Buyer's Guide: Books for Classic Film Fans

Do you have a classic film fan in your life? Are you wondering what to get that person for Christmas? Sure you could get them a classic film on DVD but that is so predictable. And chances are, they already own it anyways. Instead get them a book. Yes, a book! Books are the classic film fan's darling. They are the perfect accompaniment to all those films they love so dearly. Treat a loved one (or even yourself) to one of these treasured tomes.

Biography
Ernie: The Autobiography

by Ernest Borgnine

ISBN: 9780806529417

$19.95

Hardcover

Citadel Press

August 2008

A charming and approachable autobiography about Ernest Borgnine's long life and acting career. Read my review of it here.

Jimmy Stewart: A Biography

by Marc Eliot

ISBN: 9781400052226

$14.95

Paperback

Three Rivers Press

September 2007

Don't listen to those reviewers who panned this. Eliot's biography of the late, great Jimmy Stewart is comprehensive and well-written. You will learn more than you will ever need to know of the man who made "Auw shucks" sexy.

Collectible Coffee Table Books

Lana: The Memories, the Myths, the Movies

by Cheryl Crane (daughter of Turner)

ISBN: 9780762433162

$35.00

Hardcover

Running Press

October 2008

This gorgeous, fully illustrated, over-sized hardcover book will make you want to become a Lana Turner fan, if you're not one already.

Jazz Age Beauties

The Lost Collection of Ziegfeld Photographer Alfred Cheney Johnston

ISBN: 9780789313812

$40.00

Hardcover

Universe (Rizzoli)

October 2006

Beautiful sepia photographs of actresses and Ziegfeld girls shot by the reknown photographer Alfrey Cheney Johnston. You'll find Norma Shearer and Louise Brooks amongst others here.

Silent Movies: The Birth of Film and the Triumph of Movie Culture

by Peter Kobel

ISBN: 9780316117913

$45.00

Hardcover

Little, Brown and Company

November 2007

Gorgeous hardcover filled with stills, poster art and photographs from the silent film era. Silent film fans will want to caress this book once they lay their hands on it. It doesn't hurt that the writing is excellent as well.

For the Woman in Your Life

Leading Couples

by Frank Miller

ISBN: 9780811863018

$19.95

Paperback with French Flaps

Chronicle Books

November 2008

The quintessential guide to favorite onscreen couples. Anyone who likes romance, will enjoy this book. Perfect accompaniment for viewing films on Turner Classic Movies. Read my review of it here.

For the Man in Your Life

Clark Gable: A Biography

by Warren G. Harris

ISBN: 9780307237149

$15.95

Paperback

Three Rivers Press

October 2005

This is a juicy no holds barred of the life and times of the King of Hollywood, Clark Gable. Gable was truly a man's man and reading about his exploits is just fun. Not for the faint of heart.

For Younger Kids

Footwork: The Story of Fred and Adele Astaire

by Roxanne Orgill

Illustrated by Stephane Jorisch

ISBN: 9780763621216

$17.99

Hardcover

Candlewick Press

September 2007

Fans of Fred Astaire or even just kids who like to dance, will love this picture book biography of the brother-sister Astaire dancing duo. You can read an interview with the author here.

Tuff Fluff

Written and Illustrated by Scott Nash

ISBN: 9780763639457

$5.99

Paperback
Candlewick Press

February 2008

Get the kids interested in Film Noir early with this madcap adventure. Private Eye Tuff Fluff is on the case to find Duckie's missing brain. You can download a fun activity sheet to go along with this book here.

For Older Kids

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Written and Illustrated by Brian Selznick

ISBN: 9780439813785

$22.99

Hardcover

Scholastic

March 2007

A heavily-illustrated tome takes readers on a visual journey following the young orphan Hugo. Very influenced by early French cinema, this is sure to be a hit with young reluctant readers. Won the Caldecott Award for excellence in Children's Book illustration in 2008.

Fiction for Classic Film Lovers

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

by Winifred Watson

ISBN: 9781906462024

$15.00

Paperback with French Flaps

Persephone Books

February 2008

It has all the glamour and drama of a classic movie with a more direct and uncensored edge. A must-read! The novel became a major motion picture starring Amy Adams in 2008.

M: A Graphic Novel

by Jon J Muth

ISBN: 9780810995222

$24.95

Hardcover

Abrams

April 2008

Fritz Lang's classic M (1931) comes to life in illustrator Jon J Muth's graphic novel. Read my review of it here.
Just Buy It Okay?

Movie Posters: 2009 Wall Calendar

by National Film Registry - Library of Congress

ISBN: 9780789317643

$13.99

Universe (Rizzoli)

August 2008

I know this isn't a book, but I had to mention it anyways. This is the best Classic Film calendar there is. I buy it religiously every year and have gotten it as a gift. It's a must-have.

Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide

by Leonard Maltin

ISBN: 9780452286207

$20.00

Paperback

Plume Books

February 2005

This is the OFFICIAL companion for any and all classic film buffs. It's an absolute must. And if your classic film fan already has one, a second back-up copy will prove to be infinitely useful.

Support the book industry. Buy books as presents this Christmas. And support your local independent bookstore. All links above are to the well-known and respected independent Powell's Books.

Ten Things I Like About Old Movies

Jacqueline over at Another Old Movie Blog, did an excellent post called Ten Things I Like About Old Movies. She set aside obvious things like acting, script, camera work, etc. and listed only quirky things that she enjoyed. Self-Styled Siren also did a similar post. I'm going to join the bandwagon and do one too! It's not stealing if I give credit to folks, right?

1) Busby Berkeley-esque choreography - Women and men move in and out of shapes. It's a beautifully complex feast for the eyes. 42nd Street (1933) , Dames (1934) and The Gold Diggers of 1933 are among my favorites.

2) Men lighting Matches - Oh so sexy. They light them in unconventional ways. These men exude confidence and are not scared of a little flame. Wow. Fred MacMurray lit one with his thumb in Double Indemnity (1944), Kirk Douglas lit one on a typewriter in Ace in the Hole (1951) (see below) and William Holden lit one on another man's shirt in Stalag 17 (1953). S'all good.

3) Women's silk robes/negligees - Complete with fancy slippers or some other frou-frou. It made going to bed look like a red carpet event. Like Jean Harlow in Red-Headed Woman (1932).

4) New Year's Eve - It looks like so much more fun in an old movie than it is in real life. How I would love to have a night like Ginger Rogers had in Bachelor Mother (1939) . David Niven dolled her up and took her out for a fancy meal, dancing and a final countdown in Times Square. ::sigh:: New Year's Eve celebrations in The Divorcee (1930) and The Apartment (1960) are memorable too!

5) Coffee & Pastries - So much more delicious (and less fattening) when actors consume them on screen. There is the famous Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) scene with Audrey Hepburn balancing a pastry and cup of coffee in front of the famous Tiffany's store. Jane Wyman offers Rock Hudson a coffee and a roll in All That Heaven Allows (1956) and they fall in love over lunch. Robert Mitchum sips at a cup of coffee when he romances Janet Leigh in Holiday Affair (1949).

6) Clothes Shopping - The Women (1939) anyone? "Zips up the side and no bones." Young models wearing the latest fashions, walking and posing for potential buyers. You'd have to be famous or an industry professional to get this kind of showcase these days. It puts me in mind of How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) too.

7) Impeccably dressed Men - Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart. They all look good in a suit. Sure the women's fashions were great. But a well-dressed man is a sight to behold. If they just happen to be wearing a pocket watch, I absolutely swoon. Even ratty trenchcoats are wonderful, because they wore them well. My absolute favorite? Dennis Morgan in uniform in Christmas in Connecticut (1945). Someone get me the smelling salts! I feel a faint coming on.

8) Art Deco Architecture & Design - I'm getting really specific here. The clean, elegant lines and shapes of Art Deco were beautiful and very conducive to bringing a sense of sophistication to movies. Pools seem to fit very nicely here for some reason. I'm thinking of the communal swimming pool in Their Own Desire (1929) as well as the private one in Female (1933) (see image below).

9) Title Songs - Very popular in the late '50s and early '60s, especially for the sex comedies. Titles were taken from the song name or a song was written for the title. My favorite is Pillow Talk (1959) sung by Doris Day. But I also really love Where the Boys Are (1960) (sung by Connie Francis), Come Fly with Me (1963) (sung by Frank Sinatra) and If a Man Answers (1962) (sung by Bobby Darin).

10) Physical Comedy - We have physical comedy these days, but not to the extent of the great comedians back in the day such as Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin, The Three Stooges and Laurel and Hardy, just to name a few. They threw their bodies into their work and the results were hilarious. Even Donald O'Connor did amazing physical comedic work in Singin' in the Rain (1952). The Make 'Em Laugh number sent him to the hospital, but has kept us laughing for decades afterwards.

But when I talk I scare the fellas away...

Somedays I feel like Connie Lane (June Allyson) in Good News (1947). ::sigh::

Lucky in love, lucky in love

Guess I never will be lucky in love

Some girls are gay, know what to say

But when I talk I scare the fellas away

If my dream man should ever arrive

I can bet he won't even know I'm alive

Lucky in love, must be fun to be someone

Who's oh so lucky in love

So if I can't have my real man

There's only one way to thrive

Just imagine, that he loves me dearly

Just imagine, that I'm his sincerely.

I'm pretending that he's sending

Love notes ending with "I love you".

When he's near make it clear

Your mind's as empty as a bubble

When you speak, keep it meek

But one sly wink is sure to make him think

the meaning's double.

That's so much trouble!

Saying neither "yes" nor "no"

Keeping him at bay

If that's how you get a beau

Then down with it all

Yes down with it all I say

There must be an easier way

It's all Banana Oil!!!

You were looking for what?!

A friend of mine who has a personal blog (going for almost 10 years!) used to periodically make a list of the funny keywords people used on internet search engines that led them to her blog. I always enjoyed them and wanted to do something similar for my blog. I had never really paid attention to keyword paths until recently when I waded through some on my stat site. While some were pretty basic, others were downright hilarious! I've listed some of the most amusing or interesting ones below with my reactions. I'm using dashes instead of spaces for some of these so that people don't use the same keyword paths again to find my site.

Seductive-classic-movie-moments - Yes please. I'll take two.

Pressure-Point-lipstick-tic-tac-toe - I haz it!

Famous-Film-Noir-cloche-hat-scene - Whatever this person is looking for, I bet the right words are at the tip of the tongue.

People-that-got-rich-thanks-to-the-great-depression - Those bastards!

A-Face-in-the-Crowd-Vitajex-scene - I haz it!

Classic film calendars - get this one -> Universe's Movie Posters Calendar 2009

Double-Indemnity-matches - huh?

Fred-MacMurray-matches-Double Indemnity - OK I get it. I posted about how I thought Fred MacMurray's ability to light a match with his thumb was oddly sexy. Read it here.

1930's-gay-movie - Well, Let Us Be Gay is definitely 1930 and Norma Shearer was definitely gay. In the jovial sense.

What-necklace-did-norma-shearer-wear-in-The-Women? - I need to join forces with this person to find the long lost booty of Norma. Arr. We search for buried treasure.

Kirk-Douglas-naked -I haz it!

Kirk-Douglas-in-bed-with-cigar - I haz it!

Why do I enjoy watching classic film? - Good question my friend. I ask myself that question every day and I love coming up with answers.

Classic-nun-sex-movies - OK that's just wrong!

Leslie-Nielsen-children's-narrator - He's got a wonderful voice for a narrator. I loved his storytelling in the long lost Canadian TV show Katie & Orbie. This search probably led them to my Young Leslie Nielsen post.

Coolattas3 - I think Kevin has a stalker.

Garbo-at-party-at-Otto-Preminger - Did she actually come out of hiding and attend a Preminger party? I need my resident Preminger and Garbo experts to come answer this one. Kevin and Jonas, where are you?

Robert Mitchum in a trenchcoat - Nice one. Here you go!

I encourage other film bloggers to post any funny or interesting keyword paths that have lead internet roamers to your site. Consider yourselves tagged!