Golden Age of Hollywood Book Club discussion
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Donna
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Jul 17, 2022 09:10AM
Welcome Juan: I feel the same I was so happy when I found this group. Also see under Golden Age of Hollywood Book Club discussion - "What'dja see d'is week?"
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Love and collect old movies. I enjoy books on the subject and books made into movies. I recently read the book that became The Lady Vanishes by Alfred Hitchcock and thought it was very good.
Hi, Pam. 'The Lady Vanishes' is a terrific film. Does the movie stick close to the book? Welcome to the group.
A warm welcome to a fellow film lover, Pam. Please join in the discussions. We have a bit of fun and get some great recommendations from fellow member.
Welcome Pam! I recently watched James Mason in the 1949 film The Reckless Moment and highly recommend it. Very intelligent and well acted film noir. I've not read the novel but that too is supposed to be good. It's The Blank Wall by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding.
Thanks for the feedback. Ethel Lina White’s book was called The Wheel Spins and was snatched up by Hitchcock for his film The Lady Vanishes which came out within 2 years of the book. Evidently White was almost as popular as Christie and some of the other Golden Age mystery writers of her time but largely forgotten today. Hitchcock changed White’s book by adding more comic characters and added the sinister overtones of Nazis that are not in the book. The heroine in the book starts out very flawed and pretty unsympathetic. The male character is not nearly as interesting as Michael Redgrave in the movie and the little old lady (late 30s or early 40s 🫤) is quite different too. Still, I would say different but not necessarily better. I really enjoyed the book and I watch my DVD of the movie at least once a year.And Georgia, thanks for the James Mason suggestion. He’s always interesting.
Hello, I'm Morgan and I love old movies because I'm an old person. TCM is great if only they wouldn't show the same movies over and over since the must have thousands to choose from.
Hi, glad to have you here. We love talking about classic movies. I' m a big fan of TCM and Film Noir.
Betsy wrote: "Hi, glad to have you here. We love talking about classic movies. I' m a big fan of TCM and Film Noir."Me too. Thanks for the nice welcome.
So glad you joined us, Morgan. There are some fun discussions here and lots of recommendations for films you may not have seen. We all are real fans!
Jill wrote: "So glad you joined us, Morgan. There are some fun discussions here and lots of recommendations for films you may not have seen. We all are real fans!"Thanks so much. but I can't seem to find the discussion that asked to name favourite films.
There really isn't a topic with that particular name but pops up everywhere when a member asks a question.
Jill wrote: "There really isn't a topic with that particular name but pops up everywhere when a member asks a question."ok, thanks.
Morgan wrote: "Hello, I'm Morgan and I love old movies because I'm an old person. TCM is great if only they wouldn't show the same movies over and over since the must have thousands to choose from."Welcome aboard Morgan. Have enjoyed reading your book reviews over the years. Look forward to all your comments re the movie world. Old flicks, new ones, good ones, bad ones - all worth discussing!
Anthony wrote: "Morgan wrote: "Hello, I'm Morgan and I love old movies because I'm an old person. TCM is great if only they wouldn't show the same movies over and over since the must have thousands to choose from...."Thanks Anthony. Look forward to yours too.
Hi everybody! Does anybody know of a good place to get premade book lists in a format that I can import in to my own shelf? It's silly that they don't have a way to either sort the dynamic/public shelves or to import them entirely into your own shelf all at once so that you can sort them.
Kevlar wrote: "Hi everybody! Does anybody know of a good place to get premade book lists in a format that I can import in to my own shelf? It's silly that they don't have a way to either sort the dynamic/public s..."Welcome Kevlar.
Glad to have you on board to discuss anything you like regarding books and (usually) old movies. It's a great and informal chatterbox to throw a few comments about movies of any period that interest.
And hopefully someone will be able to answer your question!
Making The Best Years of Our Lives: The Hollywood Classic That Inspired a Nation - howdy I am a podcast and just interviewed the author of this book - Alison Macor. My podcast name is Unimaginable Wellness the podcast for moms aspiring to write nonfiction. This book is based on a 1946 movie that tackles PTSD and much more. You may enjoy my podcast interview too because Alison shares her book writing fiascos as a mom. You can catch our talk on iTunes or Spotify.
Pocket bio: Retired humanities teacher, residing in Tlaxcala, Mexico, with two dogs and six indoor cats. Passionate about literature, history, philosophy, classical music and opera, cinema, and similar subjects. Nostalgic guy. Politically centrist. BA in American Studies from Yale; MAs in English and Education from Boston University. Born in northern New Jersey. Have lived and worked in San Francisco, Chicago, northern Nevada, northeast Wisconsin, South Korea. More detail at Goodreads profile.
So glad you joined this movie addicts group, Patrick. You will get lots of tips on films that you may have not seen or some additional information on ones that you have seen. It is a friendly group and we can agree to disagree and still have fun. Please join in the discussions.
There are a variety of interests in the group, Patrick. I go for Film Noir and Silent movies, but you can find lots to talk about.
Those, as it happens, are also two of my passions. Don’t get me started on my man Wallace Reid, we’ll be here all night. 😏
Wallace Reid....................what a tragic ending he had.
I once made a list of silent film tragedies and premature deaths, and it is LONG.
Patrick wrote: "Pocket bio: Retired humanities teacher, residing in Tlaxcala, Mexico, with two dogs and six indoor cats. Passionate about literature, history, philosophy, classical music and opera, cinema, and sim..."Along with Jill and Betsy, I send my welcome to you, Patrick on joining our little group of film nuts.
Judging by your pocket bio, you will have oodles of fascinating comments to make. Sincerely looking forward to reading them. That is if you can find the time. Two dogs and six cats! One (mostly) outdoor cat is more than enough for me to handle!
Thank you much! One reason I like my pets so much is that I can hang out with them while I read, write, watch films, listen to music, and so on. Taking care of their needs is just part of the daily flow.
Hi everyone! My name is Liberty and I'm a final-year film student with a love for the classic and silent era of Hollywood. I don't think I have enough characters to note all of my favourites so I'll just say that some of my recent highlights have been Criss Cross (1949), Stranger on the Third Floor (1940), Double Indemnity (1944) and The Sweet Smell of Success (1957) - it's not at all obvious that I'm writing an essay on film noir! Can't wait to get some recommendations on books and films from this community :)
Mod
Any backstory behind why your folks named you thus? History teachers perhaps.
A grad school chum of mine did his doctoral thesis on film noir. He's now a PhD somewhere. Wish I'd stayed in touch with him.
When you say 'film student' do you mean you're in film school to learn directing, or editing, etc? Or simply to study cinema as culture at the undergrad level?
Feliks wrote: "Hallo Liberty. Welkommen!Any backstory behind why your folks named you thus? History teachers perhaps.
A grad school chum of mine did his doctoral thesis on film noir. He's now a PhD somewhere. ..."
Hi, thank you! I'm happy to be here.
As for my name I can never be 100% sure why my parents do anything, so no answers there sadly.
But I think your description of 'cinema as culture' is quite apt really. As I've gone through the years I've attempted to avoid film production work as much as possible to focus my study on film theory, history and analysis. As of now I'm working on a dissertation on the female cross-dressing films of the silent era which is certainly interesting but I'll be more than relieved when its finished!
Liberty wrote: "Hi everyone! My name is Liberty and I'm a final-year film student with a love for the classic and silent era of Hollywood. I don't think I have enough characters to note all of my favourites so I'l..."Welcome to the group. I like Film Noir and the Silents. Most of the ones I've seen have been on Turner Classic Movies. Have also read a few books.
Mod
I'm a mild/casual fan of Laura Mulvey; but fall in general line with
Terry Eagleton.
The Major Film Theories: An Introduction
Experimental cinema: A fifty year evolution
Film Form: Essays In Film Theory
Sixguns and Society: A Structural Study of the Western
Films And Feelings
The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
Passionate Views: Film, Cognition, and Emotion
somewhat less enthused over:
Story and Discourse: Narrative Structure in Fiction and Film
The Power of Movies: How Screen and Mind Interact
It strikes me that I should add all these to our group book-shelf ...been remiss in not doing do before now ...
Hello! I'm new to the group and Goodreads in general, but I have always loved classic film since I was young. I also write original fiction inspired by old films! I like to think of them as film stories that could have existed but never did (everything I write would run afoul of the Hayes Code, this is a fact). :D I'm in the process of self-publishing my finished stories, and continuing to write several more. I know I'm not supposed to promote my books here, but if you're curious, I'm more than happy to talk about my work.My muse and favorite actor of all time is Peter Lorre, and he features as a character in everything I have written since 2020. If you love him too, be sure to let me know. I'm always reaching out to fellow fans. :)
E.A. wrote: "Hello! I'm new to the group and Goodreads in general, but I have always loved classic film since I was young. I also write original fiction inspired by old films! I like to think of them as film st..."Hi, nice to meet you! I'm also pretty new here but I really like Peter Lorre as well (Mad Love is one of my favourite films of all time!) so I'd love to hear any recommendations you might have from his filmography or if you know of any good books on his work :)
Liberty wrote: "I really like Peter Lorre as well (Mad Love is one of my favourite films of all time!)"Hi, Liberty! Nice to meet you too! I LOVE Mad Love, it's one of my favorites too. It's funny because Peter didn't have such a high opinion of it, and he only made it as a kind of contractual obligation in exchange for what he really wanted to film, which was Crime and Punishment. But today, Mad Love is the more popular of the two by far.
I have many recommendations! But to avoid spamming everything, I'll try to keep it short, lol. His biography by Stephen Youngkin is THE definitive book on all things Lorre: The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre It's a highly researched account of his whole life and it includes a full description of his films, TV appearances, and radio shows.
And for his movies, I am always recommending the one film that Peter directed: Der Verlorene (The Lost One). He stars in it, too. I consider it a masterpiece of German Trümmerfilm (literally "rubble film," or stories of postwar aftermath) combined with Hollywood noir influences. It didn't get much attention in 1951 but since then it has gained much critical acclaim. I think it just had a new bluray release, too!
Welcome to all new group members. Peter Lorre was a terrific actor. 'M' (1931) gave him an impressive start, and his association with Sydney Greenstreet made them both memorable.
E.A. wrote: "Liberty wrote: "I really like Peter Lorre as well (Mad Love is one of my favourite films of all time!)"Hi, Liberty! Nice to meet you too! I LOVE Mad Love, it's one of my favorites too. It's funny..."
Hahaha, sadly I can see him disliking it. Its such a strange experience to find out an actor you admire despises or (even worse) is impartial to a work you think is brilliant!
Thank you so much for your recommendations, I'll be sure to seek out a copy of both Kingsley's book and The Lost One when I can. I never would have thought that Lorre returned to Germany after his emigration to the US, but the resultant blend of styles sounds really intriguing!
Mod
Question: why not write screenplays (spec), instead of straight 'fiction'? All fiction is lost in a veritable ocean these days. But a good spec script reaches a much wider audience. And at least you know it will be read and evaluated competently.
Mod
Not so. You are permitted to promote your book within this group. If you're not sure how to do so, I will explain.
Feliks wrote: "Welcome, E.A. Question: why not write screenplays (spec), instead of straight 'fiction'? All fiction is lost in a veritable ocean these days. But a good spec script reaches a much wider audience...."
Hi, Feliks! Great question! Truth is, I would love to write screenplays. My first draft of all my fiction basically starts out in a sort of proto-screenplay form. I write the actions and dialogue first, because it's what I always envision first, and then flesh out the rest in prose form. A friend once told me I'd be a natural screenwriter if I see the scenes that clearly in my mind, however I have no connections to anyone in film or TV so I don't know who I would submit scripts to. But I'd love to give it a try someday.
Please, tell me more about promoting my books! I'd love to share them here.
Betsy wrote: "Welcome to all new group members. Peter Lorre was a terrific actor. 'M' (1931) gave him an impressive start, and his association with Sydney Greenstreet made them both memorable."Hi Betsy! I agree, I always love seeing Peter and Sydney act together. They made such a memorable team. :)
Mod
And you don't need to have any industry connections to start off. I made the very same leap. I was a complete unknown scribbler of fict like everyone else.
But every single script I turned in, earned me awards and got me networking opportunities. It's so much more gratifying and motivating. Whereas fiction authors can go from cradle-to-grave without ever being read by anyone else except their immediate family.
They say 'the odds' favor fict publishing, and that's true --but its so much more dispiriting and heartbreaking.
I've got two friends who followed this same road I'm on and their books will be seen in theaters soon --one coming up next year in fact.
It's just so much more fun to strain and sweat if there's a chance of making a difference.
II.
Promoting self-pubbed books here is also not a head-scratcher. Initially it is just this simple:
1. Create a post
2. File the post under this section of our discussions:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...
'Author Promo'
Hopefully your book has a Goodreads page, a Goodreads bookcover, an ISBN #, etc
The only real principle to adhere to is: no spamming. Only one promotion, or giveaway, or notice of any kind, is permissible more than 1x per every 3 weeks.
Feliks wrote: "I took the exact same route as yourself. Switching from straight fict to spec is quite rewarding. And you don't need to have any industry connections to start off. I made the very same leap. I wa..."
Thanks so much for the info! Congrats to your friends, as well. Can you write spec scripts even if you have already published the story in fic form? One of my books I was going to promote here has three stories that I could easily turn into scripts, and I'm not even done writing stories for that particular character. And who reads the scripts, and how do you get it into their hands?
Mod
1. Authors certainly convert their novels/short stories into plays. Happens all the time.
2. Contest rules are also very easy. Restrictions are few. Festivals mainly just stipulate that, "in the length of the previous year you ought not have won any contest in x amount of cash prizes", (OR also that) "your work should still be un-represented by any agency" (aka: a true amateur spec, without any affiliations yet at all).
3. The contest circuit typically runs March to November. There's hundreds you might enter if you merely wish to feel good about yourself --but there's really only 7-8 which you can use as a calling card to talk someone into (maybe) representing you.
4. The main goal is always to get someone to represent you. It often takes a satchel full of 12 award-winning amateur scripts to get attention but its been done with as few as 3-4 good scripts. I've seen aspirants get an agent with just one 'hot' idea.
5. If you ever have a truly hot idea I myself would put you in touch with someone. The principle runs high in the spec writing community, that we all help each other when we can.
6. Mega hot ideas are things like 'Jaws' or 'The Sting'. If you ever have an idea that sizzling you can dismiss much of what I just described above. You would leapfrog ahead of all such tedious legwork.
7. It's true what I said about 'the odds of publishing'. Relatively easy to get a literary agent for straight fiction. But earning attention as an amateur scriptwriter who resides in the southwest corner of the eastern side of Lester, Nebraska is as rare as getting struck by lighting and attacked by a shark on the same day. There's over fifty-thousand amateur scripts circulating around LA every year. Competition is ferocious. Less than 100 amateur scripts annually, get through the gates. Most writers move to California to have any chance at all.
8. Who reads scripts, how do you get your work into their hands? The festival circuit is where you cut your teeth. Develop your skills in the bush league. You need to be flawless to enter the big time. That's what contests are for. When you're ready, you start shopping your stuff around and --unfortunately --doing 'cold' submissions. You research agents and managers and reach out to them blindly, hoping for a reply. Or you get lucky --by somehow meeting someone --who likes your stuff.
A warm welcome to our new members. You will find some interesting topics and discussions and please join in.It is interesting that you have mentioned Peter Lorre as we have discussed him here many times. His performance in M (1931) has often been rated as one of the finest in film history.
Feliks wrote: "There's very few rules of any kind in publishing these days. Whatever is possible, is usually probable. 1. Authors certainly convert their novels/short stories into plays. Happens all the time.
..."
Thanks for all the great advice! I'll definitely see about adapting some of my stories to scripts and entering contests. I don't want to do that with every story, at least not the more personal ones that I wanted to leave as prose. But I definitely have some that I always pictured as a kind of horror anthology, about a frightening, yet pitiful recurring little character (based on guess who) with an insatiable appetite for people. D: And despite this, he's always more sympathetic than the greedy, sadistic, or amoral forces around him. I'm afraid none of it is exactly high arte or a hot idea, but it's been damn fun to write and I still have more ideas for him.
Jill wrote: "A warm welcome to our new members. You will find some interesting topics and discussions and please join in.It is interesting that you have mentioned Peter Lorre as we have discussed him here man..."
Thanks, Jill! M is one of my favorite movies and I'm still in awe every time I see it. It is so provocative and modern even after 94 years. It casts a long, long shadow and I suspect it solidified so many of the techniques that define modern cinema! I still find it amusing that the studio producers at Ufa told Fritz Lang he was literally bankrupting them with his big budget silent extravaganzas like Metropolis and Frau im Mond, and his next picture needed to be far more modest in scope. That picture was M.
Golden Age of Hollywood Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (other topics)The Major Film Theories: An Introduction (other topics)
Experimental cinema: A fifty year evolution (other topics)
Film Form: Essays In Film Theory (other topics)
Sixguns and Society: A Structural Study of the Western (other topics)
More...
