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They Make Movies
Goodreads - 8 Ratings and Reviews for a 4.13 average.
This fast-moving collection blends fiction with history to illuminate the stimulating but often troubled lives and careers of noted actors, actresses, and directors. Charismatic Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable live hard on and off screen. Chadwick Boseman portrays civil rights giants Jackie Robinson and Thurgood Marshall. Bette Davis smolders in every scene. Marilyn Monroe is not only sexy, she’s a superb actress and comedienne. Halle Berry seduces Billy Bob Thornton and her audience. Alfred Hitchcock becomes more mysterious and enchanting every year. Clint Eastwood evolves from tough and handsome leading man into a skillful director. Spike Lee creates stimulating characters who battle each other and the forces of history. Lesser known but talented performers also shine. Elegant Anna May Wong impresses the public but still loses important roles. Louise Brooks becomes a silent film legend before disappearing from public life. Beautiful Jeanne Eagels delivers dramatic perfection while battling mental illness. Many more characters fascinate. Sit back and watch while They Make Movies.
This fast-moving collection blends fiction with history to illuminate the stimulating but often troubled lives and careers of noted actors, actresses, and directors. Charismatic Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable live hard on and off screen. Chadwick Boseman portrays civil rights giants Jackie Robinson and Thurgood Marshall. Bette Davis smolders in every scene. Marilyn Monroe is not only sexy, she’s a superb actress and comedienne. Halle Berry seduces Billy Bob Thornton and her audience. Alfred Hitchcock becomes more mysterious and enchanting every year. Clint Eastwood evolves from tough and handsome leading man into a skillful director. Spike Lee creates stimulating characters who battle each other and the forces of history. Lesser known but talented performers also shine. Elegant Anna May Wong impresses the public but still loses important roles. Louise Brooks becomes a silent film legend before disappearing from public life. Beautiful Jeanne Eagels delivers dramatic perfection while battling mental illness. Many more characters fascinate. Sit back and watch while They Make Movies.
- GenresNonfiction
384 pages, Paperback
Published May 25, 2021
About the author
George Thomas Clark
101 books32 followersGeorge Thomas Clark is the author of Hitler Here, an acclaimed biographical novel, Paint it Blue and They Make Movies, creative stories about artists and actors, Down Goes Trump, a political satire, short story collections The Bold Investor and Anne Frank on Tour and Other Stories, Basketball and Football, and other fusions of fact and fiction.
In addition to writing, Clark follows the news and sports, exercises daily (albeit delicately), collects contemporary art, enjoys independent movies, and travels to places (most recently Madrid, Mexico City, Quito, Guanajuato, and Aguascalientes) where he can socialize in Spanish.
Learn more on Amazon's George Thomas Clark page - https://www.amazon.com/George-Thomas-...
In addition to writing, Clark follows the news and sports, exercises daily (albeit delicately), collects contemporary art, enjoys independent movies, and travels to places (most recently Madrid, Mexico City, Quito, Guanajuato, and Aguascalientes) where he can socialize in Spanish.
Learn more on Amazon's George Thomas Clark page - https://www.amazon.com/George-Thomas-...
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 30, 2021
This was a great book and I enjoyed reading about the actors within the book. The characters and storyline were phenomenal.
September 8, 2021
What a fantastic look back at all the great women who were in motion pictures. I loved the information on the lesser known actresses and directors and actors. This book told us not only of their careers, but of their downfalls as well in areas. How can we be certain it’s all true? It’s up to you the reader to ascertain with the research and tidbits the author has given.
I enjoyed the book because it’s written about those that we put on pedestals and to get glimpses into snippets of their characters instead of slammed on national magazines is sometimes nice.
I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.
I enjoyed the book because it’s written about those that we put on pedestals and to get glimpses into snippets of their characters instead of slammed on national magazines is sometimes nice.
I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.
June 13, 2021
George Thomas Clark, They Make Movies BooksGoSocial 2021
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
They Make Movies is a combination of fiction, real events, and interpretations of the protagonists’ attitude towards the films in which they appeared or directed. Some of the events are seemingly told by the subject of the chapter, others appear to be based on reality or the author’s interpretation, described as if they are addressed directly by the subject. The stories are told with humour and, at times, sharp impact. The process is clever, providing researched topics and events, with the aid of fictional devices. Authenticity is supported by the list of film sources, although there are no footnotes to disturb the flow of the account – or to clarify what material is accurate and what might be fictional. As exciting as this presentation could be, I found that I could not warm to the execution of this style in They Make Movies, although some of the observations are well made.
The book is divided two major sections: covering both those in front of the camera, and those behind. Chapters cover a topic, such as actors, and are then divided into sections. These are then allocated descriptive titles such as ‘Lovely Ladies’, numbering twenty, including women such as Anna May Wong from the 1930s, Marlene Dietrich, Louise Brookes, Bette Davis (who warrants and gets, several chapters), Olivia De Havilland, Marilyn Munroe, and Kim Novak, amongst those well in the past, to contemporary actors such as Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchette and Halle Berry. The male actors feature in a section, ‘Smooth Operators’ and include Errol Flynn, Clarke Gable, John Wayne, Paul Newman, Mel Gibson, and George Reeves, amongst the seventeen (including two ‘Douglas Boys’). ‘Characters’ are all male, beginning with Robert DeNiro, and include Claude Rains, Edward G. Robinson and Sacha Baron Cohen, ending with Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Robert Blake. Behind the Camera are Woody Allen, Alfred Hitchcock, the Jewish Film Festival and Quentin Tarantino amongst the eleven men.
Some of the inclusions are obviously controversial, but the short characterisation of Harvey Weinstein is sharply drawn and sensitive to the Me Too Movement. Not so, is the ‘conversation’ with Woody Allen. In contrast, Anna May Wong’s story highlights another discriminatory area, racism in the movies, both in selecting actors, and interpretations. I would have liked the sharp observations in this discussion to play a stronger role in the following understandings of the films, their scripts, choice of actor and direction. The witticisms that have a role in interpreting the work covered in this book, in my view, would not have suffered.
I was disappointed with this book because my expectations were not met. For me, the comic interpretations did not outweigh my need for authenticity and more profound analysis of the films and their protagonists. However, readers who enjoy a romp through well known, and not so familiar films with their actors, directors and fictional interviewers/ co-stars/hotel staff / contemporaries will find much to amuse, and an interesting collection of films to reinterpret.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
They Make Movies is a combination of fiction, real events, and interpretations of the protagonists’ attitude towards the films in which they appeared or directed. Some of the events are seemingly told by the subject of the chapter, others appear to be based on reality or the author’s interpretation, described as if they are addressed directly by the subject. The stories are told with humour and, at times, sharp impact. The process is clever, providing researched topics and events, with the aid of fictional devices. Authenticity is supported by the list of film sources, although there are no footnotes to disturb the flow of the account – or to clarify what material is accurate and what might be fictional. As exciting as this presentation could be, I found that I could not warm to the execution of this style in They Make Movies, although some of the observations are well made.
The book is divided two major sections: covering both those in front of the camera, and those behind. Chapters cover a topic, such as actors, and are then divided into sections. These are then allocated descriptive titles such as ‘Lovely Ladies’, numbering twenty, including women such as Anna May Wong from the 1930s, Marlene Dietrich, Louise Brookes, Bette Davis (who warrants and gets, several chapters), Olivia De Havilland, Marilyn Munroe, and Kim Novak, amongst those well in the past, to contemporary actors such as Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchette and Halle Berry. The male actors feature in a section, ‘Smooth Operators’ and include Errol Flynn, Clarke Gable, John Wayne, Paul Newman, Mel Gibson, and George Reeves, amongst the seventeen (including two ‘Douglas Boys’). ‘Characters’ are all male, beginning with Robert DeNiro, and include Claude Rains, Edward G. Robinson and Sacha Baron Cohen, ending with Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Robert Blake. Behind the Camera are Woody Allen, Alfred Hitchcock, the Jewish Film Festival and Quentin Tarantino amongst the eleven men.
Some of the inclusions are obviously controversial, but the short characterisation of Harvey Weinstein is sharply drawn and sensitive to the Me Too Movement. Not so, is the ‘conversation’ with Woody Allen. In contrast, Anna May Wong’s story highlights another discriminatory area, racism in the movies, both in selecting actors, and interpretations. I would have liked the sharp observations in this discussion to play a stronger role in the following understandings of the films, their scripts, choice of actor and direction. The witticisms that have a role in interpreting the work covered in this book, in my view, would not have suffered.
I was disappointed with this book because my expectations were not met. For me, the comic interpretations did not outweigh my need for authenticity and more profound analysis of the films and their protagonists. However, readers who enjoy a romp through well known, and not so familiar films with their actors, directors and fictional interviewers/ co-stars/hotel staff / contemporaries will find much to amuse, and an interesting collection of films to reinterpret.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews