Hollywood
The Oral History
“surely the most comprehensive portrait of America’s dream factory ever committed to paper”
— The Guardian
The Hollywood Reporter 100 Best Film Books of All Time
The real story of Hollywood as told by such luminaries as Steven Spielberg, Frank Capra, Bette Davis, Meryl Streep, Harold Lloyd, and nearly four hundred others, assembled from the American Film Institute’s treasure trove of interviews, reveals a fresh history of the American movie industry from its beginnings to today.
From the archives of the American Film Institute comes a unique picture of what it was like to work in Hollywood from its beginnings to its present day. Gleaned from nearly three thousand interviews, involving four hundred voices from the industry, Hollywood: The Oral History, lets a reader “listen in” on candid remarks from the biggest names in front of the camera—Bette Davis, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Harold Lloyd—to the biggest behind it—Frank Capra, Steven Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, Jordan Peele, as well as the lesser known individuals that shaped what was heard and seen on screen: musicians, costumers, art directors, cinematographers, writers, sound men, editors, make-up artists, and even script timers, messengers, and publicists. The result is like a conversation among the gods and goddesses of film: lively, funny, insightful, historically accurate and, for the first time, authentically honest in its portrait of Hollywood. It’s the insider’s story.
Reviews
“Hollywood’s ultimate oral history.”
“Monumental.”
“For fans of film history, this is an event: film historians Basinger and Wasson teaming up to take us through the history of Hollywood (and, by extension, the American motion picture industry). Drawn from the files of the American Film Institute, assembled from nearly 10,000 hours of conversations with more than 3,000 people from the early days of motion pictures right up to the present day, this magnificent oral history features contributions by such luminaries as directors Raoul Walsh and Steven Spielberg; screenwriters Nunnally Johnson and Nora Ephron; editors Dede Allen and Verna Fields; cinematographers Stanley Cortez and László Kovács; composers Elmer Bernstein and John Williams; actors Henry Fonda and Jeff Goldblum; and dozens of producers, composers, critics, art directors, costume designers, studio executives, film historians, and so forth. It’s all here: the rise and fall of the studio system; the evolution from a place where virtually anyone could get a job just by banging on the door to a rigidly controlled industry; the shift of control from producers to actors; the increasing power wielded by the agents; the backroom deals, the behind-the-scenes intrigue, and the transformation of an entire nation. As close to a comprehensive Who’s Who of American film as we’re likely to see, and as close to a definitive history of American cinema as we’ve seen so far. An absolute must-read for industry pros and fans alike.”
“There is something majestic about this book, something that could only be curated and presented by two historians who never put themselves in front of their own research….A must-have for any fan of Hollywood history…Will remain a standard work of reference for many years to come…Anyone who wonders how Hollywood’s history continues to capture the imagination of new generations will find over a century of answers here.”
“Despite its density and heft, this book is enjoyably absorbing and genuinely unputdownable – so find a good place to rest your elbows. Resounding with the multitudinous voices of Hollywood’s first century, it delivers a narrative sweep as embracing as any Cinemascope historical drama, telling the story of a city that grew to become far bigger than itself....These are stories you have never heard before, stories you may have heard but have forgotten, and stories that any film lover will always enjoy hearing again: reflections of the famous and the not-so-famous directors and stage hands, major and minor performers, script girls and sound engineers, set and clothing designers, agents and critics – all seamlessly spliced together without a narrative glitch in sight.”
“The secrets of Tinseltown burn bright in this collection of interviews culled from the American Film Institute’s archives and assembled by film scholar Basinger and author Wasson....The commentary crackles with humorous anecdotes and acerbic insights....The result is a fascinating conversation about Hollywood’s magical blending of art and commerce.”
“Recommended for the large audience of popular culture enthusiasts for whom knowledge of the Hollywood past will enable them better to appreciate occurring and anticipated industry changes.”
“Unparalleled in its scope and vision…Jeanine Basinger and Sam Wasson are two of our best chroniclers of Hollywood’s past, but this collaboration marks their most ambitious work yet....Offers a unique first-hand account of the industry’s founding and ever-evolving approaches.”
“…a hefty book with charm to match….for those who still revere Hollywood’s past….something fresh, revealing and frequently amusing on nearly every page….“Hollywood” will surely bring joy to any cinephile…”
“This book is a movie buff’s dream...Even if you think you know a lot about Hollywood and its leading players, I guarantee you’ll gain new insight from this book.”
“This volume is a gold mine of production details, backroom deals, and inside gossip. There are surprising revelations—e.g., Joan Crawford was more beloved than her reputation for derangement would have one believe—and memorably graphic stories, as when Billy Wilder noted that during the filming of Greed (1924), Erich von Stroheim “stopped shooting for three days because there wasn’t enough horseshit in the streets” and forced staff to collect more for him ‘because that’s what he wanted. Plenty of good horseshit....’ Fun firsthand accounts from 100 years of Hollywood history.”
“These Hollywood scholars have assembled what is arguably the most comprehensive, gossipy and insightful oral history of Tinseltown ever made.”
“Incredible.”