context, Biesen indicates noir's rise with the social and most particularly production circumstances brought about by World War II. None of this has been treated before, in any detail, and many of her points are original (such as the impact of realism on film noir). Demonstrating how actual wartime life and daily constraints led to the genre will be one of the ways this book will be important for historians of all types for this era and its culture. The book is simultaneously accessible yet sophisticated, vital and engaging, and is written to attract the widest possible audience.
The primary research mines lodes of information too often overlooked in film studies, demonstrating the manner in which such sources as censorship and studio publicity may enhance a critical and theoretical examination. Biesen demonstrates a familiarity with the films and supporting documentation which are the source of the book's assertions. Unlike so many studies marked by excessive theoretical speculation and cursory historical research, this book combines a wide range of examples with a determination to remain rooted in the evidence they offer.
Biesen merges close interpretation of individual films, production history, censorship records, publicity, critical response, audience reception, the star system, industry history, and genre analysis. Most studies use only two or three of these possibilities, and the author is to be commended for the depth and breadth of research.
Endemic of this exhaustive research is the usage of reviews beyond Variety and the New York Times, the indexed, reprinted journals which are as far as most studies go--although neither offer representative reviews. Few scholars have mined such treasures as the film pressbooks, especially with such fruitful results.
So too, Biesen's arguments have been carefully thought through; for instance, I was pleased to see the connections between noir and the espionage genre made, similar genres whose relation is too often overlooked. The role of female executives in producing noir was surprising. The linkage between realism and noir was a brilliant insight, and a case convincingly made by the author, one which will profoundly change conceptions of the genre. The relevance of HUAC in ending noir was also enlightening.
I was relieved to see, too, that the author knows to interpret documents, not simply taking them at face value. For instance, noting when filmmakers blithely disregarded censorship instructions will change conceptions of the role of censors.
I strongly and without reservation recommend this book.

On welfare and already with too many children to call her own, Mrs. Johnstone is once again faced with another pregnancy--this time, twins. With the ability to only support one, Mrs. Johnstone is persuaded to give one of the babies to her childless employer, Mrs. Lyons. In an attempt to keep the boys apart when they unknowingly meet face-to-face and become "blood brothers," the Lyons move to another home in the English countryside. When the Johnstones are relocated, Mickey and Eddie again are happily reunited. As they get older, however, the difference in their social classes and a bitter love triangle tear them apart. One of the most haunting musical tragedies since West Side Story.

Though it is a bit crude in some parts, BLOOD BROTHERS remains and probably always will be my favorite musical of all time. The plot of the story revolves around a set of twins (Mickey and Eddie) separated at birth because their mother cannot afford to raise two more children. A deal is struck with the infertile employer of Mrs. Johnstone, Mrs. Lyons, and one of the children is raised by the Lyons in luxury. The only catch, no one must ever know the truth. As life has it, the boys eventually meet anyway and become the best of friends, blood brothers.

Willy Russell created a real gem here. BLOOD BROTHERS is a moving musical filled with all the tragedy and comedy of life, but without resorting to sentimental sap. The play exposed and illustrated to me the fatal flaws of the British economic caste system in a way far better than any other piece of literature ever has. It's a great play and though the moving music is not found here in the script, there's still the story.

I saw the London stage version of "Blood Brothers" last summer and left the Adelphi Theater completely and satisfyingly exhausted from the emotions that the story wrung out of me. What I loved most was the uncalulated, "sorry but this is life" attitude, and the total believability of all of the characters.
Willy Russell lovingly crafted every aspect of the story. The premise of the plot has been done time and again, but Russell magically shows us how everything old is new again--and brilliantly so. These are people we know, these are our friends, our neighbors, perhaps even ourselves. Oddly, the show didn't endear itself to Broadway, but it has been running since the 80's in London. Another point of interest: if you look hard enough, you can find three Original Cast versions. The first, starring Kiki Dee, another (I believe from the Broadway version), and an "international version" starring Petula Clark, David Cassidy and Shaun Cassidy. Willy Russell plays the role of the Narrator, and he has a magnificent voice. This last version is my favorite. With real life brothers taking on such an emotionally charged project, Petula Clark as the tragic Mrs. Johnstone, and Willy Russell haunting the stage, the electricity flies. Backed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the experience is nothing short of magic.
"Blood Brothers", like "Phantom of the Opera", "Les Miserables" and "Chicago" is definitely a more than one time show. The young man sitting next to me had seen "Blood Brothers" for the sixteenth time! And still, he had tears in his eyes, as did I. Read the book; it won't ruin the play for you. If you're lucky enough to get to London, by all means make "Blood Brothers" top priority for the show to see.

It's an excellent story, full of laughs and tears. Mrs. Johnstone, who is barely getting by with the several children she already has, discovers she is pregnant again with twins (Micky and Eddie). She cannot support both of them so her employer, Mrs. Lyons, who is unable to have children, convinces Mrs. Johnstone to let her keep one of the babies. However, the boys are never to know that they are twins, for if they find out, so superstition says, they will both immediately die.
Of course, as years pass, the boys do meet and become best friends. They become 'Blood Brothers' and are always there for each other. But as they get older, they see the differences their social classes have brought upon them. They have grown up differently and tension starts to form between the two of them. But still, they never know the truth until it's too late.

I was given a copy of this book by a friend, because i'm always nagging her about omens and synchronicity. I wasn't sure about the whole movie star angle at first, but as I started to read I found i could relate, to everything in this book and see the parallels in my own life. Forget about Harry Potter, real magic is right here in our daily lives and it doesn't take much training to start to see it... Great book! Also the DVD that came with the book is great fun, witches in New Orleans, more of a fantasy, than the book, but it was totaly fresh, better than the Craft or Practical Magic. (naughtier too)

If you are pursuing dreams in your life, this book is for you!

I found this book to be an excellent and refreshing read. The Hollywood stigma is that you either survive or die, and Jacobs definitely supports the theory that you can do-it-yourself. His amazing collection of work and insightful abilities to craft a good story are truly masterful.

READ THIS BOOK. BUY THIS BOOK. DELIGHT IN THIS BOOK.

...

Wow! What a fun read! It's smart, funny, inspiring, a quick read, everything you could expect from a great book! The book includes a special DVD of the author's cult film classic film Lucinda's Spell, starring Jon Jacobs and model Kristina Fulton. The DVD alone is worth the price of addmission, baby!

The book itself is wondrous. The DVD is just the icing on the already marvelous cake? So! Are you getting the impression I liked it? Mr. Jacobs has a new comedy called HEY DJ that's coming out soon. If it's half as good as this book HEY DJ will be the film to watch for this movie season!

The Book Of Omens: The Magical True Adventures Of A Self-Made Movie Star is the amazing autobiography of Jon Jacobs, a British-born actor who followed his own dreams to stardom and who has appeared in (or directed) over two dozen feature films. Jon's marvelous life and his deep belief in omens as signals from the universe itself to guide him to his ultimate destiny, mark this original, attention engaging, and reader enriching narrative. Enhanced with the inclusion of a 105-minute DVD of the movie "Lucinda's Spell", The Book Of Omens is truly exceptional and confidently recommended.

For anyone interested in understanding the business of video game development this book should be on the top of your list of things to read first. Written for the person trying to get into game development or the person in game development looking to start out on their own. It combines both the business and the legal fundamentals that you need to know to get started in video game development. Includes analysis of publishing agreements and EULA's that are extremely helpful to any game developer. Also includes things you need to know to protect your intellectual property rights and what kinds of things in video games can be protected. The book is not overly complicated and in fact it is written to be easy and fun to read. The authors are all experts in the fields of business and law of video games and you can tell they had a good time writing this book. One of the most interesting chapters includes helpful suggestions from leaders in the video game industry on things that they wish they would have known starting out as game developers. Overall this book is a must for game developers and fun reading for anyone that is interested in understanding the business of games.

I am an attorney who only occasionally encounters intellectual property issues stemming from "gaming" in my practice. However, like most males my age, I'm fascinated by the video game industry, and in particular, video game development. I picked up this book to learn a little bit more about gaming issues--partly in the hopes of expanding my practice, partly in an effort to learn more about the industry--and ended up buying this primer on a whim. It turned out to be a great decision...not only does this book provide the astute, rock-solid legal analysis I would expect from a legal primer, it also gives an amazing and exciting inside look at the world of development.

The primer begins with a good-natured and insightful perspective on starting your own game company, winds its way through the trials of day-to-day business operations and ends up with some shared experiences from those who have "made it" in the world of video game development, including the co-founders of GameLab. In between, well-researched and easy-to-understand legal advice is dispensed on a wide range of pertinent topics, including intellecual property law, contract law, taxation and even the current state of law in virtual worlds.

In short, this primer is an affirmatively *enjoyable* read--a rarity among legal primers, as I can unfortunately attest--and a must-read for would-be developers and anyone else who wants to really understand the ins and outs of video game development. I plan on recommending it not only to my clients but to anyone who is even remotely interested in learning more about the gaming industry.

Superb book. Enormously Practical text. The best intellectual property law and game development book on the market. A very healthy read. may change your whole perspective on business, games and life.

This is one amazing book. It quite literally addresses every possible business and legal issue for the game industry. Not only that, the information in this book is applicable to really any software or software intensive company. A+

If you are even thinking of forming a company in the computer gaming industry, or if you're an outside developer presenting a game to a company, here is a wealth of information. Of course, as one of the contributor says, 'if you have $10 million already and you are starting a game company, then you can afford to hire a lawyer to do all this work for you.' But just to double check the work he is doing you still should read this book.

This book really has two sections. First is about starting a company. This is on all the general business parts like creating a legal business entity, renting an office, hiring staff, product and market analysis, raising capital, etc.

But then comes the second part that is specific to the gaming industry, especially the intellectual property that you are creating as you define characters, the art aspects of how the game looks, and the contracts you will need to have in place with your developers or with a game distribution company if you use them.

There's another aspect that could fit under either of these two as they are not standard for most businesses but not restricted to games either, this includes selling internationally, paying international taxes and so on.

Basically, as the title of this book says, it's a 'Primer,' that is, a general introduction that will enable you to know what you're talking about but not enough to consider yourself an attorney.

This is probably the best handbook for this discipline I've ever seen. I bought a copy when I was in the States three years ago - and it was swiped ! I plan to prescribe this book for my students from 2001 onwards. Well done !

John Hill ctftvs@netactive.co.za

Of the two major "textbooks" on ACing, this is the best one to start with. It gives enough information to initiate you into what is expected of all members of the camera crew, but is not overwhelming with technical info (not that you are not going to want that info someday, but if you are new, it can be confusing and even discouraging.) After this book, get David Elkin's Camera Assistant's Manual, which goes into much further detail. As you work with different cameras, download the manuals from the panavision/arri/aaton/etc websites so you can feel comfortable with the differences in individual cameras. Lastly, get a used copy of the very expensive American Cinematographer Manual for all the technical bits in one handy portable reference book. This, and tons of set experience, is probably all you need (and keep in mind some of the greatest cinematographers who ever lived worked without any of these aids). Rely on your eye!

This book is a complete and highly insightful manual for motion picture camera assistants and operators. It covers the disciplines, techniques, skills and even the politics of the craft. For anyone involved or wanting a fabulous look into the workings of the film industry, buy this book!

Compiled from years of teaching innumerable students at the International Film & Television Workshops in Rockport, ME, this book supercedes all previous texts on the subject. A former President of East Coast Camera Local 644, Hart writes in a manner as readable as it is thorough. Illustrations and appendices are completely useful. This is the new Bible for the working A.C. and anyone seeking to understand how the camera department really functions.

Living in Los Angeles and being involved in the film industry, I saw this book, glanced through it and immediately bought it. All I ever wanted to know about the different career opportunites available in the film industry are named and defined with details such as employment and advancement prospects, training needed, salaries and so on. As I had been considering changing careers within the industry, I found this book to be the exact one necessary for me to define what other related employment opportunites were available to me. No other such book was on the shelves! Finally a concise, succinct albeit encyclopedia-like book/guide is here to delineate all the jobs I ever wanted to consider in the highly competitive world of film. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in working in this exciting, no-two-days-alike world.

Living in Los Angeles and being involved with the film industry, I saw this book, glanced through it and immediately bought it. All I ever wanted to know about the different career opportunities available in the film industry are named and defined with details such as employment and advancement prospects, training needed, salaries and so on. As I had been considering changing careers within the industry, I found this book to be the exact one necessary to define what other related employment opportunities were available to me. No other such book was on the shelves! Finally a concise, succinct albeit encyclopedia-like book/guide is here to delineate all the jobs I ever wanted to consider in the highly competitive world of film. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in working in this exciting, no-two-days-alike world.

One of my teachers at my film school showed us this book a few years ago and i had been looking for it everywhere! When i found it, I jumped at the chance to get it and have not left it alone since I got it a few months ago! I love it! It really helps you understand the jobs in the industry and really helped me choose the direction i want to go with my Career after school! I really recommend this book!!!!!!

You don't have to live in Hollywood to work in the film industry even though a large part of moviemaking is based in and around Los Angeles. Independent film (and even an ever increasing number of studio productions) are made "on location" around the country and around the world. Career Opportunities In The Film Industry is an essential reference for anyone considering the prospects for employment in this globe-spanning industry. Thematically organized into sixteen sections, the more than 75 jobs range from screenwriter, Stuntperson, Storyboard Artist, Production Assistant, and color timer, to auditor, gaffer, film critic, boom operator, music supervisor, caterer, and dialect coach. Informed and informative, each job descript-ion is succinct and comprehensive. Also available in a hardcover edition, Career Opportunities In The Film Industry is enhanced with the inclusion of a glossary, bibliography, various appendices, and an index.

An informative and enjoyable guide to Britains popular comedy series that is full of everything you wanted to know about the carry on films and probably more. Intelligent and witty, this offers a critical guide to all 31 carry on films which comes complete with facts behind the scenes of the film, the best scenes in that particular film, best actor/actress and shared memories from the cast. Lovley photographs throughout from stills of the film as well as cast and publicity shots. As well as an informative guide to the films it also offers a faultless guide of the t.v series that began in the late sixties and every stage production of the carry on phenemonan. A must have for any serious Carry On fan. Very enjoyable. Recommended!

An informative and enjoyable guide to Britains popular comedy series that is full of everything you wanted to know about the carry on films and probably more. Intelligent and witty, this offers a critical guide to all 31 carry on films which comes complete with facts behind the scenes of the film, the best scenes in that particular film, best actor/actress and shared memories from the cast. Lovley photographs throughout from stills of the film as well as cast and publicity shots. As well as an informative guide to the films it also offers a faultless guide of the t.v series that began in the late sixties and every stage production of the carry on phenemonan. A must have for any serious Carry On fan. Very enjoyable. Recommended!

This great carry on companion is a great addition to any fans collection. It features all 31 of the carry on films and also biographys of the cast and crew. It's such a great price too, one that any fan can afford. Also there is a behind the scenes section where you find out information on the stars lives outside of the carry on circle. This is a must for any carry on fan and i recommend you buy it today.

An informative and enjoyable guide to Britains popular comedy series that is full of everything you wanted to know about the carry on films and probably more. Intelligent and witty, this offers a critical guide to all 31 carry on films which comes complete with facts behind the scenes of the film, the best scenes in that particular film, best actor/actress and shared memories from the cast. Lovley photographs throughout from stills of the film as well as cast and publicity shots. As well as an informative guide to the films it also offers a faultless guide of the t.v series that began in the late sixties and every stage production of the carry on phenemonan. A must have for any serious Carry On fan. Very enjoyable. Recommended!

Whether you're interested in 2D or 3D, Preston Blair is an excellent source for animation principles. It's a shame it's Out of Print and only available through scalpers who apparently care neither about good animation nor passing on Mr Blair's wisdom accessibly - it's all about the bottom line for them. At over $5.00 a page (I wouldn't mind paying Mr Blair this much directly, but not some scalper), check your library instead. Or write to the publisher and ask them to put it back in print. Great book though! Bad scalpers, shame!

Preston Blair does it again - another fine instructional guide on animation.

I wish his books never went out of print -- It was challenging to find the predecessor to this book (Animation I).

I want know about Animation .

I was facinated as the artist/author gave me a glimpse into the style and technique that Walt Disney and his crew of animators developed to create Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, et al. It was really ground-breaking stuff in its day. Explained well; illustrated well.

As an engineer that is involved with ITS closed circuit television systems, "CCTV" is a great book to have on my desk. It provides me the information needed for my profession. You will find the book to be very technical, but easy to follow. The explaination of the CCTV system, from camera(s) to monitor(s), is complete and covers the most important hardware that a professional will encounter. "CCTV" helps me meet my goal to be one of the top experts of my profession. Engineers, technicians, consultants and installers involved with CCTV systems should definitely have a copy. Thank you, Mr. Damjanovski!!!

This is an Excellent book. It presents a lot of useful information and is perfect for professionals with a technical background. It doesn't go too deep into the theory but it tells just you what you need to know and gives you an idea of where to look for further information. It's expensive, but it's worth the money.

This is an excellent book for someone new to CCTV and who wants to know how things tick. I highly recommend this book for technicians, Security Managers and "techies".

Vlado does an excellent job explaining some very technical aspects of complex items in a way that is easy to follow.

If you are involved in the design of security CCTV systems, you would be remiss not to read this book. It clearly explains the physical and electronic science and how it relates to design theory.

Though he hasn't made a movie since the 1950s, CB DeMille is still a name that says "Hollywood" to anyone who hears it. But, aside from The Ten Commandments, it's possible that most people today don't know who he was or what he did. Robert Birchard's book, written in a blithe, easy-going style -- as if you're talking to him -- reminds us who CB was and how important he was to the history of film. Using original sources as much as possible (rather than second and third hand accounts) Mr. Birchard has traced DeMille's career through his films, in the process seeing as many as are still available (sadly not all are). In doing so, he manages to trace much of DeMille's life and the life and history of Hollywood as it grows and learns to use new and better technology to tell its stories. This book is both easy to read, fun to read, and even (gasp!) informative! But don't let stop you from buying and enjoying it!

Mention Cecil B. DeMille to many serious film fans, and they might snicker. DeMille has a reputation for corny, big-budget epics like THE TEN COMMANDMENTS or THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH. DeMille also has a reputation as a dictatorial director whose politics were extremely conservative.

DeMille was not really that simple of a person. He made some very personal films, some really entertaining films, and even some daring films for the time. Although he was politically conservative, several of his films preached the dangers of religious intolerance. His battle with the Radio performer's union was a matter of principle, and not money. And while the stereotypical Hollywood director was modeled on him, part of it was an act. DeMille had a great respect for his actors, as long as they were professional. DeMille also had a sense of humor, as some of his cameo appearances in films show.

Robert Birchard has assembled an incredible history of DeMille's film and radio work. DeMille was around during the birth of Paramount in 1915, and he was still a successful director all of the way through the 1950s. Using DeMille's original papers, telegrams from studio moguls like Jesse Lasky, and other direct sources of information.

You will read about DeMille's struggles with technical issues like poorly perforated film stock, cameramen, good and difficult actors, and pressure from management to get his films completed on time and under budget. Mr. Birchard has viewed all of DeMille's films that still exist, and he gives a candid review of all of them. The book also contains very detailed cast and crew listings, a list of DeMille's many cameo appearances, and everything is painstakingly documented in the end notes.

I can guarantee you that after reading this book, you will be very tempted to rent or buy a Cecil B. DeMille film and rediscover this master director yourself.

Before David Lean, before Michael Curtiz, and waaay before Ridley Scott and Steven Spielberg, there was Cecil B. DeMille, the creator of gargantuan epics from Hollywood's Golden Age. C.B. started making movies the year that D.W. Griffith shot "The Birth of a Nation" and died when Steven Spielberg was a kid in Arizona, shooting home movies. In between, he wrote, produced, directed and acted in close to a hundred films

Today, of course, DeMille is remembered for "The Ten Commandments" and "The Greatest Show on Earth," but Demille was far more than that. The Great Man directed westerns and bedroom comedies, time travel adventures (in the silent days, no less), and even a musical.

Remarkably, most of Cecil B. DeMille's five decades of film work survive, and Robert Birchard has seen all fifty years worth, and written about each film in a lucid, graceful prose; Birchard has delivered a feast of information for anyone who's interested in the history of Hollywood. (Did you know that Charlton Heston, the star of "The Ten Commandments," was making less than Yul Brynner? Did you know that during the filming of C.B.'s FIRST "Ten Commandments" (a gargantuan hit in 1923) that the slaves who were supposedly sweltering in the Egyptian desert were actually extras on the central California coast FREEZING in chilly Spring weather, and who bundled themselves into coats as soon as the director yelled "Cut"? Mr. Birchard lets us in on the behind-the-scenes action on each of C.B's films (each movie has its own individual chapter), as well as when the films were shot, when they were released, what they cost and what they made at the box office.

This is a book for anyone who wants to know where American films have been...and how we got to where we are today.

This excellent book rates 5 stars for a very factual, no-nonsense in-depth research job on the work of famous director/producer, Cecil B. DeMille. And the emphasis is on his work in Hollywood (hence the title) not on DeMille himself as a person, although quite a few passages throughout this book do shed light on his character and mentality. Rather than a biography-style work with speculation, rumour and gossip, the author of this book has painstakingly searched for, found and quoted all kinds of correspondence and other written records to tell the story of DeMille's career. At times it was quite fascinating to read telegrams and other notes between DeMille and producers or other co-workers, for instance, and while explaining certain events or procedures in the film industry, these letters also reveal a lot about DeMille's thoughts and ways of doing business.

Another highlight for me personally is how the book goes through DeMille's films chronologically, with a chapter on almost every film he directed (and he produced many more) often giving a summary of the plot, which is especially interesting in the case of his early silent films which are not readily available at present. Besides details of cast, crew and plot, many business aspects of the film industry are related, giving an overall comprehensive story of the course of DeMille's career such as how he moved from one type of film to another, or from one studio to another when circumstances changed. Even though this book deals with hard facts only, it is easy and enjoyable to read, and does not get bogged down with too much detail. As a bonus, there are sections of many good photos, further notes and information in the appendixes for anyone who is looking for more in-depth material. For anyone interested in DeMille's work and getting a realistic look into the film industry from the early 1910s onwards, this book will definitely fit the bill.