Though not thorough enough to be definitive, this concise account of Universal's transformation from the silent era to the present is a useful resource for anyone interested in James Whale, Deanna Durbin, or Howard the Duck. Fans of Universal Pictures will find a friend in Dick (Communication Arts/Fairleigh Dickinson Univ.), who dedicates the book to child star Gloria Jean (``Scranton's Own'') and admits in his preface that Abbott and Costello still make him laugh out loud. Balancing his personal fondness with solid research, Dick chronicles every phase, high and low, of Universal's history: its founding in 1912 by German immigrant ``Uncle Carl'' Laemmle; its silent classics, such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame; its great monster-movie cycle of the '30s (e.g., Frankenstein); its diminished status in the '40s as a ``purveyor of horror, low comedy, and teenage hijinks''; its return to prestige filmmaking in the '50s with directors like Anthony Mann and Douglas Sirk; and its high-powered association with Steven Spielberg since the '70s. In this brief history, peppered with cinematic analysis, much detail is left out: The passages on Laemmle and his thwarted son, Carl Jr., are not as richly anecdotal as the analogous material in Neal Gabler's An Empire of Their Own; the section on Lon Chaney neglects even to mention makeup. Sometimes too much detail is given without enough context: The closing chapters on Universal's recent changes in corporate ownership read like a pastiche of Variety articles. However, most major turning points in the studio's fortunes are clearly recounted, and many obscure matters are highlighted—from the early works of William Wyler and John Ford to Ron Howard's box-office track record. Not everyone may think it worthwhile to analyze the opening minutes of the talking-mule movie Francis; that Dick does so instructively will endear him to Universal's fans. (illustrations, not seen)
Pub Date: May 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-8131-2016-0
Page Count: 312
Publisher: Univ. Press of Kentucky
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1997
BOOK REVIEW
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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