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Life Goes to the Movies
This book is about a magazine's love affair with an industry. From 1936 to 1972, the movie department filled more pages of Life than any other editoral beat. Many issues contained two or more movie stories, and of the total of 1,864 covers, more than 250 were devoted to film stars, or incipient stars. Yet, despite this massive attention, the magazine's Hollywood coverage remained incoorigibly personal, dictated mainly by the enthusiasms, photographers and reporters. Because a need for access and cooperation forced us repeatedly to torment the same film companies, the same stars, the same press agents, we came to regard one another-if not always with equal affection-as kindred tribesmen. All this is reflect in the book you are now holding in your hands. It is by no means a systematic, conscinetious history of Hollywood; you will not find in it all of your favorite movies or stars, or even all of the movies and performers that Life gave room to. We have chosen instead to winnow from the finest pictures in Life's files more than 750 selections which recapture both the symbiosis between reporters and reportees and the art that the magazine itself brought to its photographic covering of moviemaking. Amazing Book!
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1975
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 30, 2023
Having watched the second of the interminable yet strangely enthralling Spider-Verse movies Spider Man: Across the Spider-Verse with its multifarious spider men, non-stop action, references to the ever expanding galaxy of stories, sequels, prequels, both live action and animation, I note the movie required three directors, presumably each carried off in turn to recover in a suitable clinic, and I paused to wonder about the state of the world and the decline of civilisation. At least since the seventies when the world was perhaps more easily understood and I was a young man eager for cultural enrichment.
The cinematic world then seemed clear and straightforward: there were studios, film stars and films which rarely ran over 90 minutes with clear if occasionally asinine or simplistic plots. Each film usually had a resolution. There were rare non-English ‘foreign language’ films for cineastes. The only place you could watch films was in cinemas located mainly in city centres, although years later you could watch some of them, suitably bowdlerised, on your small but adequately sized television sets.
Life faithfully reported the certainty, glamour and richness of the movies. In the mid-seventies I was given this magnificent picture book which is predictably but thoughtfully laid out, featuring the stars, the movies and the studios, but also including quite a bit of behind-the-scenes stuff. Life’s existence from 1936 to 1972 neatly covers this whole epoch. In truth film production had a changed irrevocably in the 1960s and was never really static anyway, but the traditional studio systems was still largely intact and many of the stars were still around or gone only recently. This book helped form the basis of my knowledge of American film – a very good way to start.
Two striking images say a lot about the industry, its power brokers and glamorous start. The first is a 1943 double page spread of L B Mayer, the Czar of MGM with his stars - there are an awful lot of them, called in just for this shot. Among them are Robert Taylor, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, a young Mickey Rooney, an old Lionel Barrymore and in his US Air Force uniform, wartime pilot James Stewart.
The second image is a Mack Sennett Keystone Cops action sequence re-created for Life by actors of the day, I would think in the late fifties or early sixties, including Paul Newman, Fess Parker (TV’s Daniel Boone), James Garner and Buddy Ebsen as leaping cops, pursuing fugitives Rock Hudson and Kim Novak, who are hiding among ‘beach beauties’ including Debbie Reynolds, Shirley MacLaine and the sublimely enchanting Lee Remick.
Ah, nostalgia.
The cinematic world then seemed clear and straightforward: there were studios, film stars and films which rarely ran over 90 minutes with clear if occasionally asinine or simplistic plots. Each film usually had a resolution. There were rare non-English ‘foreign language’ films for cineastes. The only place you could watch films was in cinemas located mainly in city centres, although years later you could watch some of them, suitably bowdlerised, on your small but adequately sized television sets.
Life faithfully reported the certainty, glamour and richness of the movies. In the mid-seventies I was given this magnificent picture book which is predictably but thoughtfully laid out, featuring the stars, the movies and the studios, but also including quite a bit of behind-the-scenes stuff. Life’s existence from 1936 to 1972 neatly covers this whole epoch. In truth film production had a changed irrevocably in the 1960s and was never really static anyway, but the traditional studio systems was still largely intact and many of the stars were still around or gone only recently. This book helped form the basis of my knowledge of American film – a very good way to start.
Two striking images say a lot about the industry, its power brokers and glamorous start. The first is a 1943 double page spread of L B Mayer, the Czar of MGM with his stars - there are an awful lot of them, called in just for this shot. Among them are Robert Taylor, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, a young Mickey Rooney, an old Lionel Barrymore and in his US Air Force uniform, wartime pilot James Stewart.
The second image is a Mack Sennett Keystone Cops action sequence re-created for Life by actors of the day, I would think in the late fifties or early sixties, including Paul Newman, Fess Parker (TV’s Daniel Boone), James Garner and Buddy Ebsen as leaping cops, pursuing fugitives Rock Hudson and Kim Novak, who are hiding among ‘beach beauties’ including Debbie Reynolds, Shirley MacLaine and the sublimely enchanting Lee Remick.
Ah, nostalgia.
March 18, 2019
Pretty awesome collection culled from LIFE magazine's incredible photographic library. Apparently during the magazine's history from 1936 to 1972, the movie department filled more pages than all other subjects except for the focal 'Newsfronts' section. And of the 1864 LIFE covers, more than 250 were devoted to movie stars or films. So as you can see, there was a lot to choose from to produce this massive book. And in typical TIME-LIFE fashion, the end result is phenomenal.
Broken up into chapters: 1 - The Stars; 2 - The Buildup (promotion of Hollywood stars and hopefuls); 3 - The Movies (each filmmaking genre gets superb coverage); 4 - The Studio (concentration on directors, the movie making process and the studio front office); 5 - Behind the Scenes (private lives and personalities: "A Hollywood personality was a public personality ..."
The photos are amazing, and within the scope of this book (13x11") very much LIFE size. Also features all the famous LIFE covers featuring the stars and movies of each chosen edition, all beautifully reproduced.
304 pages of exceptional variety of movie subjects.
Broken up into chapters: 1 - The Stars; 2 - The Buildup (promotion of Hollywood stars and hopefuls); 3 - The Movies (each filmmaking genre gets superb coverage); 4 - The Studio (concentration on directors, the movie making process and the studio front office); 5 - Behind the Scenes (private lives and personalities: "A Hollywood personality was a public personality ..."
The photos are amazing, and within the scope of this book (13x11") very much LIFE size. Also features all the famous LIFE covers featuring the stars and movies of each chosen edition, all beautifully reproduced.
304 pages of exceptional variety of movie subjects.
February 25, 2016
I picked up a velvet covered copy of this gem at an antique store. What a delight it was wonderful to see pictures and stories of stars who have graced the movie theaters. I am so glad I purchased this and have read it. It sits in my living room and is a great book to look through. Much better than any star magazine. It was composed with the same quality that all Time Life Books have. I am so lucky to own this beautiful burgundy velvet covered book with gold lettering. Nothing could be a better find for a book and movie lover.
February 1, 2019
I rescued this from my high school's library purge. There are a LOT of pictures and stories in here that you won't be seeing on a quick google search any time soon. They bring an unexpected intimacy to your understanding of older movies.
March 4, 2022
Stars existed shortly who left with great legacy that became a classic phenomena. They who shines the most, dies instantly.
December 22, 2022
Στη βιβλιοθήκη από την δεκαετία του 70 όταν τότε αγοράστηκε και διαβάστηκε. Σημαντικό βιβλίο λεύκωμα για τον παγκόσμιο κινηματογράφο
May 31, 2024
This book is a great trip down memory lane. I spent hours looking at all the photos. Highly recommended.
July 10, 2009
This is a compilation of movies, actor, actresses, directors, and everything Time Life had to offer, circa 1975, on the movies. I used to read through this constantly and try to copy the pictures. I loved the shots of Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor in formal gowns, at the height of their beauty. I was distressed by the photo of Faye Dunaway as Bonnie being drowned in a hail of bullets. And Alfred Hitchcock and his birds - well, let's just say I still can't go into the aviary at the zoo to this day.
May 5, 2011
My copy dates from the 1960s
Read
May 5, 2011COULD BE THE TRUE WAY OF LIFE
December 11, 2015
Yeah it's a coffee table book. But the photos of movie stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood are fabulous.
March 20, 2012
Coffee table books can be fun. Especially with really big pictures.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews