Today’s is on Forbidden Hollywood: The Pre-Code Era
(1930-1934): When Sin Ruled the Movies by Mark A. Vieira. It is 256 pages long
and is published by Running Adult Press. The cover is a picture from a forbidden
movie. The intended reader is someone who is interested in old Hollywood and
the films that made it. There is mild foul language, discussion of sex and
sexuality, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From the dust jacket- It’s classic Hollywood- uncensored.
Filled with rare images and untold stories from filmmakers, exhibitors, and moviegoers,
Forbidden Hollywood is the ultimate guide to a gloriously entertaining and strikingly
progressive era, when a lax code of censorship let sin rule the movies.
Forbidden Hollywood id s history of ‘pre-Code’ like none other: you will eavesdrop on production conferences, read nervous telegrams from executives to censors, and hear Americans argue about ‘immoral’ movies. You will see decisions on content artfully wrought so as to fool some of the people long enough to get films into theaters. You will read what theater managers thought of such craftiness, and hear from fans as they applauded creativity or condemned crassness. You will see how these films caused a grass roots movement to gain control of Hollywood- and why they were ‘forbidden’ for fifty years.
The book spotlights the twenty-two films that led to the strict new Code of v 1934, including red-headed Woman, Call Her Savage, and She Done Him Wrong. You’ll see Paukl Muni shoot a path to power in the Scarface, Barbara Stanwyck climb the corporate ladder on her own terms in Baby Face, and misfits seek revenge in Freaks.
More than two hundred newly restored (and some never-before-published) photographs illustrate pivotal moments in the careers of Clara Bow, Joan Crawford, Norma Shearere, and Greta Barbo; and the pre-Code stardom of Claudette, Colbert, Cary Grant, Marlene Dietrich, James Cagney, and Mae West. This is the definitive portrait of an unforgettable era in filmmaking.
Forbidden Hollywood id s history of ‘pre-Code’ like none other: you will eavesdrop on production conferences, read nervous telegrams from executives to censors, and hear Americans argue about ‘immoral’ movies. You will see decisions on content artfully wrought so as to fool some of the people long enough to get films into theaters. You will read what theater managers thought of such craftiness, and hear from fans as they applauded creativity or condemned crassness. You will see how these films caused a grass roots movement to gain control of Hollywood- and why they were ‘forbidden’ for fifty years.
The book spotlights the twenty-two films that led to the strict new Code of v 1934, including red-headed Woman, Call Her Savage, and She Done Him Wrong. You’ll see Paukl Muni shoot a path to power in the Scarface, Barbara Stanwyck climb the corporate ladder on her own terms in Baby Face, and misfits seek revenge in Freaks.
More than two hundred newly restored (and some never-before-published) photographs illustrate pivotal moments in the careers of Clara Bow, Joan Crawford, Norma Shearere, and Greta Barbo; and the pre-Code stardom of Claudette, Colbert, Cary Grant, Marlene Dietrich, James Cagney, and Mae West. This is the definitive portrait of an unforgettable era in filmmaking.
Review- An interesting and in-depth look into the films that
made Hollywood forbidden. Vieira is a Hollywood historian and it shows in his
research and access to original materials. He gives the reader a rough rundown
of Hollywood before 1930 then we jump into the movies that were being made. The
movies were very interesting and the best part of the book. Vieira spends most
of the book writing about the movies and their impact. The movies impact varied
from place to place and person to person. Some movies depended on where they
were shown changed their reputation like if it was a more artist picture then
it did not do well in the country and more homespun stories did not do well in
the big city. The pictures were gorgeous and added so much to the book overall,
they not showed the movies but give the reader an idea about how the movie
where presented to the public in their time. I really enjoyed this book and I
like to read more of Vieira’s work.
I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for
my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.
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