Classic cinema makes for great summer reads - Part I

 It’s getting a bit late in the summer. If you have the summer off, then you’ve probably run out of ways to entertain yourself. If you’re a parent, the kids have been off of school for awhile now and your patience is running thin. Well, while they are rushing to get through with their required summer reading, why don’t you do a little summer reading of your own? It might add a little variety to your long pool days, if you’re stuck in a good book.
 But this isn’t your normal summer reading list. You won’t find Wuthering Heights, Fahrenheit 451 or even Twilight here. You might instead learn a little something new or even refresh your memory with some interesting facts. So, during these long hot months, why not go ahead and get swept away in old Hollywood?

Howard Hawks: The Grey Fox of Hollywood by Todd McCarty - This biography is well written and informative. Though it mostly stays focused on the life of Howard Hawks, director of His Girl Friday, Bringing Up Baby, Sergeant York, among others, it also provides a great overview of Hollywood from the silent era through the late 1960s. McCarthy doesn’t shy away from the reality either but instead grinds through the dirt, digging into Hawks’ family life (and, man, was he related one way or another to most everyone in Hollywood), many affairs, and close friendships.

Victor Fleming: An American Movie Master by Michael Sragow - Though I have not yet been able to get my hands on a copy of this new release, it has gotten great reviews. Starting out directing silent films in the 1920s, Fleming soon rose to the top of his field, directing some of the most memorable and iconic films in all of cinema history, including films like The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind. But Fleming’s success didn’t come without a price. Sragow contends that Fleming’s good friend, Howard Hawks, often borrowed and stole ideas from Fleming, something Todd McCarthy doesn’t deny in his Hawks’ biography. I can’t wait to dig into this book. I know it’s going to be a goody.

On Sunset Boulevard: The Life and Times of Billy Wilder by Ed Sikov - Finally, here’s a good solid biography of probably the most famous and celebrated director in film history, Billy Wilder (Some Like it Hot, The Apartment, The Seven Year Itch). Instead of being just another long boring biography, Sikov’s writing is smart, fun, and interesting to read. He definitely lends a strong voice to this often monotonous literature genre. Besides recounting Wilder’s life, Sikov does an excellent job of placing us in the time period, from Nazi occupied Poland to Code-riddled Hollywood. This combination leads to one of the best biographies out there about the gritty rebel director.

An Illustrated History of Horror and Science Films, The Classic Era 1895-1967 by Carlos Clarens - Are you a fan of old monster films or sci-fi classics? If so, this book is for you. Clarens doesn’t leave anything out in this easy to read book. It includes tid-bits and facts about various horror films ranging from The Golem to The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari to Frankenstein to King Kong. It not only discusses American films, but films from many countries, all trying to scare and shock their timid audiences. Never a big fan of these films I thought were so cheesy, this book made me greatly appreciate this category of film. I even went out and rented some of the films it mentions on my own!

Tramp: The Life of Charlie Chaplin by Joyce Milton - There are many Chaplin biographies out there and though I have not nearly read them all, I can say that this one taught me a lot. Starting from his broken childhood in England in the late 1800s, going all the way through his exile to Switzerland in the 1970s, Milton tells it all. Though she gets sidetracked often, she stays true to the material. Reading this will give you a better understanding of where Chaplin is coming from in his films and though I was already a big Chaplin fan, it gave me even a bigger appreciation of his work.

Check back later for more great summer reads in Part II