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Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors, Vol. 1: From the Silent Era to 1965
Barry Monush
Manufacturer: Applause
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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The Encyclopedia Of Hollywood
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Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies
ASIN: 1557835519 |
Book Description
For decades, Screen World has been the film professional's, as well as the film buff's, favorite and indispensable annual screen resource, full of all the necessary statistics and facts. Now Screen World editor Barry Monush has compiled another comprehensive work for every film lover's library. In the first of two volumes, this book chronicles the careers of every significant film actor, from the earliest silent screen stars - Chaplin, Pickford, Fairbanks - to the mid-1960s, when the old studio and star systems came crashing down. Each listing includes: a brief biography, photos from the famed Screen World archives, with many rare shots; vital statistics; a comprehensive filmography; and an informed, entertaining assessment of each actor's contributions - good or bad! In addition to every major player, Monush includes the legions of unjustly neglected troupers of yesteryear. The result is a rarity: an invaluable reference tool that's as much fun to read as a scandal sheet. It pulsates with all the scandal, glamour, oddity and glory that was the lifeblood of its subjects. Contains over 1,000 photos!
Customer Reviews:
Disappointing.......2005-03-10
At first, I was very pleased with this directory, and I gave it a glowing review with 4 stars. I had deducted a star because of the bad editing, i.e. lots of typos and factual errors. There seems to be not one page where there aren't lots of typos, and the factual errors reflect a biogrsapher who seems to be just faking it. For example, Nina Foch's entry states that she played the secretary to a "suicidal businessman" in Executive Suite. This is incorrect - the businessman died of a heart attack, the daughter, played by Barbara Stanwyck, was suicidal. And this popped up on the first browse through the book.
Now, I must deduct still another star. I had compared this book favorably to the David Thomson "Biographical Dictionary," because Thomson's is neither biographical nor a dictionary, filled with the unauthoritative, opinions of a phony movie critic, and a mean spirited one at that. Well, alas, upon further reading, I found Monush's work to be equally mean spirited. For example, Mounsh gratuitously mentions a particular actor's homosexuality - something which had absolutely no bearing on his career or work. Of another actor's homosexuality which was was notorious and indeed affected his career, Monush makes no mention. Why Monush chooses to stigmatize one actor and then cover up for another I can only explain as personal favor.
Equally mystifying is are the omissions. Why does Monush include obscure character actors but exclude well-known feature players? For example, why does he exclude Erik Rhodes, who gained immortality in the Astair-Rogers classics Top Hat and Gay Divorcee ("Your wife is safe with Tonetti, he prefers spaghetti.")
Why does Monush exclude Bruce Bennett? Bennett wasn't just a player - he was a star - a minor star, but a star, one of those Olympic Athletes who, as Herman Brix, played Tarzan (some say superior to Weismuller), then changed his name and eventually became a headliner, co-starring with the likes of Crawford and Bogart. Couldn't Monush find a photo?
This directory claims to be encyclopedic, but it definitely is not. It has bad editing, poor fact-checking and unexplained omissions. Still, it is the only directory I know of, extant, which contains photos with the entries, and it does attempt to flesh out the entries. It is superior to the pretentious Thomson and perhaps less dry of a read than the essential and comprehesive (fewer omissions) "Filmgoer's Encyclopedia" by Ephraim Katz. This is a useful reference, but let us hope a better one comes along. So far, if you can dispense with the photos, the Katz is the best.
Best of All!.......2003-12-17
Barry Monush's "Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors" is the best volume of its type. Other guides to performers tend either to be mean spirited or incomplete. This book is witty, informative and comprehensive. Each entry has some unusual or fascinating fact. This book has more complete credits information than most reference works, but this one is also fun to read. All the stars who became famous before 1965, including many of today's great stars, are here. Actors who came to prominence 1965->present will be covered in Vol. 2. The rare "headshot" photos alone are worth the price of purchase. If you know anyone who enjoys movies, they'll love this amazing book!
Average customer rating:
- Encyclopedic!
- It's All in the Details
- Here is an "ABOUT TIME!" book
- authoritative and fascinating!
- Two Thumbs Up
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The Encyclopedia of Ethnic Groups in Hollywood
Manufacturer: Facts on File
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0816046042 |
Book Description
The Encyclopedia of Ethnic Groups in Hollywood is an exhaustive reference to the treatment and progress of five different ethnic groups in the world's most visible industry. This book explores the various stereotypes propagated by television and the movies, as well as the breakthrough shows and films that shattered them. The text is divided into five sections: African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, Jewish Americans, and Native Americans. Each section examines the representation of that particular ethnic group both on-screen and behind the camera. Presented in an easy-to-use, A-to-Z format, each comprehensive section offers an account detailing landmark films, movies, and television series relevant to that group; biographical entries covering key personalities; and topical entries covering key themes, genres, and fictional characters. An extensive index helps guide students, researchers, and general readers.
Customer Reviews:
Encyclopedic!.......2003-04-10
Mary Jane Alexander, I am a New York film critic and enthusiast.
Film historian and authority James Robert Parish has done it again! "The Encyclopedia of Ethnic Groups in Hollywood," like all of Mr. Parish's well-regarded books, is comprehensive, thoroughly accurate and immensely readable. The sheer research is astounding and Mr. Parish uncovers the many fascinating tidbits that enliven film history. This is a book that is a must not only for every film and media library, but also for the general reader and film fan who wants is interested in the careers, lives and place in film history of the many ethnic stars who have thrilled us on screen. Bravo.
Also recommended: The Hollywood Songsters; Hollywood Divaas; and Hollywood Bad Boys
It's All in the Details.......2003-03-12
This is a wonderfully concise, detailed, and helpful general reference source for anyone researching ethnicity in the major films, television shows and performers of the past century. The Encyclopedia of Ethnic Groups in Hollywood is easy to read, gives only the important highlights of each title and personality, and is well-indexed. The photographs in the book are nostalgic and illustrative. It's all in here -- the breakthroughs, the award winners, the important firsts, as well as other contributions that make Hollywood history and today's Hollywood unique.
Here is an "ABOUT TIME!" book.......2003-03-07
The movies have always help guide and shape moviegoers into an an understanding of who they are, where they're from, and where they're going. But much of the vast American public has been virtually invisible on the screen -- which is why this book is so valuable. Our overlooked ethnic groups -- African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, Jewish Americans, and Native Americans -- now have a wonderful reference source to help them understand who they are, where they're from, where they're going. This encyclopedia may be a bit pricey for average bookbuyers (where's the cheaper paperback edition?), but it will be criminal if every library in the country doesn't make it readily available.
authoritative and fascinating!.......2003-03-06
Jim Parish has outdone himself with this voluminous, impeccably researched work which is a concept long overdue in the publishing world. With the fine work of Allan Taylor, he has created a wonderful tome and a reference book which will be quite useful as well as enjoyable to read. Well worth the money! Cough up! You'll be happy you did.
Two Thumbs Up.......2003-02-12
By Hollywood, I expected the author to concentrate his efforts on films, which would have been fine in and of itself. But I was surprised (pleasantly) to see the detail into which he looks at the presentation of ethnic groups on television as well. This is the book that should be required reference material on every course in pop culture and in film studies as well. But don't let that scare you away from reading it. The book is written in a style that everyone can enjoy. It's one of those books once you pick up and start flipping through, you spend hours going through.
Book Description
From the early passions of the Latin lover of the silver screen' to the adventures of modern day keroes such as Antonio Banderas, Hispanics in Hollywood is an illuminating voyage into the careers and contributions of some of film history's most legendary performers.
Customer Reviews:
Ethnicities Celebrated.......2000-10-05
By JONATHAN KIRSCH, Special to The LA Times "...An illuminating and entertaining survey of films and television programs in which Latino actors, settings or themes figure prominently, "Hispanics in Hollywood" is full of such surprises. Anthony Quinn, perhaps best known as Zorba the Greek, is only one of many actors whose Mexican origins were once concealed, and there are many others whose Latino roots have only recently come to public attention, ranging from Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Cansino) to John Gavin (born John Anthony Golenar) to Raquel Welch (born Raquel Tejada). And it was a young Emilio Estevez who boldly reclaimed his own Latino family history and thus revealed to the world that the real name of his father, Charlie Sheen, is Ramon More often Latino actors found themselves in an awkward dilemma in Hollywood, as the authors of "Hispanics in Hollywood" point out--if their Latino identities were not concealed, they were put to use in depicting stereotyped Latino characters: "maids, slum dwellers, drug addicts and gang members," co-author Luis Reyes reminds us, or "cruel dictators, mustachioed bandits and beautiful señoritas." Only in the last couple of decades have Latino actors and directors enjoyed the opportunity to tell stories about their own heritage in a more open, honest and affirming voice in movies such as "Zoot Suit," "La Bamba," "Stand and Deliver," "Selena" and "A Walk in the Clouds." Reyes, a movie publicist who is also a chronicler of Hollywood's Latin American heritage, describes the book as "an attempt to show the way Hollywood has depicted Hispanic Americans and Latin America, while also pointing out the contributions to Hollywood movies and television made by unsung Hispanic Americans as well as those more famous." Thus, his book can be approached as a serious effort to ponder the issues of race and ethnicity in American pop culture and, at the same time, as one of those useful reference works that can be pulled down from the shelf when puzzling over some old and obscure movie on cable.
Customer Reviews:
A fine companion volume using the same A-Z reference format.......2006-10-15
Gina Misiroglu works with David A. Roach on THE SUPERHERO BOOK: THE ULTIMATE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF COMIC-BOOK ICONS AND HOLLYWOOD HEROES, which provides a fine companion volume using the same A-Z reference format and surveying all significant characters in almost 300 alphabetically indexed entries. Together these are key references for any comprehensive cartoon or comic library holding, accenting histories with a peppering of color and black and white illustrations from source materials.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Good but not great.......2006-06-14
Was it just me or did anyone else notice a lot of spelling errors in the book? Also under Greatest American Hero they called Robert Culp's character John Mackie and in the show he was called Bill Maxwell. Things like that bothered me and this is no way an "Ultimate Encyclopedia". They hardly touched on comic book characters like: Grendel, Whisper, American Flagg. Really a disappointing book.
not what i expected for.......2005-03-22
First of all i was looking for a book that describes each super heroe's style, character, super powers in detail, even i expected a scala or a chart showing his/her powers, intelligence, agility, dexterity out of say, 10 or 100 what ever. But none is available, just a brief explanation of how he /she is created, and etc. No description of his/her adventures, friends, the very popular speciality etc.
I bought this book with 2 other books "The comic book encyclopedia" (ron goulart) and "500 comic book villains" (Baron's production) and none of them satisfied me.
However only book which provides all superheroes with "pictures" is "The comic book encyclopedia" (ron goulart)this and the other book doesnt even provide picture for all characters but some mostly known ones.
i dont recommend this product for those who is familiar with the super heroes but to those who knows nothing about comics.
Nice , but..........2005-01-25
If you believe that you are getting a book where you will SEE illustrations of many, or even about 10%, of the superheros that there are info/articles on...think again. You may, or may not, read about your favorites and learn some interesting facts, but, you will not see them. Bizarre for a book on a very visual medium. As to the selection of superheroes and the (dis)proportionate length of some articles...well, call it author's choice...or bias. A tad light on the founding fathers, so to speak, of the 1940's. I am immediately selling mine.
Got a comic fan in your life? Make his/her day with this one.......2004-11-28
Their are other comic book encyclopedias out their. Some of them have flashier art (not that this doesn't) or higher page counts. But a when I read through this one I was impressed.
I challenged the book by looking for characters other than Spider-Man, such as MiracleMan and Phantom Lady and was pleased with the coverage they were given. Lots of nice tidbits and indepth coverage of many heroes including their crossovers into other media.
Buy it for the comic fan in your life.
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Enciclopedia De Los Oscar/ The Oscars Encyclopedia: La Historia No Oficial De Los Premios De La Academia De Hollywood 1927-2005 / The Unofficial History of the Academy Awards of Hollywood 1927-2005
Luis M. Carmona
Manufacturer: T&b Editores
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 8496576043 |
Book Description
In the two decades after World War II, Germans on both sides of the iron curtain fought vehemently over American cultural imports. Uta G. Poiger traces how westerns, jeans, jazz, rock 'n' roll, and stars like Marlon Brando or Elvis Presley reached adolescents in both Germanies, who eagerly adopted the new styles. Poiger reveals that East and West German authorities deployed gender and racial norms to contain Americanized youth cultures in their own territories and to carry on the ideological Cold War battle with each other. Poiger's lively account is based on an impressive array of sources, ranging from films, newspapers, and contemporary sociological studies, to German and U.S. archival materials.
Jazz, Rock, and Rebels examines diverging responses to American culture in East and West Germany by linking these to changes in social science research, political cultures, state institutions, and international alliance systems. In the first two decades of the Cold War, consumer culture became a way to delineate the boundaries between East and West. This pathbreaking study, the first comparative cultural history of the two Germanies, sheds new light on the legacy of Weimar and National Socialism, on gender and race relations in Europe, and on Americanization and the Cold War.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting Interpretation of Cold War Culture in East/West Blocs .......2006-06-28
Breaking new historical ground, Uta Poiger explores the American cultural mediums that influenced Post-War East and West Germany in Jazz, Rock and Rebels: Cold War Politics and American Culture in a Divided Germany. Insightful and exhaustively researched, Poiger links the divided German states by a "discourse" bridge which seeks to manipulate American cultural influences to German prerogatives. The work is topically arraigned into five chapters, which collectively, link the popular culture of America in the 1950's to social injustices such as fascism and racism. Jazz music, for instance, was articulately utilized by the author to illustrate subtle differences and evolutions by the two Germanys. Initially, there was a social rejection of American Jazz music in the German states. According to Poiger, they "invoked antiblack . . . sentiments" as a method of reducing U.S. legitimacy. Over time, as Poiger noted, this stigma for jazz evaporated and became more of an accepted norm in German culture. And reviewer, Katrin Sieg, Georgetown Professor of German Studies, lauded Poiger for her tight knit handling of racial digression, and added that "as the Nazi past was discredited, biological models of racial hierarchy, or indeed the very concept of race, disappeared from public language, to be displaced by psychology as the main paradigm explaining and articulating human differences."
The reader will discover many anecdotes, such as the aforementioned one, that provide convincing evidence that American culture was either embraced, or thwarted, by the two states depending on each side's definition of national identity. However, Poiger falls short of weaving a compelling argument that German adolescents were politically influenced by American culture. Although it was clear that both Germanys were inundated with U.S. movies, fashion, and Elvis style Rock n' Roll, no obvious parallels were installed to illustrate how these youth translated American culture into German political alignments. One Social Historian, Donna Harsch, echoed this assessment of Poiger's treatment of German youth and added that, "cultural habits of 1950s youth were, by and large, apolitical." Rebellious German youth may have enjoyed the age of promiscuous temptations by sampling various cultural pleasures enjoyed by Americans, but how these ventures equated to Germaness, or political identity, remains nebulous for the reader.
Logically argued, this work contributed, more than it contracted, from the cultural and Cold War history of Post-War Germany. I appreciated the healthy samplings of German artist renderings and propaganda posters, which added a rich dimension to the overall excellent scholarship of this work. Best suited for German, Cold War, gender, cultural and racial scholars, but appropriate for graduate and undergraduate students who have an eye for cultural or gender history, this work would be and interesting read to both the scholar and leisurely reader.
Rethinking Cultural Imperialism.......2000-07-09
This book is an innovative study of the impact of American culture on both East and West Germany in the 1950s and early 60s. It is highly readable and always interesting, tracing the cultural and political impact of jazz, rock-n-roll, and American "rebel" movies like the Wild One or Rebel Without a Cause. The book looks at the reactions of state officials and experts, who vacillated between decrying the American imports as imperial "un-culture" and trying to appropriate them as resources for the cold war conflict between East and West. Perhaps more importantly, it also examines the reactions of the young fans, who used these American cultural products to stage their own rebellions against state authority and official norms. Always attentive to issues of race and gender, subtle and yet clear, this is a great analysis that goes well beyond the usual terms of the debate about cultural imperialism.
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