The Hollywood Story

Résumé du livre

Hollywood is synonymous with American cinema. Powerful moguls, beautiful stars, art and commerce, extremes of success and failure -- all are encapsulated in the name of the small district northwest of Los Angeles that became the centre of the movie-making world. In The Hollywood Story, Joel W. Finler explores the history of the American movie industry from the silent era up to the present day. In individual chapters that cover each of the major studios, the author considers the key actors, directors and frequently overlooked technicians who contributed to film-making history. The book includes a wealth of information on the development of colour, widescreen processes and the transition from silent cinema to sound. Additionally, Joel W. Finler has compiled an unrivalled amount of financial information which is presented in simple graphs and tables, making it clearer than ever just what, and who, are the big winners and losers in Hollywood. The Hollywood Story won the British Film Institute award as the outstanding film book of 1989. This fully revised and updated edition brings the facts and figures into the new millennium and includes an entirely new chapter on the studio that emerged in the 1990s as one of the most powerful of all -- Disney. 'A book that more than lives up to its claims ... For all those unable to store sixty years of Variety under the bed, Mr Finler has performed an invaluable service.'