Ed Poole, who runs the superb web site Learn About Movie Posters, has released the 2011 edition of Movie Stills Identification Book, a meticulously researched volume that helps identify untitled movie stills based upon code numbers. Researchers, authors and collectors have long been frustrated by not being able to identify what movie a specific still is from. However, Ed has used the film code numbers on the bottom of the photos to amass a volume that helps identify these "mystery movies". For film scholars and publishers, such as Cinema Retro, the book is of great value, as it contains data on over 30,000 movie code numbers. The price is $45 and can be ordered through Ed's site by clicking here
Legendary stuntman and second unit director (and Cinema Retro contributor) Vic Armstrong has written his autobiography,which will detail his work on countless action films including the James Bond, Indiana Jones and Superman series. It's a testament to Vic's respect in the industry that the book includes contributions from George Lucas, Sir Christopher Lee, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg and Pierce Brosnan. The book, which is being published in May 2011, will also include unpublished photos from Vic's personal collection.
This incredible book was published in 2007 but Amazon still has some available for $270-- if that sounds like a lot, it's actually $230 off the original list price! Playboy: The Complete Centerfold Collection covers all of the gorgeous women who had the distinction of being a Playboy centerfold from the magazine's inception through the publication date of the book. The massive volume is 720 pages, contains 600 centerfolds and weighs over 35 pounds. Best of all, it comes in a swanky high quality briefcase with discreet Playboy Bunny logo emblazoned on it - something for your inner James Bond. The best part: you don't have those annoying staples to deal with!
In 1970, sisters Mary and Madeleine Collinson made history by both posing as Miss October.
Here is the official description from Amazon:
"With the first Centerfold, who just happened to be the radiant Marilyn Monroe, Hugh Hefner masterminded a cultural icon: Playboy's Playmate of the Month. Now, for the first time ever, Playboy has gathered together every Centerfold from every issue into one luxurious collector's edition. That's over 600 beauties. We've reproduced these Centerfolds exactly as they appeared in the magazine to create a full-size, deluxe volume. Paging through this colossal, chronological collection provides a breathtaking view of our evolving appreciation of the female form: from the fifties fantasy of voluptuous blondes to the tawny beach girls of the seventies to the groomed and toned women of today. Housed in a handsome leather briefcase lined with velvet, this impressive tome is the ultimate indulgence for every passionate collector."
Click here to order from Amazon and see a 360 degree video of the packaging. You can also read the foreword by Hugh Hefner.
(As Hef is an avid reader of Cinema Retro, see issue #5 for Raymond Benson's interview with the Playboy founder in which he discusses his favorite movies of the 1960s and 70s).
Taschen have released yet another high end book commemorating rare photos from a classic film. In this case it's Taxi Driver. Steve Schapiro was the unit photographer on Martin Scorsese's lauded 1976 movie and has released remarkable photos in this limited, signed edition volume. The bad news: it retails for a cool $1,000 per copy. The good news: if you gotta have it, you can save a few hundred by purchasing the book from various dealers through Amazon. Click here to order. Click here for the Hollywood Reporter's photo gallery from the book.
It’s hard to believe the now world-famous British television show The Avengers is 50 years old. To celebrate this event Titan Books have published a book as a tribute to the show that defined Sixties television and raised the bar for other British shows to follow. Written by Marcus Hearn (The Art Of Hammer, Hammer Glamour and The Hammer Story – the latter with Alan Barnes), with a foreword by Steed himself – the legendary Patrick Macnee, this large format hardback book is packed with newly discovered photographs and exclusive memories from the cast and crew. Although 50 years old, the show was so unique that it has yet to be rivaled for its wit, adventure and style. It became a worldwide sensation, its theme tune as familiar today as ever, and was syndicated to 90 countries, including America, where it was a prime time hit. The shows are today as original as they were when first transmitted, and The Avengers has become a cult status icon of the days when TV shows were not just good, but great. As one would expect from Titan, both the design and the quality of the printing is outstanding. A must-have for fans of the show - and for those who want to be reminded just how good British TV used to be.
RETRO-ACTIVE: THE BEST FROM THE CINEMA RETRO ARCHIVES
The Big Book of Biker Flicks by John Wooley and Michael H. Price is a long over-due tribute to the good, the bad and the ugly entries in this genre that came of age in the 1960s, though its roots can be traced back to Brando's early Fifties cult classic The Wild One. The book concentrates on 40 specific films and analyzes their merits and faults. the image of the biker chick on the cover is worth the price alone! Here is the description from Booklist:
"Wooley and Price consider the canon of the chopper epic
enthusiastically and thoroughly, mixing stills and promotional graphics
with dead-on thumbnail plot summaries, not to mention pithily noting
particular films' peculiar distinctions. Less revered and studied than
blaxploitation and smut, biker movies appeared, often at drive-ins,
throughout America in the 1960s and 1970s, inspiring one of the most
iconic sixties-culture films, Easy Rider, many of whose actors and plot wrinkles figured earlier in the likes of Hell's Angels on Wheels, The Trip and Angels Hard as They Come,
all of which Wooley and Price hail here. Besides production notes,
other, less easily accessed biker-movie information Wooley and Price
provide include such things as the names of the biker gangs and their
leaders in each movie. That Chino (Dennis Hooper) and his gang, the
Black Souls, rumbled with Darryl (Jody McCrea) and the Stompers in The Glory Stompers is the kind of niche information American culture collections shouldn't be without. Now they don't have to be. Mike Tribby"
My first introduction to Hammer wasn’t seeing of one of their films (I wasn’t old enough), but looking at the wonderful posters that adorned the hoardings close to my home. The eye-catching posters – all painted by wonderfully skilled artists – with images of scantily-clad women and vampires and such-like monsters bursting forth were enough to both terrorize and tantalize the public. And that is exactly what they did. Audiences in their millions flocked to see these films during the Sixties and early Seventies, and it was the publicity material that was responsible in creating this horror phenomenon. The British quad poster for Hammer’s One Million Years B.C. is now an iconic image of the Sixties, and probably the most well-known film poster of all-time. It made millions for the studio and Raquel Welch became an overnight star. Hammer were the pioneers of film promotion - something only the James Bond films can claim to come close to – just.
Since I came of age to be allowed to see the Hammer films, I have been a major admirer of them. My attic is full of posters and stills, and when I was nineteen, I was lucky enough to be invited to their offices by Michael Carreras and meet Peter Cushing and Stephanie Beacham on the set of what was eventually to be released as Dracula A.D. 1972.
So it was with great pleasure when earlier in the year acclaimed Hammer historian Marcus Hearn (author of the recent best-seller Hammer Glamour) told me about his latest venture – again with Titan Books – a book devoted to the poster art of Hammer Film Productions. And what a book it is. Like his previous tome, this is large format, in hardback and beautifully designed and printed. Marcus has drawn, with the assistance of the Hammer archives and private collectors, a selection of nearly 300 examples of Hammer poster art at its best. From the Fifties through to the Seventies, a superb selection of all genres – vampires, sci-fi, drama and comedy, are represented here.
I have always been a fan of the British quad size poster, especially those designed and painted by the genius of all poster artists, Tom Chantrell. I have some in my own collection, but there are many here that are incredibly rare and some that I have never seen before. Apart from being purchased by Hammer fans and movie lovers, this book will find itself onto the shelves of advertising agencies, publicity departments and designers the world over as the quintessential reference guide to the days when the world of film poster advertising was supreme. We will never see the likes of it again.
If you only buy one film book this year, buy this.
Shane Rimmer, the Canadian actor who made a career out of playing Americans in British films, has released his autobiography. Titled From Thunderbirds to Pterodactys, Rimmer reflects on his long relationship with Gerry Anderson (who provides the foreword) on the legendary Thunderbirds series. He also discusses working on Dr. Strangelove, Out of Africa, Batman Returns and three James Bond films. Rimmer is universally regarded as one of the film industry's true gentlemen and his stories provide anecdotes that are as illuminating as they are amusing. Read more about the book on the MI6 web site.
When it comes to talent, style and class, few actors had the pedigree of the great Claude Rains. The consummate actor exudes sophistication in every performance from films ranging from The Invisible Man to Notorious, Lawrence of Arabia and Casablanca. Such actors are virtually non-existent today, which makes it all the more pleasing that author David Skal has teamed with Rains' daughter Jessica to write the first in-depth biography of the acting legend. The information was culled from substantial archives of materials Rains himself had amassed over the years when he was trying unsuccessfully to write his autobiography. In addition to being superbly researched, the book is also liberally illustrated with wonderful movie stills.
Here is more information from the official press release:
Born into the English working class, Claude Rains (1889-1967) overcame a
severe speech impediment to become a fixture of the London theater scene.
Rains's personal life was as dramatic as his work onstage: to end his second
marriage while masking his wife's alcoholism, he staged an episode of
infidelity, though the ensuing scandal made it difficult for him to find work.
In 1926 he immigrated to America where, despite what Rains described as "the
worst screen test of all time," he was hired by director James Whale to play the
title role in an adaptation of H. G. Wells's The Invisible Man, a
tour-de-force depending completely on his vocal skills.
In Claude Rains: An Actor's Voice, noted author David J. Skal
illustrates how Rains's talents were well suited to Hollywood's studio system,
allowing him to become one of cinema's best known character actors. He lent his
commanding presence to such landmark films as Casablanca, Mr. Smith
Goes to Washington, Notorious, and Lawrence of Arabia and
was nominated for four Academy Awards. Bette Davis considered him her favorite
acting partner.
Drawing on over thirty hours of newly released audio interviews with Rains
and enriched by daughter Jessica Rains's contributions, Claude Rains is
an intimate portrait and the first full biography of this gifted actor.
David J. Skal is the author of numerous books about film and
popular culture, including Hollywood Gothic and The Monster
Show. He is a frequent lecturer and talk-show guest and has produced
several documentaries about Hollywood history, including documentaries about
Claude Rains's The Invisible Man and Phantom of the Opera.
Jessica Rains, the only child of Claude Rains, is a producer
and actress whose performance credits include The Sting, Pete and
Tillie, Islands in the Stream, and Portnoy's Complaint.
Cinema Retro has received the following press release from Tomahawk Press in London:
At last - the definitive biography of Charles Hawtrey!
From Wes Butters, Sony award winning broadcaster and author of "Kenneth
Williams Unseen", comes an extensively researched and compelling book
almost fifteen years in the making, featuring scores of exclusive interviews,
including Hawtrey's inner circle and surviving descendents, never-before-seen
photographs, and private documents and correspondence. The result is the first
definitive account of a life Hawtrey himself was keen to see evaporate into the
mist of history. Years before, Hawtrey started out as a child actor in silent
films, he was England's leading boy soprano and worked alongside a positive
who's who of the thirties and forties. He had directed films and produced West
End shows, starred in three hit TV series and was a prolific radio actor for
the BBC. Yet he was never content and spent his life desperately searching for
stardom and success, which, in his own deluded way of thinking, always failed
to live up to expectations. Like the character we see on the screen, Hawtrey
never grew up. Egged on by his mentally-ill mother, he disowned the rest of his
family, embarrassed by a background that included workhouses and illegitimacy.
Instead, he declared himself the son of Sir Charles Hawtrey, an illustrious
theatrical actor and Noel Coward's mentor. By the time the Carry Ons got going,
Hawtrey was well and truly typecast as a 'funny fella with glasses' and his bid
to be taken seriously was over. He wasn't the least bit interested in his
reputation or leaving a legacy, growing old disgracefully in Deal, the Kent
seaside town he lived in for the last twenty years of his life: collapsing in
pubs; swearing at autograph-hunting children; and, taking home teenage rent
boys (one of whom set fire to Hawtrey's cottage, with Hawtrey still inside it).
In 1988, doctors gave him a life or death choice to amputate both his legs.
Hawtrey refused, believing a transplant of pig's veins would save him, but he
died a month later. Nine people were at his funeral. Wes Butters' Radio 4
documentary on Charles Hawtrey will air in May. This long-awaited book gives
the whole story!
Author Sam Wasson's new book Fifth Avenue, 5A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffanys and the Dawn of the Modern Woman is winning praise for his innovative examination of the legacy created by Audrey Hepburn's portrayal of Holly Golightly in the 1960 film of Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffanys. Wasson makes the case that the character represented an important step forward for the image of the new,independent woman. Writer Patricia Zohn interviews him about the book and the film. Click here to read
Cinema Retro has received the following press release from the University Press of Kentucky:
Lexington,
KY— She showed
Joan Crawford how to dress. She wrote the MGM Norma Shearer movies
and the
script for the film that made Clara Bow Hollywood’s “It Girl.†She
wiled
away the hours talking with a young John Huston, then working at
Warner
Brothers. For her 99th birthday in 1999, she published
her
memoir, The Shocking Miss Pilgrim: A Writer in Early
Hollywood.Eleven years later, Frederica Sagor Mass can now add
supercentenarian
to her long list of accomplishments.
On July 6,
2010, Maas celebrated her
110th birthday at the Country Villa health care center in
La
Mesa, California. Not having children of her own, she was joined by
her
grandnephew Tony Tovar and his family, as well as a chocolate cake,
per her
request. Maas’ monumental birthday makes her the second oldest
recorded
person in California, just behind 110 year-old Soledad Mexia, who is
11
months older.
Maas was a
journalism student at
Columbia University in 1920, when an ad for assistant to the story
editor
at Universal Studios caught her eye. She eventually became the story
editor
for the New York office, selecting plays, novels, and stories that
would
translate well to the screen. When the studio reneged on the promise
to
make her studio writer, she left New York and moved to Hollywood,
which was
still a relatively underdeveloped town. She sold her first script
almost
immediately and soon landed a coveted writing job at MGM. There at
the
commissary she would spend time with studio figures such as director
Erich
Von Stroheim and actresses Norma Shearer and Marion Davies.
The
Plastic Age (1925), starring
Clara Bow, was Mass’ first big success. After that, Maas worked on
several
other films with the starlet, including Dance Madness (1926),
Hula
(1927), and Red Hair (1928). For His Secretary (1925)
and The
Waning Sex (1926), Maas worked alongside her good friend and
actress
Norma Shearer. She also contributed to the films Flesh and the
Devil
(1926), Rolled Stockings (1927), and The Way of All Flesh
(1927).
Maas
remained down-to-earth amid the
outward glamour of Hollywood, knowing only too well how studio
politics
worked. After several years at MGM, Maas requested to be transferred
to
another production unit and was labeled a “troublemaker†as a
result. Maas
remembers, “What I did was a very big no-no. Producers might steal
from one
another and stab each other in the back, but when it came to dealing
with
dissatisfied, unhappy writers, producers were fraternal brothers who
stuck
together—especially when some lowly writer challenged their
sovereignty.†Studio
troubles, combined with an FBI investigation during the red scare of
the
1950s, force Maas to work on more freelance projects and eventually
led her
to start a new career in insurance.
During her
film career, she survived
the transition from silent film to sound and then from
black-and-white to
color. She lived through two world wars, the Depression, the
McCarthy era,
and eighteen different presidencies. Maas has witnessed over a
century of
history, and this birthday another milestone to add to a long list
of life
experiences.
Louis Gossett Jr. had already established a long, enviable career in movies by the time he won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his remarkable performance as the drill instructor in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman. However, that achievement did little to divert him from the path of racism, poor health and self-destructive habits. Gossett has now released his memoirs, titled An Actor and a Gentleman and weaves a remarkable story about overcoming prejudice, drug abuse and even health problems related to mold in his home.
Here is the description of the book from Amazon:
"Louis Gossett Jr. is one of the most respected African American
stage and screen actors, who rose to fame with his Emmy-winning role in
the television miniseries Roots and Oscar-winning performance in An
Officer and a Gentleman. Now he tells the story of his
fifty-plus years in the entertainment world—from his early success on
the New York stage appearing with Ruby Dee and Sidney Poitier in ARaisin in the Sun, through his long Hollywood career working
alongside countless stars, including Marilyn Monroe and Dennis Quaid. He
writes frankly of his struggle to get leading roles and fair pay as a
black man in Hollywood, his problems with drugs and alcohol that took
years to overcome, and his current work to eradicate racism and violence
and give our children a better future.
Includes
revealing stories and reminiscences involving famous performers,
including Sidney Poitier, Paul Newman, Shirley Booth, Sammy Davis Jr.,
Steve McQueen, Richard Gere, Maggie Smith, Halle Berry, and Gena
Rowlands
Spans half a century of American theater and film
history, people, and performances
Highlights the problem
of racism in Hollywood and the challenges faced by African American
actors from the 1950s and 1960s onward
An
Actor and a Gentleman penetrates the celebrity glitz and glamour to
offer an honest, heartfelt portrayal of the African American experience
both in Hollywood and the New York theater world, as told by one of the
nation's most enduring and highly esteemed actors."
To watch a video about Gossett's career on Amazon and to order the book, click here
Gregory Peck and Mary Badham in the Oscar-winning film version of To Kill a Mockingbird.
As hard as it is to believe, Harper Lee's masterpiece To Kill a Mockingbird has come under attack from some political commentators, even as the book celebrates its 50th anniversary as one of America's best-loved classic novels. The film version is so revered that its main character, Atticus Finch, was voted by the American Film Institute as the greatest movie hero of all time. Seems that doesn't sit well with some critics, who now denounce that character, who favors reason over violence, as weak-kneed and feminized. Writer Jesse Kornbluth fights back on behalf of the fictional Mr. Finch. Click here to read
Films like Custer of the West starring Robert Shaw portrayed the general as a gallant hero - but many feel he was a blunderer.
In reviewing Nathaniel Philbrick's The Last Stand, New York Times critic Bruce Barcott comes to the conclusion that General George Armstrong Custer was a bumbler akin to Inspector Clouseau and compares President Grant to Clouseau's perpetually frustrated boss, Dreyfus. Philbrick's biography of Custer sheds a new perspective on the oft-analyzed battle that cost Custer his life and his entire command. Philbrick points out that Custer benefited from a few lucky breaks in his career that resulted in his gaining a reputation as a brilliant strategist- when, in fact, he was merely a reckless fool who lacked any inherent understanding of battlefield tactics. In the wake of his legendary defeat, his widow Libby teamed with notorious liar Buffalo Bill to propagate the myth that Custer was a national hero. As such, Philbrick says, Custer became one of the first artificial American celebrities - someone who gained fame for the wrong reason. (Think Paris Hilton) For more click here
To order The Last Stand discounted from Amazon click here
The
following is an abbreviated excerpt of the Foreword by David Frangioni from his
book, Clint
Eastwood: ICON (reprinted with permission
from Palace Press). The book is a lavish collection of rare Eastwood international movie advertising materials from the author's extensive personal archive.
There are two types of people in the world:
those who collectand those who
don’t.
I’ve found that the group of people that
don’t collect anything really doesn’t “get†how we collectors think, act, or
obsess. So I’ve come to appreciate the collectors of the world, and what makes
us tick. We’re a passionate bunch, inspired by the idea of completion around a
subject—whether its manifestations be art, books, cards, coins, stamps, posters,
toys, or the like—and we devote ourselves to realizing this idea. Driven by
this need for totality (some would say perfection), we pursue our desire to
possess by trying to find everything on our “want list,†not resting until
we’ve achieved the immediate goal of acquiring a particular object—with the
eventual aim of completing our ideal collection. We define ourselves through
this search for rare and unique items and the archive that results from the
pursuit.
And then there’s the high you get from
collecting. Lists and notations aside, collecting is a visceral business, too.
That rush of discovering a rare item is a feeling that all collectors
understand.For instance, I remember
flipping through the Heritage Auction catalog back in 2001 and seeing listed,
for the first time, three Dirty Harry
standees. They were barely even mentioned in the official 1971 Dirty Harry pressbook, and I had never
seen any of them for sale, much less two. Talk about rare! I had a feeling they
were quite special, and knew I had to
have them. If you’re a fellow collector you know exactly the feeling I’m
talking about—and how driven I was to obtain these items! Fortunately, I won
the standees......I’ve never seen their likes again, either for sale or in
someone else’s collection. I still get “that feeling†whenever I take them out
and view them.
You’re probably wondering, though, how I
discovered my passion for movie posters, and particularly Clint Eastwood
memorabilia. It actually started very early on—when I was eight. It was 1975,
and my mother had begun taking me to the twenty-five-cent Saturday matinees at
the Regent Theater in my hometown of Arlington, Massachusetts. The Regent was a
second-run movie house, but the movies were new to me and there was no home
video at the time.
Every Saturday, like clockwork, I’d see a
new movie—and a new movie poster. It was a special form of ritual for me, and
the movie posters with their different styles of artwork became important
features of my weekly pastime. I remember seeing the “Coming Soon†posters
outside the theater and in the lobby and being overcome by a feeling of
excitement. All of the cool, pop-culture graphics would pump me up for what I
was going to see next week or next month. I loved the art, the emotions that they
evoked, and the promise of big-screen excitement that the posters represented.
To me, they seemed an integral part of the filmgoing experience. I didn’t know
it at the time, but I was hooked!
"Entered His House Justified: The Making of the Films of Sam Peckinpah" may have one of the longest titles of the year, but anything relating to the master maverick director is difficult to summarize. The latest in a line of shelf-breaking volumes dedicated to Peckinpah is from author Jeff Slater, who has amassed an impressive list of interviewees to shed new light on one of the film industry's most analyzed personalities. Peckinpah, like so many other geniuses, was not completely appreciated in his own time, partly due to the inability of studio executives to recognize his innovative filmmaking techniques and partly because Peckinpah- like Orson Welles- specialized in forming circular firing squads. His own excesses often did more damage than did the legendary studio interference with the classic movies he produced.
RETRO-ACTIVE: THE BEST FROM CINEMA RETRO'S ARCHIVES
A welcome addition to the library of any fan of spy
movies or 1960s TV is I Spy: A History and Episode Guide to the Groundbreaking Television Series
by Marc Cushman and Linda J. LaRosa (McFarland, $40). This is a meticulously researched and very
entertaining look at the groundbreaking show that aired on NBC between 1965 and 1969. The show provided
the first serious dramatic role for an African American actor and helped vault Bill Cosby (previously
known primarily as a stand-up comic) into fame and fortune as a leading man. The chemistry he shared
with co-star Robert Culp was instrumental in the show's success. The series presented Culp as Kelly
Robinson, a world-famous tennis pro and Bill Cosby as Alexander Scott, his trainer. In reality, the
tennis schtick was merely a cover for their real day jobs as intelligence agencies for the
U.S. government.
Producer Michael Deeley's remarkable career making films such as Blade Runner, The Deer Hunter, The Italian Job (the good version from '69) and The Man Who Fell to Earth is chronicled in his recent best-selling autobiography (co-written with Cinema Retro's own Matthew Field). The book, Blade Runners, Deer Hunters & Blowing the Bloody Doors Off is now available for pre-order in paperback from Amazon UK. The book chronicles the fascinating behind the scenes stories of films that had arduous production schedules but went on to become classics of their respective genres.
Click here for our 2009 report on Michael Deeley's book launch in London.
Click here for Ajay Chowdhury's review of the hardback edition
Cinema Retro has received the following press release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Â
“MUSHROOM CLOUDS AND MUSHROOM MEN -- The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda.â€
Â
AGOURA HILLS, CALIFORNIA – February 14th, 2010: For the
first time in America, a book has been published on Japan's foremost director
of Fantasy Films: Ishiro Honda. Known primarily for directing such classic Japanese monster movies
as Rodan, Mothra, Attack of the Mushroom People and the
original Godzilla, Honda has been a much-overlooked figure in mainstream
international cinema.
The book is the first to cover in English print Honda's life --
including his heretofore untold military service in Japan's Imperial Army
during World War II -- as well as the first to comprehensively cover all 25 of
his fantasy, science-fiction and monster movies. It is also the first to
give objective and critical analysis of Honda's filmmaking methods, favorite
themes and his relationships with actors and technicians.
Making use of extensive interviews from Honda’s colleagues, as
well as a wealth of original source material never before gathered into one
volume (including unpublished essays), MUSHROOM CLOUDS AND MUSHROOM MEN
is an affectionate tribute to arguably the most-prolific and influential
director in the history of fantasy films.
You might think it's an exercise in futility to find a new angle to justify yet another book on the life and career of Elvis Presley. However, the newly released volume Elvis 1956 is in many ways the most exciting and intimate portrait of the legendary entertainer I've been exposed to. Photographer Alfred Wertheimer was asked by RCA Victor to accompany young Elvis for a one day assignment when the King was just on the cusp of major stardom. What transpired was a mind-boggling array of photographs that capture Elvis in his most private moments. Elvis invited Wertheimer to accompany him later in the year and the photographer continued to capture outstanding photos from a period when Presley was still very accessible and still very much his own man. Once Colonel Parker became to exercise dictatorial control over his every move, Elvis became unable or unwilling to control many aspects of his own destiny.
Elvis captured in a rare intimate moment, seducing a young woman he met in his hotel's coffee shop.
Wertheimer's photos are as haunting as they are fascinating. He captures the King on the sidewalks of New York, in some cases mobbed by young fans, in other cases able to stroll unrecognized down the streets. He could still stop into a coffee shop without drawing attention. Wertheimer captures especially intimate photos of the King trying to seduce a comely and willing young woman in the corridor of his hotel. So intent on making out with his obvious conquest-in-waiting, Elvis allowed Wertheimer to photograph the seduction from a distance. In other shots, Elvis sits on his tour bus finding small pleasure in reading an Archie comic book, drawing huge crowds of swarming young girls (both black and white), and casually getting off a train so he could make a long walk across fields to his home town.Wertheimer's text is sparing- he lets his photos do the talking, but his observations are never less than fascinating. You don't have to be an Elvis fanatic to recognize the importance of this book. It sheds significant light on the early days of one of the true legends of show business.(For more on this book, click here for the official web site)
For fans of French cinema, author Chuck Zigman has written the
definitive book on the career of iconic French actor Jean Gabin
entitled The World's Coolest Movie Star: The Complete 95 Films (and
Legend) of Jean Gabin, Volumes I and II featuring lengthy biography and
introductory chapters which place Gabin and his silver screen persona
into perspective. Voted one of the Best Performing Arts Books of 2009
by the Independent Publisher Book Awards and Foreword Magazine, this
impressive publication features over 100 photographs and forewords by
Michele Morgan and Brigitte Bardot.- Tom Lisanti
Click here to read more and to purchase your copy today.
Lorraine B. Diehl, wife of famed ABC Radio film critic Bill Diehl, has become quite a prolific author, as demonstrated by the release of her acclaimed new book Over Here! which chronicles life in New York City during WWII. Because America was spared the horror of warfare on its soil, most accounts of the nation during the war era are understandably limited to the combat role of the USA in the European and Pacific theaters.Yet, America played a key role in winning the war even before it officially entered the conflict after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
The only person at the book party not impressed by Over Here! is Bill and Lorraine's granddaughter Lyla, who clearly has other priorities. (Photo: Lee Pfeiffer)
Through the controversial lend/lease agreement (enacted rather sneakily by FDR when the nation was still in isolationist mode), America kept England alive as it fought desperately (and alone) to keep Hitler from invading. Diehl has presented a fascinating story of what life was like in Gotham during this period and the war years that followed. She has lavishly illustrated the book with an abundance of mesmerizing photos. For movie lovers, there is ample coverage of the films made during the war for propaganda purposes. Diehl offers a plethora of fabulous candid photos that includes some great movie poster elements (a War Bonds drive in a theater features a great poster for Hitchcock's Spellbound.)
Diehl had a kick off party last week for the book at New York's legendary National Arts Club at Gramercy Park. Since then, Over Here! is generating major buzz and the book jacket displays kudos from the likes of newsman Tom Brokaw, Regis Philbin and documentary maker Ken Burns, who gushes "This is an evocative look at New York City during the Second World War; it's an enthusiastic, personal, immensely entertaining book, and a story about a city joining together to overcome the greatest challenge of the twentieth century. Brava!" Indeed, the book is a major achievement that manages that rare feat of entertaining even as it informs.
As major web sites become frustrated by literally giving away their product, The New York Times has made a major decision that could have a wide impact on the future of free web access. The Times, facing big fall-offs in advertising revenue that most newspapers are suffering, is thriving on its web site, which attracts a staggering 20 million unique users every month. However, the only revenue it derives from the site is through advertisers and the profits have been weak. The Times is about to announce a plan that will allow infrequent visitors to their site to read a certain number of stories for free. However, frequent visitors will have to pay a subscription fee. The Times tried this approach several years ago but withdrew the plan when its own columnists complained that their readership dropped significantly. Additionally, no other major newspapers followed their lead, leaving the Times out on a limb alone. This time, however, others may adopt the same plan. Publishing magnate Rupert Murdoch has been making loud noises about the fact that only the print medium is expected to give away the fruits of its labor force for free, even though they still have to pay reporters and staffers for doing the work. There is a chance that Murdoch may also jump on board with some sort of pay model.Murdoch has a point: consumers don't expect to download their favorite music and movies for free, nor would anyone expect to plunk themselves down in a Broadway theater or a concert without paying for the privilege. In the near future, Variety will go the way of a subscription plan for its on-line site. Although these sites are expected to lose a major amount of traffic, the bottom line is what counts: and having a fraction of readers pay for the stories they read is ultimately far more rewarding to the companies than simply boasting of the number of web surfers they attract. Click here to read the New York magazine web site article for more (and yes, it's free!)
One of the most impressive film books I've received in the last few years is author C. Courtney Joyner's The Westerners: Interviews with Actors, Directors, Writers and Producers. As with most books from McFarland Publishing, its worth doesn't lie in its modest production values, but rather, in the wealth of historical content. Joyner has amassed a large archive of interviews he has conducted over the years with the creators of many memorable Westerns. As many of these folks have since passed away, the volume becomes even more precious as a research tool. Joyner's interviews include:
Glenn Ford
Warren Oates
Virginia Mayo
Andrew V. McLaglen
Harry Carey Jr
Julie Adams
A.C. Lyles
Burt Kennedy
Ed Faulkner
Aldo Sambrell
Jack Elam
Andrew J. Fenady
Elmore Leonard
The fact is that many of these people were quite available to discuss their lives and careers but few journalists sought them out. Joyner shares the same mission as those of us at Cinema Retro: to get these stories on record through first-person interviews. Joyner stays clear of meaningless trivia to concentrate on the making of specific films and specific key sequences. Many of the films discussed are rarely evaluated in detail. For example, screenwriter Andrew J. Fenady provides fascinating insights into the making of John Wayne's excellent 1970 Western Chisum - a movie generally overlooked by the critical establishment. It must have been a wonderful privilege to sit down with the likes of Jack Elam and Warren Oates to hear their anecdotes about the making of classic Westerns. Fortunately, Joyner gives us the next best thing through his remarkable book, which is essential readers for all fans of the Western genre. Click here to order from Amazon
Author and Cinema Retro contributor Robert Sellers' acclaimed book Hellraisers already reached bestseller status in the UK. Now the book that examines the outrageous drinking adventures of bad boys Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, Richard Harris and Oliver Reed is available in the USA. Click here to order from Amazon. Click here to read our review of the UK edition. Click here to read NY Times review.Â
Film scholars have long been aware that the most grandiose of Stanley Kubrick's unrealized dreams was his planned epic based on the life of Napoleon Bonaparte. Now Taschen publishers has gained access to virtually all of the master director's research archives on the film and is presenting them in a magnificent, limited edition book the likes of which are truly grandiose. The downside: you have to be the emperor of France to afford it. The volume will cost $700 and is limited to only 1,000 copies. There are almost 3,000 pages in the reproduction of a Napoleonic-era history book, and the volume itself contains mini-books that are ingeniously built into the edition. Buyers also get access to over 17,000 on-line images that Kubrick used for research purposes. For more visit the Taschen site by clicking here. For an article about the film that never was from The Times of London, click here
There are probably good uses for Twitter, which limits the user's message to 140 characters or less. However, it's largely been defined by people who bore their friends by sharing their frustrations over what type of lettuce to buy as they peruse the grocery aisles of their supermarkets. Then there are the doofy elected officials who are desperate to prove they are hip by shooting out impromptu observations that generally have to be explained by their long-suffering staffers who spin like whirling dervishes to mitigate their true meaning. The Huffington Post site has some fun with the Twitter rage, however, by offering readers to offer up summaries of classic books in 140 characters or less. The results are inspired and very funny. Here is one reader's synopsis of Lolita: "Erudite horndog marries a cougar so that he can get his hands on her
hot underage daughter, who doesn't end up aging well. Kills a guy, too." For more click here
The popular image of the Monster, as created for the legendary Karloff classic film.
The original 1818 edition of the novel Frankenstein was published anonymously. Five years later, its
author - Mary Shelley- decided to put her name on all future editions
of the work, capitalizing on the sensation it caused in the literary
world. From the start, however, there were skeptics who doubted that an
18 year-old woman could have conceived such sinister goings-on. Shelley
tinkered with future printings of the novel and never hid the fact that
her husband Percy gave her advice and editorial assistance. The extent
of his participation has long been debated among scholars. A new
edition of the book from Random House will list Percy as a contributing
writer, albeit in parentheses next to his wife's name. For the full,
fascinating story click here
Blackdog and Leventhal publishers have released a soft cover version of author Jenny M. Jones' outstanding book, The Annotated Godfather. One critic described the book as akin to "seeing the movie all over again, but with Francis Ford Coppola sitting next to you on the couch." Indeed, Coppola participated in the book, adding insights into the making of the 1972 crime classic. There have been some unauthorized Godfather books produced over the years, but this one is officially licensed
through Paramount. Thus, the book not only boasts the original
screenplay with annotations, but a wealth of jaw-dropping photos, many
of which will be new to even the most fanatical followers of the film.
The reproduction of these photos is superb, and the addition of
little-known anecdotes about the filming make this book an offer you
can't refuse.
We received an unusual but most welcome book from Kensington Publishers with the eye-catching title They Bite. No, it isn't a reference to our elected officials, rather, it's meant in the literal sense. The book is termed the ultimate guide to creatures and monsters of horror lore, both in film and in literature. Authors Jonathan Mayberry and David V. Kramer considerately lay out your favorite demons by type (i.e. vampires, hell hounds, monster dogs, werewolves and wolf-men, etc.) and then list them alphabetically with in-depth descriptions as to their origins and significance in the horror genre. There are also commentaries from horror authorities such as Peter Straub, John Carpenter, Herschell Gordon Lewis, and many others. There are also 8 pages of color illustrations by leading artists of the supernatural. Don't fail to order it in time for next Valentine's Day.
There is a theory about human sexuality that states that all people are born inherently bi-sexual and that it is sociological factors that determine whether we explore all of our true desires. While not widely accepted among academics, adherents to the theory often cite ancient Rome as proof of their belief. Here, bi-sexuality was not only tolerated, it was the norm. A new book is bound to set off a Towering Inferno of controversy
among fans of Paul Newman precisely because it delves into these issues in the context of how they affected the behavior of one of the screen's most enduring legends. Author Darwin Porter, who specializes in
unveiling clues to hidden homosexual lifestyles among straight screen
legends, claims in his new book Paul Newman: The Man Behind the Baby Blues that the beloved Oscar winner had countless dalliances with other
men in his early years in the film industry. I should note that I have
not had a chance to read the book, only to scan through it. Thus, I can't at this point personally evaluate its qualities.
However, it is already generating buzz in gossip columns and on
YouTube, where the publisher, Danforth Prince of Blood Moon
Productions, has launched a controversial video discussing the book.
Prince asserts that the book isn't a hit piece on Newman, but merely presents the first objective portrait of him, as he alleges all other biographies of the star are too sanitized. The book apparently doesn't attempt to claim that Newman's decades-long
marriage was a sham. However, it does claim that the star could be
equally enticed by both men and women. Porter links Newman with such
seminal figures (pardon the pun) as Tennessee Williams, William Inge,
Sal Mineo, Peter Lawford, Anthony Perkins and Marlon Brando. It also
delves into his female conquests, which allegedly include Elizabeth
Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland and Audrey Hepburn. If true, one
wonders how Newman found the time to rehearse his lines.Â
Porter says he accumulated all of the anecdotes and quotes in the book over a period of decades, having personally known many of the key people in Newman's life. Critics will cite the fact that virtually none of the quotes were made "on the record" so one must rely on the author's personal memory or interpretation of what he claims he overheard. This will be thin gruel for skeptics, especially since Porter replicates ancient conversations verbatim. A brief perusal of the book also reveals passages in which quotes attributed to Newman and others read like a porn paperback. Regardless of the veracity of any specific aspect of the book, there is no doubt the controversy will shed a spotlight on areas of Newman's personal life that the notoriously private star never wanted explored.
One of the more intriguing stories related in the book deals with Newman's plan to bring the novel The Front Runner to the screen in the 1970s. The best-seller dealt with a college track coach who falls in love with his star runner. Newman was determined to play the coach in what would have been a shocking departure from his usual screen image. The project, which was written about in the mainstream press at the time, was rumored to be a reunion vehicle for Newman and Robert Redford - despite the fact that the latter would have been far too old to play a student. Porter maintains that makeup techniques would have been used to rejuvenate Redford on the screen, but the point was moot as Redford had too many hang-ups to play a gay character. Porter says that Newman then screen-tested Cal Culver, who was known only in the gay community for performing in porn films. Porter quotes Culver directly in saying that he and Newman had an affair and that Culver saw The Front Runner as his ticket to legitimate work. However, his hopes were dashed when Newman backed away from the project - and the affair as well.
Anna Nicole Smith is still making headlines from beyond the grave.
Author and TV correspondent Rita Cosby has big trouble ahead: a judge has approved a jury trial for a libel case relating to a book Cosby authored in 2007 about Anna Nicole Smith. Cosby's book Blonde Ambition made a number of sensational allegations relating to the late actress and her lovers Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead (who is the father of Smith's daughter). Stern's suit claims that Cosby used information she knew or suspected was false in order to rush out a book about the actress, whose bizarre life and death became a media sensation. According to Cosby, Stern pimped out the drug addicted Smith to as many as 50 men a year. She also claims that Smith had a videotape of her rival lovers, Stern and Birkhead, having sex with each other. No tape has materialized and both men strongly deny the allegation. Cosby made a frantic trip to the Bahamas in order to talk with Smith's daughter's nannies, who she alleged also watched the video. The plan backfired when Cosby ended up meeting with a representative of one of the nannys and offered to pay money in return for her signing an affidavit verifying she saw the sex tape. The conversation was recorded. The judge ruled that Cosby may well have used unsubstantiated stories in an attempt to rush out the book, which became a best-seller. Cosby had been a high profile fixture with her own program on Fox News before she was let go by the network. She is now a correspondent for the syndicated program Inside Edition. For more click here
One of the services Cinema Retro readers appreciate most is our dedication to making the public aware of niche market books, videos and soundtracks that don't benefit from major marketing campaigns. The latest worthy effort to arrive in our mailbox is author John C. Fredriksen's Honey West, the ultimate tribute to the 60s one season, cult series. Anne Francis starred as the judo-chopping sexpot detective with John Ericson as her handsome and able Guy Friday. Although the series was not a hit when it first ran on ABC-TV, it has always maintained a loyal following. I had never seen the show during its original airing, but when the series was released on DVD last year, I was hooked. Fredriksen has done a very commendable job of outlining virtually every aspect of the series, from its origins as a paperback novel to what the stars are doing today. He has both recent and vintage interviews with Francis and Ericson, as well as their addresses for fans to write to them at. The book, published by Bear Manor Media, has modest production values but does contain a wealth of excellent photographs. It's probably the closest you'll get to curling up and spending the night with a sexy female detective, so make a date with Hioney West and make sure you add this to your retro library.
In the wake of criticism about Amazon's handling of a copyright problem involving digital versions of George Orwell's novels 1984 and Animal House, Amazon CEO JEff Bezos apologized for the problem saying, "Our 'solution' to the problem was stupid, thoughtless, and painfully out of line with our principles." Amazon had electronically deleted the novel from customer's Kindle reading devices when it became clear that the books had been sold in violation of copyrights.Â
They say that in politics, if you want a friend, get a dog. The same must be true in the TV industry. Walter Cronkite, beloved legendary newsman, has only been dead a matter of days and there is a battle royale brewing over a book proposal from his ex-chef. She claims Cronkite was a nasty piece of work who was despised by his own family. Friends and colleagues of Cronkite are outraged and are trying to throw cold water on the proposal by the chef, who somehow managed to work with this alleged monster for ten years. It's peculiar how so many people don't find working for a celebrity to be a terrible fate when they are alive and well, yet make it sound like they have survived the Bataan Death March after their employer passes away. For more click here
It's a case steeped in irony: author George Orwell railed against big government making draconian decisions against the helpless masses. Yet, it was his classic books Animal Farm and 1984 that Amazon has removed without warning from its Kindle electronic book service that allows consumers who own the device to download "permanent" copies of the works. It seems Amazon hadn't properly vetted the copyright clearances on the books, so they not only removed them from their sales catalogs, but also retracted the versions from consumer's Kindles devices. The action has consumers steamed, as they point out that if Amazon had sent out print editions of the works, they would not be able to retrieve them from people's homes - yet the company feels comfortable doing so with the digital versions. In one case, a reader complained that he had made notes on a manuscript for a research project - only to find the entire document has vanished from his Kindle. For more click here
Dick Van Dyke, who is not known for indulging in many interviews about his life and career, is writing a memoir which will be published next year. The book should provide some fascinating insights into his classic TV series as well as his most popular films including Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. For more click here
One-time hairdresser, now movie producer Jon Peters has responded to the leaks of his outline for an autobiography titled Studio Head by canceling his contract with Harper Collins. As reported last week, the leaked outline indicated that Peters intended to spill the beans on his sexual escapades with former lovers, including Barbra Streisand. It takes a lot to motivate people to sympathize with Babs, but the fact is that Peters would probably still be putting rollers in the hair of Beverly Hills women if it were not for his romance with her in the 1970s, which was instrumental in getting him into film production. After reading the outrage in about the proposed book, Peters is trying to put on the best possible face. While he has canceled the deal with Harper Collins, he makes it clear that he intends to write the book anyway - only he promises this will be a "celebration" of the people in his life. Uh-huh. With a "friend" like Peters, they'd better have their lawyer's numbers handy on their Rolodex For more click here
There have been many books written about the charismatic
‘King of Kung Fu’ Bruce Lee since his untimely death in 1973. None, however, have captured his passion for
filmmaking quite like Bruce Lee:Â
Legends of the Dragon by Steve Kerridge. This three volume pictorial history of the
making of his third Hong Kong action film, Way
of the Dragon, follows ‘The little Dragon’ through true timeline from April
to August 1972 in Italy and Hong Kong. Each
book is lavishly illustrated with several rare and unseen photos that have come
from the Bruce Lee Estate archive and the personal collection of Bruce’s
friends and colleagues. Many of those
who were involved in the film, such as Bruce’s business partner Raymond Chow,
actor and American Karate Champion Chuck Norris, leading Lady Nora Miao and
production manager Chaplin Chang, share their stories. A foreword by Bruce’s daughter Shannon Lee,
now the president of the Bruce Lee Foundation (www.bruceleefoundation.com) is also included. Â
Presented here is an overview of the first two
volumes that were published in 2008, and an exclusive sneak preview of volume
three, which will be available in November 2009.
Volume One kicks off with photos of Bruce dining out with his
son Brandon and his former Wing Chun instructor Yip Man (portrayed by Donnie
Yen in the 2008 film Ip Man). These are followed by various  hand-written script notes and fabulous shots
of Bruce and Hollywood screenwriter Stirling Silliphant - responsible for
writing the script for The Towering
Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure
and for featuring Bruce in four episodes of the TV series Longstreet starring James Franciscus – at Kai Tak airport. However, a substantial part of the book is
relegated to the many b/w and colour photographs of the cast and crew on
location in Rome, Italy. Bruce had yet
to reach international stardom and was therefore able to visit many places
without being recognised; candid shots of Bruce and the team bargain hunting at
the Porta Potese flea market is proof of this. Â Other highlights include Bruce and his
co-stars, Chuck Norris and Bob Wall, appearing on the Hong Kong variety show
‘Enjoy Yourself’. The guys also make a
surprise visit to the set of Hapkido and
meet with Angela Mao Ying, a top Chinese female action star and martial artist
who would later be cast as Bruce’s sister in Enter the Dragon.
Bruce Lee's hand-written script notes.
Volume Two focuses on the team returning to Hong Kong to film
the interior scenes at the Golden Harvest studios and exterior shots at the New
Territories. Bruce is also photographed
with his wife Linda and son Brandon backstage at the HK-TVB studios. He was there to give his support for a live
fund- raising event that was held in aid of the victims of a devastating
landslide that happened the week before.Â
Ample attention is given to the infamous showdown at the Roman coliseum between
Bruce and Chuck Norris, which resulted in one of the greatest fight scenes ever
filmed.
Volume Three includes fantastic never-before-seen photos from a
deleted scene involving Bruce and the beautiful Nora Miao. Our hero can be seen demonstrating his nunchaku
skills against the hoodlums down the back alley of the restaurant he’s been
sent to protect. Fans will undoubtedly
be enthralled to see Bruce making frequent visits to the studio of Golden
Harvest’s rival the Shaw brothers and  choreographing fights scenes for the kung fu
flick Fist of Unicorn. This was done as a favour for his childhood
friend, and the leading actor, Unicorn Chan.Â
Bruce became enraged when he learned that his name and image were being
exploited by the company Starsea to promote the film. The friendship between Bruce and Unicorn was
not affected by this incident as many believe; Bruce’s grievance was only with
the producer’s.
The ultra-rare 1938 first edition of Action Comics has fetched $317,000 at auction. The comic is an iconic part of American pop culture because it marked the first appearance of Superman. Only 100 copies are known to exist and they rarely come up for auction. The owner had purchased the second hand issue for 35 cents in the 1950s. For more click here
Cinema Retro contributor Robert Sellers' best selling book Hellraisers has just been published in the UK in paperback. The book explores the almost surrealistic drinking habits of Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, Richard Harris and Oliver Reed. Now you can join the boys in an on-line pub drinking game to see if you can match their legendary abiliities to down the lager. Click here to play. For Cinema Retro's coverage of this hilarious and fascinating book, click hereÂ
Cinema Retro just received this press release regarding an exciting new book that explores the Batman legend.
NEW BOOK EXPLORES BATMAN IN THE 1960s AND 1970s
Â
Batman.
Is he the campy Caped Crusader? Or
the grim Gotham Guardian?
Both, as The Batcave Companion
reveals.
On the brink of cancellation in
1963, Batman was rescued by DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz, who, abetted by several talented writers and
artists, gave the hero a much-needed “New Look†which soon catapulted Batman to
multimedia stardom.
In the next decade, when Batman
required another fresh start, Schwartz once again led a team of creators that returned
the hero to his “creature of the night†roots.
Writers Michael Eury (The Krypton
Companion, The Justice League
Companion) and Michael Kronenberg
(Spies, Vixens, and Masters of Kung Fu:
The Art of Paul Gulacy)unearth
the stories behind the stories of both Batman’s “New Look†and Bronze Age
(1970s) comic-book eras through incisive essays, invaluable issue-by-issue
indexes, and insightful commentary from many of the visionaries responsible for
and inspired by Batman’s 1960s and 1970s adventures: Neal Adams, Michael Allred,
Terry Austin, Mike W. Barr, Steve
Englehart, Mike Friedrich, Mike Grell, Carmine Infantino, Joe
Giella, Adam Hughes, Sheldon Moldoff, Will Murray, Dennis O’Neil,
Bob Rozakis, Mark Waid, Len Wein, and
Bernie Wrightson.
Featuring 240 art- and info-packed
pages, The Batcave Companion is a must-have examination of two of the
most influential periods in Batman’s 70-year history.
 The book, published by TwoMorrows Publishing, will available in April. Click here to pre-order
(With the recent passing of acclaimed writer Richard Matheson, Cinema Retro pays tribute by re-publishing this appreciation of Matheson by Matthew R. Bradley.)
After the hundreds of
pages I have written and edited about Richard Matheson, it’s tough to sum up
his significance to film and television in a few sentences, but here goes.Start with the movies that would never have
been made if he hadn’t written the novels or stories—and in many cases the
scripts—first:the Hugo Award-winning The
Incredible Shrinking Man, the Emmy Award-winning Duel (Steven
Spielberg’s feature-length debut), The Legend of Hell House, Trilogy
of Terror (with Karen Black’s Zuni-doll smackdown), the Oscar-nominated Somewhere
in Time, the Oscar-winning What Dreams May Come, Stir of Echoes,
and a little half-billion-dollar hit called I Am Legend (plus its two
previous incarnations, The Last Man on Earth and The Omega Man).
Now add his adaptations of
works by Edgar Allan Poe (House of Usher, Pit and the Pendulum, Tales
of Terror, The Raven), Jules Verne (Master of the World),
Fritz Leiber (Burn, Witch, Burn), Dennis Wheatley (The Devil Rides
Out), Bram Stoker (the TV version of Dracula with Jack Palance), and
Ray Bradbury (The Martian Chronicles).Then throw in his other television work, such as the Edgar Award-winning
original Night Stalker (the highest-rated TV-movie of its day), The
Morning After (with an Emmy-nominated Dick Van Dyke as an alcoholic), the
Christopher Award-winning Dreamer of Oz (a biopic of L. Frank Baum), and
many of the best-known Twilight Zone entries (including the
Shatner-vs.-gremlin “Nightmare at 20,000 Feetâ€).Not to mention episodes of shows as diverse
as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Amazing Stories (including John
Lithgow’s Emmy-winning role in “The Dollâ€), Cheyenne, Combat!, The
Girl from U.N.C.L.E., Have Gun—Will Travel, Night Gallery, Star
Trek, Thriller, and Wanted: Dead or Alive.And then…well, you get the picture.Clearly, this is a Cinema Retro kinda
guy.
By now, I probably have
you salivating for a book that will tell you everything about this incredible
body of work, right?Well, you’re going
to have to wait a little longer for that one; I’m still adding the finishing
touches to Richard Matheson on Screen before sending it to the
publisher, McFarland.But to tide you
over in the meantime there’s The Twilight and Other Zones: The Dark Worlds
of Richard Matheson (Citadel, 2009), which I edited with Stanley Wiater and
Paul Stuve.It was originally published
by (and is still available from) Gauntlet Press as a handsome limited edition
entitled The Richard Matheson Companion.This new version not only is more affordable, for those counting their
pennies in these economic times, but also has been completely revised and
updated, making it more comprehensive than ever.
So, what is this book, you
ask?Well, it’s several things at
once.It’s an appreciation of Matheson’s
astounding career as an author and screenwriter, with essays examining his work
and wide-ranging influence by Harlan Ellison, Dennis Etchison, Ed Gorman,
George Clayton Johnson, Jack Ketchum, Dean Koontz, Joe R. Lansdale, Brian
Lumley, David Morrell, William F. Nolan, F. Paul Wilson, and Gahan Wilson (many
of them published for the first time).While not a biography per se, it offers an intimate look at his
life through Matheson interviews and correspondence; more than a dozen candid
photos; and contributions from artists, book editors, publishers, and producers
he has worked with, plus his wife and four children, three of whom are also
writers.
Last but far from least,
it contains the most comprehensive documentation of Matheson’s oeuvre
ever compiled:published works (fiction
and nonfiction), scripts (produced, unproduced, and published), adaptations
(including novelizations, audiobooks, and graphic novels), profiles, websites,
stage plays, musical compositions, on-camera appearances, audio recordings, soundtracks,
collectibles, awards, and even a section debunking some common Matheson
myths.A special bonus—unique to this
edition—is the previously unpublished guest-of-honor speech he delivered at the
World Fantasy Convention in 1977.
If you have the slightest
interest in Matheson, then you’re probably too busy ordering The Twilight
and Other Zones to read the rest of this (which is fine), but a common
theme should be noted among the two dozen contributors, who include all three
of the book’s editors:that his great
spirit is every bit the equal of his prodigious talent.Having known him for almost twenty years, and
worked with him on various literary projects over more than half of that time,
I have found him to be gracious, generous, and loyal at every turn—qualities
often in short supply in Hollywood.We
hope this book will be an adequate tribute to the man as well as to his work.
(Click here to order from Amazon)(Matthew R. Bradley is a contributing writer to Cinema Retro. Click here for his essay on the Matt Helm novels by Donald Hamilton)
As if it isn't enough that Ed and Sue Poole have given classic movie lovers an amazing gold mine of research information on their web site at www.learnaboutmovieposters.com. Now they have also released an exciting and comprehensive new book that covers every aspect of collecting international movie posters. Ed and Sue answer most of the questions that have hounded serious collectors for decades. Among them:
Why are British combo posters viewed differently from US combo posters?
Why are British 3 sheets called 6 sheets in the pressbooks?
What are trade ads and why are they accepted?
Why are there large amounts of Swedish posters from the 1930s but not 60s and 70s
What are FSK marks?
Why are French Visa de Censure numbers important?
Why are French printers addresses important?
How do you tell the difference between Slovak and Czech posters?
Can Belgian tax stamps help you date the poster?
What is the controversy over Yugoslavian posters?
How do you read Japanese Erin marks?
How is the Indian film system broken down and why is it so large?
How do you tell Mexican reissues?
How do you tell Egyptian reissues?
The book is a mammoth 430 pages with over 500 illustrations of classic international movie posters.
Click here to order - and while you are on their site, settle down for a full day of browsing their incredible archives.
Brando primarily agreed to star in Mutiny on the Bounty because he was obsessed with sampling the favors of Tahitian women.
Marlon Brando was a genius in terms of his acting ability, but in his personal life, his behavior was wildly erratic. Prone to crazy mood swings, he could be an obnoxious bully one moment and a charming, caring individual the next. Only one woman managed to withstand being with him over the decades: his longtime personal assistant Alice Marchak, who became his friend, advisor, secretary and in his sad final days, only companion. Brando's life was one of soaring triumphs and great wealth, but in the end he had squandered everything he had. Grotesquely overweight and penniless, he fully planned on creating a line of merchandise that he would hawk on the QVC shopping network while dressed in drag. Death prevented him from participating in this final indignity. Marchak's new book Me and Marlon reveals shocking details about the bizarre life of the reluctant Oscar winner - including his self-professed addiction to sex. Click here to read an extended excerpt.
Britain's Tomahawk Press have released their most ambitious book yet - consisting of a treasure trove of never-before-seen production stills from classic Hammer films. This is a limited edition volume and is absolutely essential for anyone with a love of these great movies. Here is their official press release.
.
Hammer
Films - A Life in Pictures
By
Wayne Kinsey
                                                      A
Strictly Limited Edition Hardcover Book
ISBN
978-0-9531926-9-4
240 pages, colour and B&W
265 x 190mm, hardback
RRP:
£34.99
Foreword
by Nigel Arthur -
Curator BFI Stills
Last
year, several boxes of never-seen-before photos of Hammer Films productions was
archived by Hammer expert Wayne Kinsey for the British Film Institute. Kinsey
and the BFI were so impressed by the collection, that it was agreed the best
should be published.
Through
these rare and mostly previously unseen images, Hammer Films – A Life in
Pictures tells the visual story of Hammer’s output. You will be guided
through this wonderful collection of photos by Kinsey himself,the celebrated
author of Hammer Films – the Elstree Studios Years and Hammer Films –
the Bray Studios Years. Hammer Films – A Life in Pictures
explores the wider and fascinating side of one of the British film industry's
greatest success stories, showing once and for all that Hammer was not just a
purveyor of cheap horror pictures.
In
fact, they made films in a number of different genres such as war thrillers,
gritty dramas, comedies and colourful swashbuckling adventures. Some of these
were among their best films; 1959 is a case in point which included such
classics as Never Take Sweets from a Stranger, Hell is a City and
Yesterday's Enemy, the latter of which earned Hammer BAFTA nominations
for best picture, best actor and best supporting actor. Hammer's films also
benefited from an expert team of actors and technicians, including big names
that on first glance would never have thought to be associated with Hammer
including Robert Aldrich, Ken Adam, Joe Losey, Bette Davis, Tallulah Bankhead,
Donald Sutherland, Joan Fontaine, Richard Widmark, Ursula Andress and Raquel
Welch.
This is a Limited Edition hardcover book (only 2500 copies worldwide) that is
destined to become a highly sought-after collectors’ item.OVER 600
PHOTOGRAPHS!! CLICK HERE TO ORDER
This book has been out for a while, but many Charles Bronson fans may not know of it's existence because of limited distribution. Bronson's Loose! is author Paul Talbot's meticulously researched ode to the Death Wish series starting with the 1974 box-office smash hit and extending through the film's deterioration into cartoon-like entries. Still, it's a fascinating read and one that any Bronson fan would want in their library.
Amazon Product Description
In the summer of 1974 the movie Death Wish stunned audiences with its powerful story of an enraged businessman who hits the streets with a handgun to avenge the brutal violation of his wife and daughter. The film packed theaters with cheering moviegoers, became one of the highest-grossing and most controversial movies of the year, and turned star Charles Bronson into the hottest screen icon in the world. Over the next twenty years, four increasingly-violent sequels delivered thrills to a growing legion of fans and solidified the legend of Charles Bronson. Now, for the first time, Death Wish fanatics, Bronson cultists, and action movie lovers will discover fascinating information about the series. In exclusive comments, director Michael Winner, actor Kevyn Major Howard, novelist Brian Garfield, and many others reveal what it was like to work on the Death Wish movies with one of the most charismatic and elusive stars of all time.
Covering every aspect of all five movies (including unused casting suggestions, deleted scenes and alternate cuts) and loaded with rare advertising artwork, Bronson’s Loose!: The Making of the “Death Wish†Films tells the compelling, untold story behind the most explosive action series in film history.
Clint Eastwood scholars already have a shelf-bending number of volumes in their collections and will want to add the latest temptation as well: Clint Eastwood: A Life in Pictures (Chronicle Books). This is an English language translation of a book originally printed in France. It is not so much written as compiled by Pierre-Henri Verlhac, who has amassed an impressive collection of intriguing photographs, all presented in deluxe, coffe-table book format. The bulk of the photos are candid and include some early career beefcake photos taken for fan magazines when Eastwood was starring in Rawhide.
It's rather amusing to see how Eastwood, the ultimate symbol of male heterosexuality, was coerced to follow the trends of the time to pose for photos that seem not so subliminally designed for gay audiences. We see shirtless Clint lifting weights and forced into making silly poses in photos that will be new to even the most ardent Eastwood collectors.There are also rare shots of Eastwood "relaxing" with his first wife Maggie at an amusement park and at home in their pool. There is photo representation of most of Eastwood's films, though some are relegated to only a single photo. The bulk of the content pertains to candid and behind-the-scenes shots, all reproduced in top notch quality. Anyone wishing to learn new insights into Eastwood's career will not find them here, though there is an enjoyable biographical essay by Peter Bogdanovich that includes comments from a 2005 interview he conducted with the legendary star. (Curiously, Bogdanovich- who is known as one of the industry's top film scholars- lumps the spy thriller
The Eiger Sanction in with Eastwood's war movies!) The lack of text should not disappoint - that why the book is called A Life in Pictures.This is not a feast for the mind, but for the eye - and as such, deserves a place in any Eastwood collection.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER THIS BOOK DISCOUNTED FROM AMAZON
Cinema Retro contributing writer Tom Santopietro has a terrific new book out about the film career of Frank Sinatra, an aspect of the Chairman's life that is generally glossed over in other biographies. ABC News film critic Bill Diehl has an insightful interview with Tom. To listen click here
Here's what Kirkus reviews has to say:
The king of the saloon singers was a top-notch actor when he cared to
be. So argues Santopietro (Considering Doris Day, 2007, etc.), who
proves an ideal guide to Ol' Blue Eyes' spotty career as a screen
actor. Combining a fan's ardor and enthusiasm with keen critical
insight, he convincingly makes the case for Sinatra as a major acting
talent while taking the famously mercurial entertainer to task for
wasting his prodigious gifts on frivolous projects. In conversational
prose, Santopietro covers Sinatra's family life, romances and recording
career as they relate to his picture making, demonstrating an
encyclopedic knowledge of every theatrical and television film's
production details. The author analyzes each movie, often
scene-by-scene, wittily explaining what works, what doesn't and why.
Clunkers like The Kissing Bandit receive the same close attention as
triumphs like On the Town and The Man with the Golden Arm, the better
to fully explicate the evolution of Sinatra's craft and attitude toward
the medium. Santopietro is engagingly thoughtful about the sources of
the Sinatra mystique. He draws intriguing parallels between the
singer's storied insistence on "one take" and his neurotic drive to
banish boredom and loneliness. The author relates Sinatra's
distinctively snappy way with a line of dialogue to his masterly
phrasing of lyrics as a singer. Readers less inclined to this sort of
Actors Studio musing will content themselves with irresistible gossip
about Sinatra and various Hollywood legends, plus an authoritative
accounts of the glory days of the MGM musicals that cemented Sinatra's
screen stardom. Film buffs will find much to savor as well. The section
on The Manchurian Candidate, for example, illuminates the greatness of
that strange film and of Sinatra's performance. The Rat Pack, the
Mafia, the washouts and comebacks every aspect of the legend is
intelligently addressed, but Santopietro's interest is in Sinatra's
work. In the final analysis, that's what fascinates.A terrifically
lucid and entertaining look at an undervalued area of Sinatra's
achievement.
TO ORDER THE BOOK DISCOUNTED FROM AMAZON CLICK HERE
Louis Gossett Jr. had already established a long, enviable career in movies by the time he won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his remarkable performance as the drill instructor in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman. However, that achievement did little to divert him from the path of racism, poor health and self-destructive habits. Gossett has now released his memoirs, titled An Actor and a Gentleman and weaves a remarkable story about overcoming prejudice, drug abuse and even health problems related to mold in his home. 
