BS: movie history

Subject: BS: movie history
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 21 Jul 18 - 01:15 PM

wonder if anyone is seriously into the history of movies and
can recommend a good current book?
MANY years ago I read THE LIVLIEST ART (Arthur Knight), do not remember any detail, but recall it as informative.
One of the books listed in many lists of source material is Terry Ramsaye's A MILLION AND ONE NIGHTS, with the caveat that dates and facts are not precisely accurate. I think I obtained a copy, but never read it. Recently I started reading it, got through perhaps a couple of chapters, but find the inflated purple prose not to my liking. Others have found it most illuminating - If anyone here has read it I would be interested in your comments. Perhaps later chapters are more interesting?
Another A HISTORY OF THE MOVIES by Benjamin Hampton (1931), available in a retitled DOVER reprint with new introduction by Richard Griffith, and also in print on demand sources. Huge collection of photos included - I found it enlightening and nicely written.
The University of California also published a multi vol. history
including Charles Musser's The Emergence of Cinema. Any comments - this seems to be well regarded.

Another interesting book, though far from complete and sometimes lacking in detail is American Film Studios: An Historical Encyclopedia by Gene Fernett McFarland, 1988.

There is huge and expensive McGraw Hill publication which seems to cover everything from early history through current, and world cinema - ilm History: An Introduction, 3rd Edition by Kristin Thompson, David Bordwell McGraw Hill 2009.
Anyone famoiliar with this/ and any idea if a new edition is in the works ??

Thanks!
Thomas.

Subject: RE: BS: movie history
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 21 Jul 18 - 02:59 PM

I've read a lot of Movie boks down the years - I have yet ro read anything that comes anything near 'The Cinema as Art' by Stephenson and Debrix - limited as it is to symbolism and surrealism
The old ones are the best for me in this case
Jim Caaaarroll

Subject: RE: BS: movie history
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Jul 18 - 01:03 AM

Hi, Thomas -
I've been thrilled with McGraw-Hill textbooks (I read several aloud to my stepson when I was homeschooling him), and Film History: An Introduction is available dirt cheap if you buy it used. The Third Edition was published in 2010. The 4th Edition is due in 2019.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: movie history
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 23 Jul 18 - 06:14 AM

Over this side of the pond we have recently been given an opportunity to examine to examine movie history with two relatively new TV channels, Talking Pictures and Retro-Movies - from the worst turkeys to the best of the classic daily
Fascinating stuff
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: movie history
From: Donuel
Date: 23 Jul 18 - 10:44 AM

Another resource is a compendium of movie directors.

Subject: RE: BS: movie history
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 26 Jul 18 - 05:57 AM

Watched 'The Best Years of Our Lives' last night, for the first time
What a great example of filmmaking at its best
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: movie history
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 26 Jul 18 - 05:57 AM

Watched 'The Best Years of Our Lives' last night, for the first time
What a great example of filmmaking at its best
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: movie history
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 26 Jul 18 - 03:24 PM

Thanks for all the comments.

Anyone know: Richard LOW: The History of British Film (7 vols.)?

there is a documentary film (on DVD) and at least a couple of biographies of HENRI LANGLOIS the founder of the French Cinemtheque - he was responsible for the saving of many films which would have been destroyed by the nazi's, and discovered a number of thought LOST films. Very interesting person.

Cheers, Thomas.

Subject: RE: BS: movie history
From: Little Hawk
Date: 26 Jul 18 - 11:10 PM

Then there's "The Worst Years Of Our Lives", an art film about the desperate flight from Ireland and the landing on Newfoundland's rocky shores by the ragged progenitors of Shane McBride, they who escaped the "cleansing of Dangle" in 1849, when the enraged inhabitants of Dangle, Ireland wiped out most of the McBride clan for assorted offenses against their neighbors, and drove the few survivors from Ireland's shores. This film probably would be far better known if not for the fact that Liam Neeson refused his chance to star in it. To quote Neeson, "It's possibly *the* classic example of film making at its absolute worst. I thank providence that I turned down that offer. It would probably have been worse than acting opposite Jar Jar Binks, and might well have killed my career. I'd have had to become a butcher or a greengrocer or something along that line instead."

Subject: RE: BS: movie history
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 27 Jul 18 - 03:08 AM

"cleansing of Dangle"
Never heard of that one LH
"Dingle" surely?
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: movie history
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 14 Sep 18 - 11:55 AM

after numerous false starts, I've finally managed to read RAMSAYE-A Million and One Nights. Amazing book. The language is not as excessive as in first chapter, and there are offensive passages (guess one could expect that in a book from that era?) but there is a wealth of fascinating stories about the inventors of the technology, founders of the production distribution and exhibition elements of the industry, the performers, society and world events.

Also should mention Abel: ENCYCLOPEDIA OF EARLY CINEMA (Routledge).

Cheers, Thomas.

Subject: RE: BS: movie history
From: robomatic
Date: 15 Sep 18 - 10:44 PM

Last year I picked up "My Life as a Mankiewicz: An Insider's Journey through Hollywood ..." by Tom Mankiewicz. It's full of personal stories, anecdotes and observations and I ate it up. I found it when I was looking for cheap reads in a recycling store. It covers Hollywood from the 60s to the 80s but was published after Tom Mankiewicz passed away in 2010.