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Hollywood Movie Stills: The Golden Age
Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe...It is through the eye of the stills camera that we experience and recall some of the cinema's most memorable moments and faces. Still images are so powerful they can easily pass for actual scenes from the movies they represent--rather than separately posed, lighted and photographed shot that may not even find their way into the finished film.
Joel Finler's Hollywood Movie Stills is the first book devoted to this neglected aspect of filmmaking. It traces the origin of stills photography during the silent era and first development of the star system, throughout the rise of the giant studios in the 1930s and their subsequent decline. It focuses on the photographers; on the stars they photographed; and on many key films and filmmakers.
The book is illustrated by hundreds of rare and unusual still from the author's own collection, including not only portraits and scene still but production shots, behind-the-scenes photos, poster art, calendar art, leg art, photo collages and trick shots; there are, too, photos showing the stars' private lives and special events in Hollywood--all produced in vast numbers by the great studios in their heyday.
160 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 4, 2014
You might wonder what the point would be to accompany a book of movie stills with text, but author Joel Findler has a great explanation. Movie still photographers were sometimes invisible on the set, in fact some directors positively hated them! Luckily other directors allowed them free reign on their movie sets, so we have many beautiful movie stills from Hollywood history to enjoy.
As only about 20% of silent films still exist, many times the movie stills taken on the set are the only thing left from silent movies. Findler covers movie still photography history from the teens until the 1960s. He categorizes movie stills as portraits, scene stills (including scenes that were filmed but not included in the final film), behind-the-scenes stills, and even prop photos. He also explains why movie still quality declined starting in the 1960s as the studio system fell apart, studios devoted less time and money to publicity, and the cameras got smaller.
But of course you don't get a book like this just to read. It's filled with beautiful black and white stills from the teen through the 1970s for our perusing pleasure. This is a must-read for fans of movie still photography.
As only about 20% of silent films still exist, many times the movie stills taken on the set are the only thing left from silent movies. Findler covers movie still photography history from the teens until the 1960s. He categorizes movie stills as portraits, scene stills (including scenes that were filmed but not included in the final film), behind-the-scenes stills, and even prop photos. He also explains why movie still quality declined starting in the 1960s as the studio system fell apart, studios devoted less time and money to publicity, and the cameras got smaller.
But of course you don't get a book like this just to read. It's filled with beautiful black and white stills from the teen through the 1970s for our perusing pleasure. This is a must-read for fans of movie still photography.
July 15, 2013
Amazing! Highly recommended for film buffs and photography enthusiasts alike. A must-read if you are a fan of film history and Hollywood. This book contains many great and fascinating images, all with captions and info, and the writing is excellent. A very impressive volume, indeed.
August 15, 2020
【中译本】值啊，这本买了真的值啊【大吸特吸
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews