Memo from David O. Selznick

I recently re-read the highly-praised autobiographical book Memo from David O. Selznick largely made of the legendary producer's famous memos. The first time I read this book it was while researching a book I wrote a few years ago about one of Selznick's films, "Rebecca: the Making of a Hollywood Classic". This time, reading the book, as a fan, I was struck by the valuable insight one can gain from it, whether the reader is an aspiring filmmaker or a film enthusiast. You get an accurate and thorough look at the daily operations at a movie studio during the Golden Age of Hollywood, from a leadership perspective.

Of course, the film industry has changed considerably since these memos were written but there is much that is still relevant. The book is as entertaining as it is informative. Selznick's colorful, energetic, larger than life personality comes shining through on every page, as does his brilliance and originality.

We get a fascinating and detailed, behind-the-scenes look at classic films like "Gone with the Wind"; "Rebecca"; A Star is Born"; and "Intermezzo"; and "Duel in the Sun".

Many of these memos are written to icons such as, Ernest Hemingway, Greta Garbo, John Huston, Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock, Ingrid Bergman and Selznick's father-in-law, MGM mogul Louis B. Mayer.

One of the few criticisms I have is that it tends to be one sided since we do not see the responses of the memos recipients. I wondered, multiple times, about the other person's side of the story, especially while reading a critical or heated memo by Selznick. However, from a practical standpoint this book is already very long, so, while it might have been interesting to read some of the responses to Selznick's memos, more than a little of this would have weighed it down unnecessarily,

Almost all of Selznick's correspondence printed in the book is of a business nature but we do have occasional glimpses of his personal life, in notes he wrote to his first wife socialite-turned-Broadway producer Irene Mayer Selznick, or the many references he made to second wife, actress Jennifer Jones. The book also features autobiographical writings, from various articles in which Selznick explored his life and work.

Memo From David O. Selznick is a treasure for academics and classic film buffs alike.