Arts and Culture Books

I was born in early 1953 so many of the fashions still mean something to me. I have to admit that I'm still drawn to the femininity of the period but I have my dreams and you have yours and we'll leave it at that. This is a good book for the money. Not too detailed, the reproductions can get a little bit fuzzy and there is no color; but this what you get for $15 these days. If you like what you see here, there are other resources to persue. It's a pretty good starting point.

I truly enjoyed reading the old advertising copy while looking at the old ads. Some of the fashions I remember my grandmother and mother wearing. Lots of fun reading.

This is a primary source book that tells the prices and materials, which are very helpful to a costume designer. I also enjoy the book Fifties Forever, which is similar except it's color photos of actual vintage stuff (the color does help, but the Sears catalogue is still great without it).

I thouroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was packed from start to finish with pictures. The book gives an excellent overview of what the average woman was wearing in the 1950's, unlike many similar books which focus on important designers.
While it is very light on text I still feel that it is a must for anyone interested in this period.

Whenever I take this book out, people fight over a peek into its glossy pages. It covers everything in fashion from the fifties, though mostly focusing on women. The pictures depict fashions, from dresses to shoes, hats and gloves to maternity wear; the women's hairstyles, makeup, and overall looks give the reader the most authentic possible view of fashion and the aesthetic ideals of the time. The catalogue also shows the prices and features descriptions that include fabric, color, and price. There are some pictures of teenage, male, and children's fashions. This book is thorough and unbelievably beautiful.

As the owner of a lifestyle and entertainment public relations firm, finding gifts for my unique clientele can be challenging. Fabulous Gifts makes my job a lot easier and I was surprised to discover how creative the gift-giving process can be.

This is the perfect book written by a trusted and noteworthy expert in the field.

Fabulous Gifts is also ideal for that family member that never seems to give you the "right" present.

Lash Fary is absolutely the man to help you with your age old dilemma; what do you give to the person that has everything? His tips are the best of the best, so much so that I just purchased an extra copy for Q's desk. (Q seems to think everything I could ever want MUST have some form of electronics in it)

CMDR Bond

I have always assumed I put a lot of thought into the gifts I give, but after reading Mr. Fary's book I realize I can do much better, in an easier manner. His personality quiz, to determine what type you are giving to, is so concise that I have yet to find a friend that does not fit neatly into one of his categories. And the suggestions that he makes for each category - at varios price levels (this is so helpful!) - are really creative and fun and so perfect that I find myself wishing that folks who buy gifts for me would all have this book as a guide first! As a fun bonus his own personality shines through in his writing, so I found myself laughing out loud at his witty remarks and Hollywood-insider humor. I hope to see more style guides from Mr. Fary in the near future.

Lash Fary has made the impossible possible! This book is the answer to all gift-giving needs. The book itself is full of helpful tips and suggestions to make anyone look like a "Hollywood Gift Guru" but also makes an ideal gift in and of itself. Lash Fary is BRILLIANT and the book is FANTASTIC! I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend this book. I'll keep one for myself and give it to friends and family as well. Now I can look forward to the holidays and celebrations throughout the year instead of being completely stressed about what to give to whom. Thank you Lash!

If you've ever found yourself breaking into a sweat about what to get that special someone who literally has everything, your troubles are over.

This genius guide to giving the perfect gift covers all of the dilemas you've ever faced; and has creative (and cost effective) solutions to them all.

It's an easy read, and a great reference to keep on hand during the holidays. And, the ultimate bonus? This book makes a perfect gift as well!

I'm thrilled with my purchase and recommend it to everyone.

From the vantage point of a historian, I value this book as a lavishly illustrated and researched book about the clothing of an era, and how that clothing reflected the intense cultural changes of the 1960s. The outstanding representation of the society of the decade with photographs, drawings, album covers, movie posters and art brought the text to life.

As a Baby Boomer, I saw this book as a nostalgic glance at my school days -- virtually a yearbook for graduates of the Mods, Rockers and Hippie school of fashion.

Fashions of a Decade: The 1960s is highly recommended for the history student, fashion student, or anyone looking for an authentic look into the heart of an era. Brava!

I really enjoyed this book. Its an interesting read about the effect of WWII on world fashion and also a helpful resorce guide to fashion and trends of the era. I must for any vintage clothing collector or swing kid!

I borrowed this book along with the other volumes (1940 to 1970 )from my library. This was exactly what I need for my assignment of different body types and the power of non verbal communication. It was very interesting and would recommend buying. This book was outstanding!

I thought this book was well written, even if it is supposedly for kids. It was full of information, pictures, and interesting trivia. As a free-lance writer and researcher of the Twenties, it's a good book to have in one's personal library!

I found this book to be well writen and researched. The illustrations were great, and very inspiring. I can't wait to try and sew some of these fashions myself. The historical aspects of the Fashions of the 1940s was very informative.

This is a wonderful book in the series with wonderful reproductions of the posters of the decade. Makes a wonderful gift for someone who loves movies as well as a great coffee table book. Highly recommended

Excellent... add it to your book collection! If you are a Star Wars fan check this out!

When I first looked at this book, it was like going back to my childhood, well, sort of, it was so neat to see posters of some of my favorite films from back then and a lot from movies that I never knew they made. The artwork on those posters is most certainly something to see and admire!!! If you love art and or movies this is THE book to get you won't be disappointed!

back in the day this was the best visual present.if the poster was cool then the movie would get Love.a picture can tell a thousand words.and the 70's had the coolest posters and arguable the best films in Movie History.before video tape you walk to the movie house and see the poster and the reaction you felt led you or back the other way.a solid must have book.

Like the other decade books in this series Film Posters of the 70's is a sensational buy. You could either keep it intact as a collection of posters in a book to show and discuss with friends, or cut the book up and actually have a vast number of posters up on your wall. This book is about a third the size of your standard film poster and most movies are full page colour. Any of them would look great up on the wall.

The 70's gave the world Star Wars, Grease, The Godfather, Mad Max, Alien, Taxi Driver, Texas Chainsaw Massacure, Halloween, Rocky and a very blood thirsty shark who changed human perception of sharks for decades to come named Jaws. These films along with other greats fill this book. Roger Moore also took over from Connery as James Bond and Clint Eastwood made a heap of Westerns. Find them here as well.

It is simply one of the most inspiring and novel books ever written about film production: Jean-Pierre Geuens' FILM PRODUCTION THEORY. This is not a "how to" book, it is a book that raises strategic questions about what we perceive as standard filmmaking practices and accepted aesthetic (professional) norms. What Geuens sets out to do is to open the potential filmmaker's mind to alternate ways of "skinning the cat" or alternate approaches to filmmaking from various significant aspects: screenwriting, composition, staging, sound, editing and even direction. The book is literally a testament to the benefits (and the pain) of thinking differently- of going against the grain and standing your ground. Geuens reveals the real reason anyone should go to film school and it is not to make a delightful reel of your work that imitates hollywood production values and conceits... He reminds us that what we love about certain filmmakers was born from those particular individual's unwillingness to conform- to challenged the pre-existing notions; so therefore this book inspires you to challenge, to explore, to take risks and more importantly to appreciate the risks and challenges taken by others. It is the kind of book that could be read simultaneously with any "standard" required film production book. Geuens repeats the rules and then reveals to you how others have broken the rules and still made provocative,groundbreaking and classic work. For graduate students, Geuens puts various thinkers (Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Derrida, Nietzche and Bazin) to great use and allows their thoughts to be easily understood in the context of film production. For the practicing (struggling) filmmaker, Geuens renews your faith in the differences between your work and "hollywood", your work and the conventional, the unique experiences of your soul and the "system". The lignt that permeates Geuens work is that he forces you to decide whether you are trying to really make films or trying," to use filmmaking to secure the easy life." (pg. 256) All in all this was a compelling, throughly engaging and necessary read for anyone interested in film, films studies, film production and film criticism.

I picked up this book thinking it would be a dry treatise about lighting and camera direction etc. But having not attended film school I thought it'd be good information to lay under my practical film Production experience.

...and it certainly opened my eyes.

This is a book for filmmakers, film critics, and those with a deep interest in film.

It does NOT tell you HOW to make a movie. It provides food for thought about the major production decisions that the Producer and/or Director considers when making a motion picture.

It is an extremely "thinky" book. Moored in the French New Wave, American Zoetrope and to a lesser extent Spanish and Italian cinema. It praises experimentation and asks the reader to consider the effect of everything that they will put into the film. Likewise, the author derides "Hollywood" for sacrificing the potential of the motion picture as art form in order to accumulate as much money as can be made. While this feeling is prevelant throughout the text, it is refreshingly not overbearing.

The book reads like a series of lectures about film theory on such topics as Film School, Writing, Directing, Framing, Lighting, Sound and Editing. In this format it is digestible in small chunks and allows the reader to process what they have read before taking on the next topic.

As an Independent Producer, I found the points in this book to be worthy of consideration as I develop, plan, shoot, and finish my projects. I don't agree with everything he says, but he says it in such a way as to help me understand the impact of my decisions (e.g. to shoot on location vs. on a soundstage). I could easily see myself skimming through this text before any project to help me frame my approach. This is as much a testament to its depth and density as it is to its worth.

It is a new century, a new reality... Hail the new art form! one that will only 100 years of life awaits to be fully and beautifully exploited by new kinds of filmmakers, artists, philosophers, dreamers and siners!

This is the one book you need to read to fully understand the capabilities of Cinema as a true art form, not an obscene business.

Thank you Mr. Geuens, blessings to your creatively anarchic mind.

BUY THIS BOOK!!!

First I thought what could this book tell me what I didn't know already. But then I realized this is not just about filmmaking, this book is about you and me and what we call life. It's a story of looking behind the curtain and seeing the wizzard but not giving up your dream. Deeply inspiring and ultimatly insightful, this is the one text everybody who cares about movies should read. I read this book in a day and I hope Mr. Geuens will continue to write. So fasten your seatbelt and be prepared to see your preconceived ignorance shatter into a thousand little pieces and out of it will rise a new outlook on life and the movies.

Film Production Theory is an exciting and important book. Most importantly, the book outlines what is at stake aesthetically and philosophically in what appear to be merely technical considerations that enter into the making of film. Unlike many other works that focus upon the finished product, or, upon the personalities behind the product, Geuen's book focuses upon the techniques of cinema, with an eye to clarify what are the assumptions about the nature of cinema that are implicit in those techniques. For example, with respect to screenwriting Geuens points out that the standardized approach to screenwriting, in which dialogue is the most prominent feature and camera movement and angles are for the most part deliberately left out, implies that film is about story first and image second and also implies a less than fully collaborative relationship between writers and directors. Of course some writers and directors do collaborate very effectively -- but in doing so they are going against a trend that is implicit in the mainstream traditions of filmmaking, traditions that make it difficult for filmmakers to, say, let images and settings be the impetus for a creative and improvisational approach to telling stories. In addition to screenwriting, Geuens gives very helpful and detailed analyses of the nature of film school, the techniques of directing and lighting and cinematography and sound and editing. In all this, he is not simply aiming to criticize the way films usually get made, or the techniques that get applied to filmmaking, but primarily to show that such techniques pretend to be the best and only professional way to do things when in fact there have been remarkable films made differently and with far different results. In fact, the first few chapters of the book are attempts to understand why and how the "Hollywood system" came to be what it has become, what impact it has had culturally, and along the way to consider and highlight paths that were never or rarely taken. Sometimes Geuens can get a bit heavy handed and he is certainly not without his own strong views, but the book as a whole works to open up and clarify and illuminate the process of filmmaking. He is extremely well read in philosophy and critical theory and film theory, and draws upon ideas from people like Heidegger and Merleau-Ponty and Deleuze and many others, but never simply in the form of obscure name dropping. His references to such thinkers almost never fail to be both extremely helpful on the nature of film and quite clear in its summary of the often obscure thoughts of difficulty philosophers. The book is both an exceptional guide for the aspiring filmmaker and a powerful complement to works of film theory that focus on the product rather than the process. I consider the book the most important book on film I have read in a very long time, and can't recommend it highly enough.

Darcie Denkert has given us a gem. Her lavish book with its incredible photographs tells Broadway and Hollywood tales with purpose. She discusses the influence of Broadway on filmmaking and the all-important connection between the two art forms in highly intelligent and most enjoyable prose. Her knowledge of the genres is huge, yet she lays it out in a natural way, never inserting herself into the stories, although she no doubt has many of her own across a distinguished career. Her passion for the subject is palpable. The people and places come alive in the telling.

This book is required reading for all budding theater impresarios and filmmakers.

You might expect that a work filled with such brilliant photography in the coffee-table sized format to be all fluff. Wrong, Ladies and Gentlemen. This work actually has something to say and does it in an intelligent fashion! Not for just anyone, but if you truly Love the American Musical it is a Must Have. Since I teach Musicals, both Broadway and Hollywood, this is a welcome reference work. Besides the photos are wonderful and many not seen elsewhere.

I couldn't agree more with the other two reviews. This is a marvelous book that any musical and/or movie musical fan will devour. And the design, layout and pics are all sensational. If only "A Chorus Line" had been included, the book would be perfect. (Maybe Denkert was precluded from writing about it for some reason.) In any event, this is a reader-friendly (not to mean dumb) coffee table book that won't break your wrists or the bank.

Being an observer of plays and movies with a particular interest in musicals I've long been puzzled by the difficulty there seems to be with moving a musical from Broadway to Hollywood. Why does a smash hit like Gypsy, sometimes called 'The best damn musical ever,' basically flop on screen?

Darcie Denkert is an expert on both Broadway and Hollywood. In this book she has carefully researched a series of the most famous musicals that were made into movies. Sometimes, like with Gypsy, the play simply doesn't translate into the big screen. The scene at the train station, for instance when Rose is shifting her attentions to Louise after June left in the play works well. The train station doesn't look like a train station, it looks like a set. The orchestra is visible, the song works. In the movie, at a real train station, you don't just burst into song. And the stars, great movie stars, just didn't fit.

This is the kind of information that only an insider with a foot into each camp could get and then put into a book. Referring to Gypsy again, the author also tells us how the stories got written, who did what, how did the music get written, what did they do in the screenplay to adapt it?

The book covers 6 big plays: My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Gypsy, The Sound of Music, Cabaret, and Chicago, and 8 smaller ones. This format gives all the space that is needed to completely tell the story. Gypsy, for instance gets 38 pages, and they're big pages. To we outsiders, not plugged into either Broadway or Hollywood, this is an absolutely fascinatin book.

darcie denkert has done a fabulous job talking about the great shows of broadway and their translation to the screen. i love this book--the illustrations are insightful and the text is very well thought out. it should be a great addition to any college course on musicals.

it is also a great thing to see a woman's voice come through on this subject that is dominated my many great writers such as ethan morrden and mark steyn.

go, darcie!

This book includes even more "forgotten gems" from
the original "Twilight Zone" - from the fourth and fifth
seasons of the show. "The Incredible World of Horace Ford",
"What's In the Box", "The Encounter", "Number 12 Looks Just Like You", and "Come Wander With Me" - not all of which were
good episodes but the scripts read way better than the episodes on TV actually are. There are two versions of "Horace Ford" and "Number 12", so this book is about twice the size of Volume 1. And, a bonus item is included, "Dreamflight" by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson (which was never produced on TV). The commentaries by Ramage are, once again, superb,
and they include anecdotes from some of the actors who are still living.

I loved reading this book. I've been a big fan of TZ since I was about six years old and these Zone Scripts books just keep coming out...Hamner, Matheson, George Clayton Johnson, Beaumont, Serling, and now this one. I LOVE the stories when I watch them on TV, but reading them is even more of a thrill. They are really great as literary pieces, just like the intro of the book says. The commentaries are really insightful too. I have been reading the COMPANION guide by Marc Scott Zicree for many years and I am sick of reading his comments. He's way too critical, whereas Ramage wields a strong pen and gives them exactly the kind of comments they deserve. I kind of wish there had been some production shots in this book like there are in the Serling Scripts book, but that's a minor point. A great book for any Zone fan.

Andrew Ramage has done it again - as in Vol. 1, all the dust is blown away from these gems - one gets an appreciation for how the written word gets translated, transfigured - molded into action. The glorious Trouble With Templeton is worth the price of admission alone - and Ramage's reviews of each entry are spot on
This is a great read and certainly a great addition to the TZ line of books

Kudos to Andrew Ramage for assembling this collection (the first of two parts), which turns the spotlight on a few of Twilight Zone's neglected writers and scripts.

In fine fashion, this book rounds out the line-up of Twilight Zone script books currently available. Releases from the distant and recent past have provided collections of the TZ work of Rod Serling, Charles Beaumont, Richard Matheson, Earl Hamner, George Clayton Johnson and Jerry Sohl. FORGOTTEN GEMS FROM THE TWILIGHT ZONE fills in the gaps by providing a look at the work of several non-core writers who contributed to the show.

These scripts may not be the most memorable of the TZ series, but they all hold a certain charm for fans of the show and classic television, and certainly stand on their own as entertaining entries. "Long Distance Call" and "The Trouble with Templeton" are particularly interesting scripts, and it's nice to have them in published form for easy reference. This book also presents a welcome treat by printing Charles Beaumont's story concept for the unproduced story "Pattern for Doomsday."

Revisit the lost art of television writing and enjoy FORGOTTEN GEMS FROM THE TWILIGHT ZONE.

Any true Twilight Zone Fan can tell you Rod Serling was a great writer , but although he was the main contributing writer to one of the greatest series in television history , he didn't do it alone, There were many that were responsible for bulk of great scripts that Mr Serling did not create.Richard Matheson,George Clayton Johnson , Jerry Sohl and Earl Hamner were all great writers that contributed more than a few scripts to the series,and all have had there works published in one form or another for fans to read and enjoy.But What about those other few "Forgotten Gems" that have fallen thru the cracks? I was more than excited to purchase this book , full of information about each script , the production process and actor/directer info, Andrew Ramage pays tribute to those writers of the series,that are some times over looked for thier great contributions to "The Twilight Zone" legacy .Episodes include " The Chaser", "Long Distance Call", "The Trouble With Templeton","Dead Man's Shoe's"and"I Dream Of Genie" . An unproduced concept script called "Pattern For Doomsday"(which was a great addition for me)is also included.Overall the collection is a great display of classic ideas from the begining of the television era,presented with great respect from Ramage, these scripts can now be enjoyed by sci fi fan's ," Twilight Zone Fan's or anyone that enjoy's a great story.

This retro-review is for,sadly,the now out of print 1987 paperback edition of "The Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Book".This is a re-released edition by Obelisk Books in 1987 and pretty much looks like the original hardcover edition printed in 1972 throughout.
I was really shocked to see that this book had gone out of print,for it is THE essential volume for any Fred Astaire fan,and especially those interested in his period with Ginger Rogers.
Like the original hardcover edition this one carries on with the "flip" pictures in the top right and left corners of the book.That is there are a series of incremental pictures that if one flips through at a causal speed,they can see Astaire and Rogers dancing in two different numbers.A nice little touch.
The best thing about this book though is how the author approaches her subject matter.She starts off the book giving us a short but well rounded look at both subjects and careers pre-teaming.Like the rest of the book you know here is a person who knows her subject matter inside and out and never writes DOWN to the reader.She writes more like a friend imparting details and essential background material on a subject you both love.
After the intro(about 18 pages) we come to the heart of the book,the film by film look at the ten benchmark motion pictures made starring Astaire and Rogers.
Each chapter is divided into four areas.First are the detailed production and acting credits.Second comes "The Film",thirdly "The Numbers" and lastly "Production".This is repeated for each chapter/film throughout the book and the details and knowledge she imparts are invaluable to any serious student of this dancing duo.Her prose are definitely not dry by any stretch and she keeps you riveted to the page throughout.
Here is an example from her chapter on "Roberta",where she is talking about one of the big numbers from the film,"Hard to Handle":
"The context for the number is an informal session on the dance floor of the Cafe' Russe,the audience for it consists of bartenders and cleaning women,and the beauty of it is that it really seems to be happening for the first time-it's like a moment of cinema verite' bursting through the surface of a polished commercial film.
We've all seen numbers in musicals that start in this supercasual way- and the "impromptu" walked-right-into number became a staple of the Astaire-Rogers repertory-but how many times,no matter how good the routine or how sophisticated our response,it happens that we feel a little stab in our childish hearts-"Oh,they've rehearsed".Sanity tells us that Astaire and Rogers have rehearsed;publicity statistics tell us how many back-breaking hours.But the difference between them and other performers is that,watching them,we aren't in possession of our sanity,we're happy children again,the story the numbers tell us is true.And the illusion of spontanteity makes the plot implication of the number credible;it cements the relationship of the screen characters they portray."
This is a typical sampling of Croces' prose and delivery but as you can see she talks with a deep and sure understanding of her subjects and imparts it to us in that wonderfully direct but non-condescending manner.Her understanding and feelings match very much our own which she translates beautifully to the page.No other book I have read on Astaire(and I have read ALOT!) matches Croce's style and understanding,attention to detail and all put in context to the times and the behind-the-scenes production details so essential in giving its' readers the fullest understanding possible of what went into creating the finished products.
This edition is about 191 pages long in total and has a plethora of pics to enhance your reading pleasure.The last approximately 10 pages are devoted to miscellaneous pics from the films and a full spread of director Mark Sandrichs' production notes from "Follow the Fleet".
For those interested in Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in an either casual fashion or from a more learned point of view,there isn't a volume before or since that will educate but entertain you at the same time,like "The Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers Book".
An essential must-have volume on this peerless pair!

Croce's book focuses upon the dances within each film. Her understanding of the wide range of the Astaire-Rogers filmed dance legacy, and her knowledge of what it took to achieve such excellence in performance...make this book one of the two or three main literary sources on the great dance pair. Astaire-Pan-Rogers, and Born were the team that created a choreographic wellspring, over 10 films, of highly elegant, energetic, and graceful dancing. The likes of this pair, made in heaven, is not likely to be seen soon again. They were the best, the top of the top...and they knew it. Arlene Croce succeeds in this insightful and informational book in explaining why, through dance, and personality, and professionalism, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers continue to appeal to such a universal audience.

Actually published in the 1970's,
Arlene gives great insight into the
dances, the casting, script, and other details.
A wealth of useful information for both
dancers and Astaire-Rogers fans.
Far and away the best book on this great team.

The Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Book is both entertaining and informative. Croce provides insightful commentary on the two stars' careers, their films, and individual dances to compliment the delightful pictures throughout the book. The top corners of the pages can even be used as a flip book so you can see a sample of Fred and Ginger dancing. This book has a wealth of information and is fabulous for anyone interested in the history of dance on film.

At just 191 pages Arlene Croce's FRED ASTAIRE & GINGER ROGERS BOOK is a gem. This is a classic work from the 1970'

I bought this book for my girlfriend (the most avid of Friends' fans) as an annexation to her Christmas gift this past holiday and based upon what she says, it was really good. Now whether or not she is just saying that because I got it for her has yet to be determined but since she is usually a harsh criticizer of material that doesn't live up to her expectations, her positive review of this little book makes me believe it's a good addition to any Friends' fan's merchandise collection.

Came in a moderate time period. The smallness adds to the cuteness of it. Goes perfect w/ the rest of my FRIENDS shrine!

I'm a huge Friends lover, and by reading that book I would have to say that they could make a pocket version for it. It's a total Friends guide!! Do you remember Rachel's and Ross' first kiss? Who the hell is Janice? And George Stephanopoulos? Buy that and you'll stay tuned. From Chandler Bing to Ugly Naked Guy, we all need one sample of this dazzling book. All I have to say it's OH MY GOD!

Great guide of yesterday's episodes, great sections on each character, although it is old, and a newer, updated version needs to be released. Great comments by each character. A true 'Friends' fan will remember each episode as they read the quote. A must have for the 'Friends' fan in your life!

I loved it since I'm a Friends fan. It was touching, & funny. Great

When I was coming of age in the 1960's,one of my favorite TV shows was "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In"-It was downright hysterical-When I heard that a book had come out about the program,I knew I had to purchase it-Author Hal Erickson begins his book by listing several performers whose comedic style paved the way for "Laugh-In",such as the vaudeville team of Olsen & Johnson & Ernie Kovacs-"Laugh-In" ran from January 1968 to May 1973-Along the way,it introduced us to some truly talented individuals such as Arte Johnson,Ruth Buzzi,Goldie Hawn,& Lily Tomlin-"Laugh-In" was the top rated show from 1968-1970-However,once certain cast members started to leave,the show diminished in popularity-NBC cancelled the show in early 1973-There's an appendix in the back of the book that features a brief synopsis of each & every episode-If you're a bona fide "Laugh-In" fan,you must purchase this book.

I am a huge fan of "Laugh-In." If you are a fan also, this is THE book for you. It includes everything. The only thing missing are pictures- there are not any. However, all of the behind the scenes, inside info about the show, its history, series revival attempts (thus far- there is talk about another one,) and reunion specials, is all here. All of your questions are answered. I know mine were. Also included is a season by season episode guide, with a detailed synopsis for each episode for all of the six seasons.

This book is usually pretty expensive, but it is worth the cost. Every TV show should have a book written about it that is this wonderfully brilliant. Double thumbs up!

A very worthwhile piece of literature which belongs in any library of comedy or television. It chronicals the history of one of the best and most inventive events in TV history. The book is more the history of the show than the humor but it does contain lots of the wit and the flavor.. Now I want a book of the jokes with photos. Good work.. Buy it.

A thorough history of a legendary television classic. The book paints a picture of the popular culture of a time that will surely not be repeated. I highly recommend this for anyone who wants to learn about a fascinating era or just simply wants to revisit a phenomenon long gone.

It's been a year-and-a-half since Hal Erickson's "Sid and Marty Krofft" was published...too long for this reader, as Mr. Erickson is quickly becoming as vital to the world of TV history as Brooks and Marsh. The bulk of "From Beautiful Downtown Burbank" recaps the origin, growth, and ultimate demise of "Laugh-In" with Mr. Erickson's trademark savvy enthusiasm, the kind that comes only aftermonths of research and interviews. What's more, the book's appendix isn't to be missed, since you'd be hard pressed to find a more thorough "Laugh-In" episode guide anywhere (it even includes the never-been-syndicated sixth season). The lack of photographs is completely made up for by Mr. Erickson's gifted ability to recreate the show's backstage atmosphere. Can't ask for more than that in a history book... Perhaps the only question the book doesn't answer: why Ian Bernard replaced the program'soriginal theme song in the 2nd, 3rd, & 4th season, only to resurrect it in the 5th. Asking that is pure hairsplitting, though, and shouldn't dissuade anybody from doing themselves the favor of purchasing this book,a gripping read from a multi-talented writer. So until Columbia House or Rhino immortalize "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" (heck, even after they do), "From Beautiful Downtown Burbank" is the definitive tribute to a marvelous and groundbreaking program.