The Genius of the System: Hollywood Filmmaking in the Studio EraAt a time when the studio is making a stunning comeback, film historian Thomas Schatz provides an indispensable account of Hollywood's tradional blend of business and art. This book lays to rest the persistent myth that businesspeople and producers stifle artistic talent and reveals instead the genius of a system of collaboration and conflict. Working from industry documents, Schatz traces the development of house styles, the rise and fall of careers, and the making-and unmaking-of movies, from Frankenstein to Spellbound to Grand Hotel. Richly illustrated and highly readable, The Genius of the System gives the definitive view of the workings of the Old Hollywood and the foundations of the New. |
Contents
3 | |
13 | |
19281932 THE POWERS THAT BE | 67 |
THE 1930s GOLDEN AGE | 157 |
19411946 WAR BOOM | 295 |
19471960 DECLINE | 409 |
NOTES ON SOURCES | 493 |
508 | |
509 | |
Other editions - View all
The Genius of the System: Hollywood Filmmaking in the Studio Era Thomas Schatz No preview available - 1996 |
Common terms and phrases
A-class Abbott and Costello Arthur Freed Ben Hecht Bette Davis Bogart box-office Breen budget Cagney camera cast comedy contract cost costar creative Curtiz Darryl Zanuck David Selznick Davis deal director Dore Schary dramatic Durbin early executive feature film filmmaking final first-run market Flynn Frankenstein Freed Garland genre Hal Wallis Harry Warner Hecht Hitchcock Hollywood Huston industry Jack Warner Laemmle late LeRoy Loew's major Mankiewicz melodrama memo Metro MGM's million movie Muni musical nick novel operations Oscar output Paramount Pasternak percent picture play postproduction preproduction prestige preview production profits Rebecca release retakes rewrites role Rooney salary scene Schary Schary’s schedule Schenck Schulberg screen screenplay Selz setup shooting shot signed star story strategy studio system style success talent Thalberg theater thriller tion took unit Universal City Universal's Wald Wallis Walter Wanger Wanger Warner Bros week Wellman writers York Zanuck