Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Hollywood Digs: An Archaeology of Shadows by Ken LaZebnik

Hollywood Digs: An Archaeology of Shadows
by Ken LaZebnik
Kelly's Cove Press
ISBN: 9780989166447
Paperback
March 2014

Hollywood Digs seeks to do what an archaeologist does when excavating a site: dig up material and put it into the context of human history. Film and television writer Ken LaZebnik unearths stories of old Hollywood through the discovery of materials, most of which are photographs. He chronicles lesser known tales of notable Hollywood figures including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dick Powell, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Samuel Goldwyn, Farley Granger, Micky Moore and other figures including the real life Gidget and painter Thomas Kinkade.

There are thirteen different chapters, each serves as its own excavation. I read this book from cover to cover, however, each chapter stands on its own and you could easily read them out of order if you wish. There is an introduction at the beginning explaining the books' purpose. The chapters don't flow together and read more like a hodge podge of stories. The whole concept of a "Hollywood Dig" works to put some semblance of cohesiveness to this book. Like with a real archaeology dig, you never know what you'll find.

My favorite of all the chapters was a lengthy one entitled "Samuel Goldwyn's Birthday: A Contact Sheet by Leigh Weiner." It chronicles the story of producer and movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn from his inauspicious beginnings as an orphan in Warsaw up until the grand eightieth birthday party thrown for him by Hollywood elite in 1962. It also tells the stories of the various figures whose images appear on the photographer's contact sheet including Harpo Marx, Eddie Fisher, George Jessel, Jimmy Stewart, Milton Berle, Shirley Jones and Frank Sinatra. I've always loved stories derived from objects and photographs. This chapter was a delight and I had fun going through the contact sheet one image at a time.

"On August 26, 1962, Goldwyn's eightieth birthday, the royalty of Hollywood gathered for a dinner in his honor. The tables were filled with carnations, as if the guests were attending a memorial service for someone who didn't want to pay for lilies. This created a floating could of flowers that bordered the faces of all the stars. The men smoked cigars; the smaller their current stature in the business, the larger the cigar. George Jessel sported an enormous stogie; Frank Sinatra had none." - Ken LaZebnik



Because all of the chapters are so different from one other, the collection as a whole is kind of a mixed bag. There were some sections I didn't care for, including one called Providence which began as an intriguing observation on Hollywood's reluctance to accept failure or to even use the term but I quickly lost interest as it developed into something else. There were a couple chapters that on first glance were not for me but I found something interesting in them. For example, the anecdotes on Peter O'Toole as found in the chapter on painter Thomas Kinkade.

I would recommend this book to a classic film and TV expert who is looking for a non-traditional book with unique and obscure stories. This book is not for a newbie; it's for a seasoned veteran looking to dig up different material.

Hollywood Digs: An Archaeology of Shadows is published by Kelly's Cove Press, a small publisher with a list that focused on California art and literature. You can only purchase this book and other Kelly's Cove Press titles from their website or from a select group of California bookstores. Traditional outlets like Barnes & Noble, Amazon or independent book stores across the country won't carry it, unless it's a used copy for reselling.

Many thanks to Kelly's Cove Press and Julia Drake PR for sending me a copy of this book to review.

Monday, May 26, 2014

2014 Summer Reading Challenge ~ Share Your Reading List


It's not too late to sign up for my 2014 Summer Reading Classic Film Book Challenge! You have until July 15th to sign-up and until September 1st to read and write all of your reviews.

If you did sign up, please share your reading list! It doesn't have to be final and can include a variety of titles you are considering. Here is mine.

Back Street by Fannie Hurst
Dangerous Rhythym: Why Movie Musicals Matter by Richard Barrios
The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares
Life Beyond Measure: Letters to My Great-Grandaughter by Sidney Poitier
A Life of Barbara Stanwyck: Steel-True 1907-1940 by Victoria Wilson
Missing Reels by Farran Smith Nehme
Stella! Mother of Modern Acting by Sheana Ochoa
Steve McQueen: A Passion for Speed by Frederic Brun

Here are a few books that I'll be reviewing soon but won't be part of my summer reading challenge because I started/finished them much earlier.

Ann Dvorak: Forgotten Rebel by Christina Rice
Fritz Lang: The Nature of the Beast by Patrick McGilligan
Hollywood Digs: An Archaeology of Shadows by Ken LaZebnik

Share your list with me by commenting below! You can post your summer reading list on your blog or create a Goodreads bookshelf. I'll add your links to this post and to the main page for the book challenge.



Monday, May 19, 2014

2014 Summer Reading Classic Film Book Challenge



I'm very excited to announce the second summer reading challenge!

2014 Summer Reading Classic Film Book Challenge

Read a classic film book
Write a review and post it on your blog or Goodreads profile
Submit your review link here.
Repeat until you have read and reviewed 6 books!
Review 6 and be automatically entered to win a prize.

See details below. I included all of the details on a primary page on my blog header. Please use that as an easy-to-find reference point.

What counts as a classic film book?
  • Biography/Interviews/Letters/Autobiography/Memoir of an Actor/Actress/Director/Other Cast or Crew Member
  • Book about films – specific film(s), genre, film-making process, etc.
  • A photography or art book related to classic films, fashion, style or an Actor/Actress/Director/Other Cast or Crew Member
  • Film criticism or analysis
  • 20th Century Novel that was adapted into a Classic Film
  • Novel that is about a Classic film or an actor/actress from Old Hollywood


How many books should you read?

You can read one book in each category, 6 books in one category or mix it up. Read a book you’ve never read before or re-read an old favorite. The book can be brand new or long out-of-print. I'm flexible about what constitutes "classic film" and I'll accept anything up until the 1970s. Beyond that, please check with me before submitting your review.

Complete all 6 reviews by September 1st, you’ll be eligible to win the following prize pack: a set of four Vintage Movie Classics paperbacks courtesy of Vintage Books (a division of Penguin Random House). Learn more about these books here.




Books include: Cimarron and Show Boat by Edna Ferber, Alice Adams by Booth Tarkington and Back Street by Fannie Hurst.

How should you post the reviews?

You must review each book online and you can do this one of two ways. Post reviews on your blog or post reviews on Goodreads. Your review must be public somehow! Reviews on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other general social media forums do not count.

You also must submit your review to the form here. If you don't submit your review, it won't count towards the challenge.

If you have a blog, feel free to use this button!



Grab button for the 2014 Summer Reading Classic Film Book Challenge
<div class="2014 Summer Reading Classic Film Book Challenge" style="width: 250px; margin: 0 auto;"> <a href="http://www.outofthepastblog.com/p/2014-summer-reading-classic-film-book_19.html" rel="nofollow"> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjD1v4HmGwRJUQq-4s2An4InlopGKa_ej2R6JNnnIUJI_JPOAJ9cwmOSPOeqVWRzqMNbR3wVVCtTJ9wkBe-CuKgZ-HW8nLBsSipapZpLO75RD8N5T7M1EBQtzzioEqkmL9b_YHWIvr0tI/s1600/SummerReading.jpg" alt="2014 Summer Reading Classic Film Book Challenge" width="150" height="150" /> </a> </div>

How do you sign up?
You have until July 15th, 2014 to sign-up! Fill out the form below with a link to your blog or Goodreads profile.



Many thanks to TCM! They called out the challenge on Twitter and they're encouraging participants to tweet links to their book reviews!

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