2021 Summer Reading Challenge: First Round-Up

 

I've never been more impressed with the summer reading challenge participants as I have been this year. They have been killing it with some awesome reads and even more awesome reviews. Keep up the good work! Seeing their social media mentions and the #classicfilmreading hashtag pop up and reading/watching/listening to their reviews brings a smile to my face every single time.

Congrats to Woodson for being the first to complete the challenge!

Here is the first batch of reviews!*

Andy of Journeys in Darkness and Light

""a great book for any classic film lover, and perhaps an even better book to read with another classic movie fan, leading to many opportunities for discussion, agreement, or maybe even knock-down-drag-out arguments"

The Art of American Screen Acting, 1912-1960 by Dan Callahan

"Holding has crafted not only a suspenseful tale, but also an examination of relationships, race issues, moral dilemmas, gender roles, and much more."

The Blank Wall by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding

"provides a good overview of the actor’s life and work and will no doubt make fans want to check out as much of his performances as possible."

Edmond O’Brien: Everyman of Film Noir by Derek Sculthorpe

"Although time and budget were constant woes, the stories of how these creators overcame such constraints are remarkable, compelling, and often jubilant."

Interviews with B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers: Writers, Producers, Directors, Actors, Moguls and Makeup by Tom Weaver

"The characters of the kidnappers are less well-developed and their motivations somewhat standard, yet taken as a whole, the novel is a tightly knit page-turner that’s quite satisfying."

King's Ransom by Ed McBain 

Breanna of Bresfilms41

"As a movie trivia lover, this was a treasure trove of information, and I loved every bit of it." 

52 Must-See Movies and Why They Matter by Jeremy Arnold

"The discussion between the two directors is relentlessly fascinating, sometimes funny, and occasionally poignant."

Hitchcock/Truffaut

"[Vieira's] research is incredibly thorough, and he crafts such a compelling, living image not only of Thalberg but of every other character in his story..."

Irving Thalberg: Boy Wonder to Producer Prince by Mark A. Vieira 

"McGilligan manages to pull back the curtain and create an incredibly compelling narrative study."

Young Orson: The Years of Luck and Genius on the Path to Citizen Kane by Patrick McGilligan

Brittaney of The Story Enthusiast

"Having now read about Cukor’s life, I can appreciate his pictures even more."

George Cukor: A Double Life by Patrick McGilligan

Carl of The Movie Palace Podcast 

"will prove most satisfying to those who already actively admire the film, because Tarantino uses the novel to expand on various aspects from the movie."

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood by Quentin Tarantino

"this book is highly readable, concise and persuasive, therefore I recommend it to all cinephiles who admire Rebecca."

Rebecca by Patricia White

Chuck on Twitter

"The book is a quick read at a slim 144 pages and I was informed and entertained reading it.  It's a irreverent look at this classic film, kind of like the brothers themselves."

Hail, Hail, Euphoria!: Presenting the Marx Brothers in Duck Soup, the Greatest War Movie Ever Made by Roy Blount Jr.

"the book is informative without being overly academic in its analysis."

A History of the French New Wave Cinema by Richard Neupert

Source: Jess of Box Office Poisons

Jess of Box Office Poisons

"It's light and refreshing, just like Ann-Margret!"

My Story by Ann-Margaret

Kara on Goodreads

"I came away from this book feeling that I know Audrey Hepburn better and that our world is a poorer place without her in it."

Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II by Robert Matzen

Lee of Lee Mac on YouTube

"It was fantastic. 5 stars. Amazing. Love hearts raining everywhere." 

Captain Blood: His Odyssey by Rafael Sabatini

Miriam of Cine Gratia Cinema on YouTube

"one of the most magnificent books and cookbooks that I've ever come across... quote me on that."

A Treasury of Great Recipes by Mary and Vincent Price 

Molly of Classic Mollywood

"As a TCM lover, every time I saw quotes from Robert Osborne I felt enormous joy. It was like hearing Robert talk about these films all over again."

The Essentials Vol. 2 More Must-See Movies and Why They Matter by Jeremy Arnold

Nathan on Twitter and YouTube

"Through various anecdotes, he reveals tragedy, humor, and transparency within that fractured world."

Kieślowski on Kieślowski 

"Thomson shines a light with sensibility, wit, and with a love of cinema."

A Light in the Dark: A History of Movie Directors by David Thomson

"an excellent insight from a genuine filmmaker about the process of filmmaking."

Making Movies by Sidney Lumet

"It's not a pretty story, but there's a strength in telling it and I'd implore you to give it a good read."

What Falls Away: A Memoir by Mia Farrow

Raquel of Out of the Past

"paints the portrait of a complicated woman who stumbled upon fame and soon found her calling as an internationally renowned entertainer."

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

(Plus an author interview for TCM!)

Robert of Robert Bellissimo At The Movies on YouTube

"some of these stories are dramatic, engaging and brutal"

Conversations with Ava Gardner by Lawrence Grobol

"a real page turner"

The Marlon Brando Western - The Making of One Eye Jacks by Toby Roan

Sarah on Goodreads

"Reading about her time in Hollywood and her experiences in silent and early film-making were interesting and fun- she was definitely a '20s spirit!"

Lulu in Hollywood by Louise Brooks

"such a fun summer read! This book has a little of everything- animals, starlets, dancers, child stars and more."

This Was Hollywood: Forgotten Stars and Stories by Carla Valderrama

Steve on Goodreads

"This book serves as a testament to how the film was made but also why it will be eternal. It’s a fascinating read for a legendary film. Read it twice."

Singin' in the Rain: The Making of an American Masterpiece by Earl J. Hess, Pratibha A. Dabholkar

Woodson on LibraryThing

"Spoto is quite adept at pointing out the many interesting motifs which run throughout the film maker's works..."

The Art of Alfred Hitchcock: Fifty Years of His Motion Pictures by Donald Spoto

"This book is a finely crafted balancing act: serious without being grindingly academic, honest without being salacious, adoring the art without basking in the rosy glow of nostalgia..."

Buzz: The Life and Art of Busby Berkeley by Jeffrey Spivak 

"Sadly, the author has only written one other book concerning that film world... That he hasn't continued writing about film is the cinematic world's loss" 

The Great Movies by William Bayer

"Though all of the essays would make sense to the layman, this is really more of a work for the hard core cultists. As such, it is wonderful."

Film Noir Prototypes: Origins of the Movement edited by Alain Silver and James Ursini

"Some books tell us a lot. Some books delight us a lot. Quite often the two types don't intersect. By the happiest of circumstances, a book concerning the subject of films which delight is at once informative and as delightful as its subject."

Romantic Comedy in Hollywood: From Lubitsch to Sturges by James Harvey

"In some sense this book is a bit of a parlor game with smart cinephiles identifying films, roles, actors. However, Thomson is also making a big point about that and the very fact of watching as opposed to doing."

Suspects by David Thomson 

*If for any reason you don't see your review here, it's because it's missing from the link submission form. Make sure you submit and it'll be included in the next round-up.

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

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

ISBN: 9780813181080

June 2021

392 pages

Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powells 

“The movie star turned out to be devastatingly human.” 

Jane Russell was larger than life. A bonafide movie star. She first made a splash as the sultry lead in Howard Hughes' western The Outlaw (1943). The marketing campaign for that film lasted years thanks to Hughes' penchant for controversy and control. She was dubbed the "motionless picture star" as she traveled to promote her first film for months before its release. The wait was worth it because it cemented her place as a Hollywood celebrity. Russell was an entertainer through and through. She had great screen presence, could sing and had a figure that caught the attention of moviegoers, something Hughes had banked on from the very beginning. Russell was under contract with Hughes for over 30 years, working with him at RKO and beyond, and was often loaned out to studios when she wasn't making a film for her boss. While Hughes was controlling and their working relationship could sometimes be contentious, Russell remained loyal to her boss, a trait that Hughes both valued and rewarded. The pinnacle of her acting career was her co-starring role in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) opposite Marilyn Monroe. Taking the role was a total gamble. Russell had to be okay with being overshadowed by her costar. And just like The Outlaw, this gamble paid off. 

Russell collaborated with Robert Mitchum on two noirs for RKO: His Kind of Woman (1951) and Macao (1952). The two had great chemistry on screen and off-screen became lifelong friends. Russell was great to work with and even had a core team from RKO that she took with her on other studio gigs. She married three times, first to Robert Waterfield, a professional football player with whom she later ran Russ-Field Productions. Russell was deeply religious, passionate about adoption and lived to perform. After making Darker Than Amber (1970), she retired from films. In the years that followed, Russell performed on stage and on television, wrote a memoir, gave interviews about her career and made countless appearances. She passed away in 2011 at the age of 89.

Jane Russell and Robert Mitchum in His Kind of Woman (1951)

June 21st marks the 100th anniversary of Jane Russell's birth and to celebrate we have Mean... Moody... Magnificent!: Jane Russell and the Marketing of a Hollywood Legend, a delightful book from the capable hands of librarian, researcher and archivist Christina Rice. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a big fan of Rice's biography Ann Dvorak: Hollywood's Forgotten Rebel. It's one of my top favorite classic film biographies so needless to say I had high expectations for Rice's biography on Jane Russell. Rice did not disappoint.

Mean... Moody... Magnificent! paints the portrait of a complicated woman who stumbled upon fame and soon found her calling as an internationally renowned entertainer. As Rice says in her book, Russell was "more of a movie personality than a serious actress,... [she] could electrify a screen and was a true star of the old studio system.” I really admire how Russell found her confidence to perform even as she was being objectified for her naturally curvy body. One could say that Russell and her body type paved the way for curvaceous entertainers to come, like Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield. 

Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

“During production Jane adopted Marilyn as a kind of kid sister, exhibiting a tremendous amount of empathy for Monroe, who was experiencing the same type of amped-up sex symbol publicity Jane had been enduring for over a decade.”

Russell's religious beliefs were often in conflict with her actions, something Rice adeptly explores in the book. There is lots to garner from this biography including how Hollywood packaged and promoted their movie stars for public consumption, how sometimes movie stars were made from being in the right place at the right time, and how networking and close working relationships were key to survival in this cutthroat industry. This biography is laid out chronologically with each chapter focusing on a particular theme. This made the book flow very well. Rice's research shines through and her storytelling skills make this for an engrossing read. There's lots of great behind-the-scenes information, especially as it relates to how Russell was styled for her movies. Even if you're not particularly interested in Jane Russell as a person, this is still a must read for anyone who loves stories from old Hollywood.

This is my first review for the 2021 Summer Reading Challenge.

Thank you to University Press of Kentucky for a copy of the book for review.

Physical Media Tour

Ever wonder what's inside the collection of a classic movie fan? Here's an opportunity to explore my big collection of DVDs, Blu-Rays and boxed sets (and a few extras). Over the years I've collected lots of great classic movies, many of which I've reviewed here. In this video you'll see goodies from the Warner Archive Collection, Kino Lorber Classics, the Criterion Collection, Olive Signature and more. Take a peek!