Second Roundup: 2022 Classic Film Reading Challenge

 

There's just under a month left in this year's classic film reading challenge! You have until September 15th to read and review so there is still plenty of time. And if you can't finish all 6 don't sweat it! Read as many as you can. And more importantly: have fun.

Congratulations to Chris and Chuck who have already completed the challenge! Robert, Andy, Greg, Jess and Alejandro are our current leaders.

We currently have over 60 reviews submitted. The first round-up of reviews went up last month and this current round-up features all reviews submitted since then.

Now onto the reviews:

Aimee on Goodreads

"This teen nonfiction title describes how in 1947 the government committee, The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), questioned 19 men working in Hollywood about their involvement with Communism... Photographs and other documents from the time add interest."

Blacklisted!: Hollywood, the Cold War, and the First Amendment by Larry Dane Brimner

Alejandro on Goodreads

"Fernández’s life is worthy of a biography studying all aspects of his successful, tragic life. That work doesn’t exist. But I’m hoping short works such as this one continue to shed light on the need for one."

Emilio Fernández: Pictures in the Margins by Dolores Tierney

"Wilson covers a lot of ground in her writing and one can sense the huge amount of research and work she put into the book."

A Life of Barbara Stanwyck: Steel-True 1907-1940 by Victoria Wilson

Andy of Journeys in Darkness and Light

"An amazing work of crime fiction... There's nothing slick or flashy about the novel. But it all feels authentic."

The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins

Angela of The Hollywood Revue

"On the whole, the book — like the movie — is light and pure fun; often laugh-out-loud funny.Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos

"I’d been wanting to read the novel version of Now, Voyager for a long time and I couldn’t be happier that I finally did so. It’s been a real pleasure to spend so much time with such a thoughtful, beautifully told story."

Now, Voyager by Olive Higgins Prouty

"For those in the camp of having seen the movie many times, the differences between the book at the movie are enough to make things interesting without deterring too much from the core story. And for those who have either never seen the movie, it’s simply a very solid and engaging story."

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? by Henry Farrell

Brittaney of The Story Enthusiast

"Sadly, Gavin Lambert’s biography is one of two written about Norma Shearer. It’s not tragic because it lacks in any way, but because Shearer deserves much more attention than she has received."

Norma Shearer by Gavin Lambert

Carl of The Movie Palace Podcast on Instagram

"the book is incredibly successful at bringing Elvis to life by placing him within his proper cultural context." 

Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick

"Taken together, Guralnick’s books on Elvis are a monumental achievement that capture the nuances and contradictions of a man who is too frequently subsumed by the larger-than-life aspects of his own image."

Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick

"a fictionalised account of the making of Billy Wilder’s Fedora (1978), which was the veteran director’s penultimate film... this is a delightful book that I can’t recommend highly enough."

Mr. Wilder & Me by Jonathan Coe

Chris of Digging Star Wars

"lovingly written by a knowledgeable classic film aficionado."

Memorable Supporting Actors and Actresses from the 1930s to 1950s: Book 1 - A Through I by Gary Koka

"If your faith is important to you and you love movies, too - this book is for you."

Reel Spirituality by Robert K. Johnston

Chuck on Goodreads

"There are definitely other books that may delve more deeply and critically into Hitchcock's life. However, this book provides an entertaining and informative overview on Hitchcock that is sure to delight many who are fans of his films."

Alfred HITCHCOCK: Master of Suspense by Noël Simsolo and illustrated by Dominique Hé 

"Anyone who likes digging into the details of film noir or classic films from this era will want to read this book. I enjoyed taking a stroll through the galleries of this virtual art museum."

The Dark Galleries: A Museum Guide to Painted Portraits in Film Noir, Gothic Melodramas, and Ghost Stories of the 1940s and 1950s by Steven Jacobs, Lisa Colpaert

"One of the best things about the book is how Macor puts the reader virtually on the set as the movie is being made. It is one of the most detailed accounts of the actual filming of a classic film that I have read."

Making The Best Years of Our Lives by Alison Macor

Greg on Goodreads

"what you get in this book is the life story of a brilliant and very complex artist, narrated by a master storyteller. It is such a unique autobiography, as it is written and structured so similarly to the best of his screenplays..."

The Magic Lantern: An Autobiography by Ingmar Bergman

"Such a unique and fun angle on the final years of one of the funniest men that ever lived. The author certainly had a front row seat for the period of Groucho’s life that hasn’t made it into other books."

Raised Eyebrows: My Years Inside Groucho's House by Steve Stoliar

Jess of Box Office Poisons: A Classic Movie Blog

"More than just a thorough story of her career, this truly captures the full life story of Doris Day."

Doris Day: Her Own Story by A.E. Hotchner

Image Source: Box Office Poisons

"Every last sentence is written with that characteristic everywoman sensibility that she carried with her on screen and on stage."

Ginger: My Story by Ginger Rogers

John on Goodreads

"A concise well-written story - like so many other of his books on Hollywood by Scott Eyman"

20th Century-Fox: The Complete History of Hollywood's Maverick Studio by Scott Eyman

"Despite those plot stretches (it is a "suspense thriller" after all), it is a short, brisk, action-filled novel..."

The 39 Steps by John Buchan

"it's a time capsule and look into the days of an early industry and how it fit into the urban landscape of a time long ago."

Silent Visions: Discovering Early Hollywood and New York Through the Films of Harold Lloyd by John Bengtson

Letícia from Cine Suffragette

Image source: Cine Suffragette

"Showing a deep understanding of what was going on in the world, Robeson took the stand and stood for his beliefs in this book." 

Here I Stand by Paul Robeson

Molly of Classic Mollywood

Image source: Classic Mollywood

"The way Finler goes through stills history (which also includes glamour shots done in studios) is fascinating. He breaks down the book by different eras and by different types of stills work. The pictures he uses to help get across his points are STUNNING!! 

Hollywood Movie Stills: Art and Technique in the Golden Age of the Studios by Jeff Finler

Raquel of Out of the Past

"The Savvy Sphinx is richly rewarding. I came away from the book feeling like I just graduated with a degree in all things Greta Garbo. Reading this book cover to cover will take a while as there is quite a lot to take in and absorb. But it's well worth your time."

The Savvy Sphinx: How Garbo Conquered Hollywood by Robert Dance

Robert of Robert Bellissimo at the Movies

"This is an incredible book. I devoured it."

FUN CITY CINEMA: New York City And The Movies That Made It by Jason Bailey

"I had a fun time reading this book... it's a really enriching experience."

Rebecca: BFI Film Classics by Patricia White

"This is one of the best "Making Of" Film books I've ever read and I highly recommend it. It's not just for film fans or fans of the film but for anyone because it's a highly engaging story full of struggles, conflicts, humour and much more!"

Ryan's Daughter: The Making of an Irish Epic by Paul Benedict Rowan

Sarah on Goodreads

"I really like Old Hollywood biographies that give a nice balance of personal life and information on the making of each of their films, and this biography fit that bill perfectly."

Mean...Moody...Magnificent!: Jane Russell and the Marketing of a Hollywood Legend by Christina Rice 

Shawn of The Every Cinephile

"Tracy Goessel’s meticulously researched biography The First King of Hollywood gets to the heart of how Fairbanks built his effusive screen image and in turn played a pivotal role in establishing Hollywood as the pristine moviemaking capital of the world."

The First King of Hollywood: The Life of Douglas Fairbanks by Tracey Goessel

"Golden in her biography does a good job contradicting these myths while also highlighting Gilbert’s unique talents and exceptional on screen performances." 

John Gilbert: The Last of the Silent Film Stars by Eve Golden

"Wynne relies heavily on oral history accounts and stories to recapture how it was to work on aerial stunts during the classic era. Even if it’s not always clear how reliable these firsthand accounts given by stuntmen decades later are, these anecdotes are easily the most entertaining part of the book."

The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies by H. Hugh Wynne

The Savvy Sphinx: How Garbo Conquered Hollywood

The Savvy Sphinx

How Garbo Conquered Hollywood

by Robert Dance

University Press of Mississippi

Hardcover ISBN: 9781496833280

288 pages

November 2021

Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's

Greta Garbo was extraordinary in many ways. She was one of the most beloved and sought after celebrities of her time. Her level of fame was astonishing for the era and nearly unmatched today. Despite coming to America not speaking English and also despite her deep aversion to publicity, she quickly became one of MGM's most bankable stars and was embraced by the public. Everyone knew who Garbo was and audiences flocked to see the majestic star on the big screen. MGM carefully curated her silent film career and her transition to talking pictures. With her growing fame and continued success at the box office, she gained more control over the particulars of her career. In an age when many actors fell victim to movie studio machinations, Garbo thrived at MGM and never worked anywhere else. When her career ended in 1941 when Garbo was 36 years old, her celebrity persisted in the decades that followed. Her elusiveness made her an object of curiosity for the press and the public. She never embraced fame and preferred to live a private life with a small circle of confidantes. Even so, she remained one of the most recognizable movie stars even though she never worked again.

Portrait collector and film historian Robert Dance's book The Savvy Sphinx: How Garbo Conquered Hollywood explores the many facets of Garbo's fame and how it conflicted with her personal life. The book boasts extensive information about Garbo's acting career in particular, one that lasted through the 1920s and 1930s. We also get a peek into her personal life, her romantic relationships, her friendships and her retirement years. Because of Dance's interest in portrait work, readers are also given extensive insights on how movie studios utilized photographers like Clarence Bull, George Hurrell, Ruth Harriet Louise, Arnold Genthe and others. The book is slightly oversized, printed on glossy paper and features many professional portraits of Garbo as well as personal photographs of the star from over the years. 

Arnold Genthe portrait of Greta Garbo, circa July 1925

Here are some interesting takeaways from the book:

• Garbo preferred to associate with European ex-pats or those who respected her need for privacy. She was quick to kick someone out of her inner circle.
• Swedish filmmaker Mauritz Stiller was Garbo's mentor and pivotal to bringing her to Hollywood and getting her a contract with MGM.
• Garbo chose her scripts, her romantic leading men and which portrait photographer she would allow to photograph her. She would also only agree to short term contracts. This level of control was quite rare in the era of the Hollywood studio system.
• Garbo avoided fans, autographs and any kind of publicity. She preferred focusing on her work.
• She was considered for films like Red Dust, Dark Victory and Song of Russia.
• Flesh and the Devil (1926) made Garbo a household name thanks to her on screen and off screen chemistry with her costar John Gilbert.
• The Divine Woman (1928) is the only Garbo film considered lost.
• For Anna Christie (1930), they decided to warm up the audience with 5 minutes of Marie Dressler before they introduced Garbo in her first speaking role.
• She frequently got out of MGM obligations including group photographs as well as bit parts in studio productions like Hollywood Revue of 1929 and The Christmas Party (1931).
• Garbo insisted that Laurence Olivier be replaced with John Gilbert in Queen Christina (1933).
• She played Anna Karenina twice: Love (1926) and Anna Karenina (1935).
• Irving Thalberg was a pivotal player in Garbo's career at MGM. When he died in 1936, it was the beginning of the end for her studio career.
• Despite starring in many serious dramas and prestige pictures, her final two films Ninotchka (1939) and Two-Faced Woman (1941) were comedies.

And here are some of my favorite quotes:

“What is clear is that Garbo possessed great ambition and self-assurance, two qualities critical for success.” 

“Garbo’s voice turned out to be ideal for sound pictures. Her deep alto with its rich timbre and slight continental accent, not quite Swedish, but not quite anything else, recorded beautifully.”

“Here was a new sort of screen siren. Blond, beautiful, irresistible to men, and irresistible to audiences, Garbo displayed an overt sexuality that was revolutionary. Never before on screen had a woman been depicted as an equal romantic partner.”

“To looks and talent must be added to Garbo's magic. Something happens in the space between the faces projected on the shimmering silver screen and the eyes of the patrons filling movie theater seats.”

The Savvy Sphinx is richly rewarding. I came away from the book feeling like I just graduated with a degree in all things Greta Garbo. Reading this book cover to cover will take a while as there is quite a lot to take in and absorb. But it's well worth your time.

I did have a few problems with the book. There were typos scattered throughout which hopefully will be fixed on future reprints. The author is protective of his subject which at times can be frustrating because of the inherent bias. Garbo's romantic relationships, especially with John Gilbert, are downplayed a great deal. Even with that said, I still enjoyed the book immensely.

I highly recommend The Savvy Sphinx to anyone who already loves Greta Garbo or anyone wanting more insights on her special brand of celebrity and fame.

This is my third review for the 2022 Classic Film Reading Challenge.

Thank you to the University Press of Mississippi for sending me The Savvy Sphinx for review.

Girls on Film by Alicia Malone

Girls on Film

Lessons from a Life of Watching Women in Movies

by Alicia Malone

Mango Publishing

Paperback ISBN: 9781642506563 

March 2022 

224 pages 

Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Larry Edmunds — Powell's

This review was originally published at the Classic Film Collective Patreon in June 2022.

As movie lovers, what we watch during the different stages in our lives really shapes the person we become. This can have both positive and negative effects on our emotional well-being. Especially for women and minorities, who may see themselves reflected poorly or not represented at all in the movies that they consume. 

TCM host and author Alicia Malone explores the films shaped her life in her new book Girls on Film: Lessons from a Life of Watching Women in Movies. This book is part memoir, part film analysis with a special focus on women in movies, a topic that Malone has been passionate about for many years. Each chapter in the book chronicles one pivotal stage in Malone's life and the movies that influenced her perception of society and herself. For example, watching National Velvet (1944) as a child helped introduced Malone to classic movies, especially ones about "heroic young girls. Her early fascination with Marilyn Monroe led her to film analysis. Learning from movie reviewers like Leonard Maltin and movie hosts like Bill Collins (Mr. Movies) and Robert Osborne led her to a career in television. Learning about Ingrid Bergman and Malone's encounter with a contemporary movie star helped Malone realize what she truly wanted out of life.

The chapters each have their own themes that tie into a time in Malone's life with mentions of several related movies and an in-depth look into a couple films in particular. These include: Merrily We Go to Hell (1932), Woman of the Year (1942), The Enchanted Cottage (1945), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), Cleo From 5 to 7 (1962) etc. More contemporary movies include: Carrie (1976), The Little Mermaid (1989), Smooth Talk (1985), Mad Love (1995). etc.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book include: 

"The curiosity about Marilyn Monroe led me to read film books for the first time and begin to consider beyond the images I saw on screen: to stop watching passively and start to question what was being presented to me, particularly when it came to women." — Alicia Malone

"Classic cinema felt like my secret. It was special, and my own experience—my private way of escaping life when I felt I needed to." — Alicia Malone

 "Watching classic movies with modern eyes can be a confronting experience, but one of the biggest ways we can keep classic films alive and relevant to the next generation is to engage with them. Society changes as the years go on, and our own attitude shift too, but classic films remain locked in their moment. They're time capsules, filled with relics of the past..." — Alicia Malone

They say that the more specific the story is the more universal its appeal. This definitely rings true with Girls on Film. While the book focuses on Malone's personal journey with movies and how it led to her different life decisions along the way, readers will find her story incredibly relatable. 

There were several moments throughout the book where a story Malone related triggered a core memory within me. I would put the book aside and stop to think about my own journey. It made me think of those halcyon days during high school and college when I would spent countless hours at a local Blockbuster perusing the shelves and picking just the right movie to watch. When she spoke of The Little Mermaid, I remembered how obsessed I was with that film as a girl. I played my VHS tape so many times (including 7 times in one day) that it broke. Back then Disney would limit their VHS releases of their major movies and it broke at a time when the movie wasn't available to purchase. So my mom bought be a Disney Singalong tape with an Under the Sea theme so I could at least watch a couple scenes from the movie. It held me over until I could watch The Little Mermaid again. And like Malone, Marilyn Monroe was one of several catalysts for my interest in classic film. 

Alicia Malone is a very private person and Girls on Film is a small glimpse into her world. I was particularly interested in reading about her early career in television, her work at press junkets, her start at TCM and her recent move to New England. My only complaint about the book that there weren't more stories about her work as a movie presenter.

Girls on Film is touching, relatable and ultimately grounded by a deep understanding of film history. A must read for any TCM fan.