Seven Classic-Film Books to Add to Your Library
Updated: Dec 5
From a spotlight on Gloria Swanson to comprehensive looks at Alfred Hitchcock and Columbia Pictures, these great reads are perfect for fans of Hollywood's golden age.
Every classic-film fan likely will agree: The latest batch of book releases that celebrate various aspects of Hollywood's golden age feel decidedly reassuring — not only because they make terrific new additions to your library, but also because they prove continued interest in this essential era, which straddles both cinema and American history. Let's face it, publishing is a tough business these days, and books rarely get a green light unless there's some confidence of success. That thought should inspire only excitement in this crop of book debuts, which highlight widely beloved and more esoteric films and performances alike.
Whether you're in search of a book to add to your own collection or as a gift for your favorite film fan, a choice within these seven recent releases is sure to pique your interest. Check out the choices and order sooner rather than later for on-time holiday gifting.
By Chris Cotonou; foreword by Tom Rothman, introduction by Sam Wasson
On January 10, 1924, brothers Harry and Jack Cohn and partner Joe Brandt took the CBC Film Sales Corporation they had founded in Los Angeles in 1918 and reorganized it into a full-fledged film studio known as Columbia Pictures. A century later, Columbia Pictures: 100 Years of Cinema has been released to commemorate both that early inspired moment and all the incredible films that followed. The studio that produced It Happened One Night, His Girl Friday, From Here to Eternity and other legendary 20th-century films highlights the details of these and many additional titles, while also featuring spotlights on stars and auteurs including Sidney Poitier and Quentin Tarantino. Yes, this book carries through to the modern era, devoting pages to movies that include Greta Gerwig's 2019 version of Little Women. It's a terrific showcase of Columbia's evolution, richly illustrated with more than 200 images over 304 pages.
Of course, Columbia isn't called Columbia anymore; the studio was acquired by the Coca-Cola Company in 1982, and was then purchased by the Sony Corporation in 1989; in 1991, Columbia Pictures officially was renamed Sony Pictures Entertainment. But just as the Statue of Liberty-inspired "Torch Lady," as she was long ago dubbed, adorns the cover of this book, the Columbia Pictures symbol — who's been speculated to be based on everyone from Agnes Moorehead to Annette Bening over the years — will always remain an essential motif of one of Hollywood's most historic studios.
By Ira M. Resnick and Raissa Bretaña; foreword by Jane Fonda
Every actress highlighted within Moxie: The Daring Women of Classic Hollywood easily earns the title, from Marlene Dietrich and Lauren Bacall to Claudette Colbert, Kay Francis, Anna May Wong, Gloria Grahame, Myrna Loy and others. There isn't a wallflower among any of these strong, sassy, empowered women, and now they've been brought together in a 240-page book lavishly illustrated with more than 200 images from the collection of author and film expert Ira M. Resnick, with many images seen for the first time. If films like All About Eve, Shanghai Express or To Have and Have Not rank high among your favorites, this book is a must-have reference piece. Even better, another moxie-filled woman wrote the book's foreword: Jane Fonda.
By Mimi Haddon
Founded in the late 1960s, Palace Costume got its start as a vintage clothing store called Crystal Palace, so named because it operated out of a mirror-filled space that previously sold chandeliers. Other stores on Melrose followed, and soon enough it wasn't just the L.A. crowd that favored bohemian style who came calling; it was costume designers like Anthea Sylbert, who visited Palace Costume in search of period-appropriate looks for Faye Dunaway to wear in 1974's Chinatown. Sylbert wasn't only successful in her search, she would be nominated for an Academy Award for her costume-design work for that film.
It was Sylbert's suggestion to original owner Melody Barnett that she should switch from selling vintage clothes to renting them for Hollywood productions, and thus Palace Costume & Prop Co. was born. Now author, photographer and costume designer Mimi Haddon has documented the history of this L.A. institution with Palace Costume: Inside Hollywood's Best Kept Fashion Secret. More recently Palace Costume has rented for productions that have included Mad Men, Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood, and La La Land, and the book's 320 pages are copiously illustrated with both anecdotes — including a Q&A with Barnett — and artful images by Haddon of garments that not only impress with their design and historic value, they've also adorned more than a few Oscar winners.
By Stephen Michael Shearer
Most contemporary film fans know Gloria Swanson as the faded star in 1950's Sunset Boulevard — but if you love the scene in which her Norma Desmond visits Cecil B. DeMille while he's shooting a film and, while delayed at the studio gates, she notes that "Without me, there wouldn't be a Paramount Studios," the meta moment is undeniable. DeMille and Swanson made six films together at Paramount Pictures between 1918 and 1925, and though Paramount offered her a contract of $1 million a year to stay, Swanson decamped in favor of United Artists joined Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks in a partnership that extended beyond acting to include ownership in decisions and profits.
In Gloria Swanson: Hollywood's First Glamour Queen, author Stephen Michael Shearer focuses on Swanson's status as a style star, both on and off-screen. Every couturier of note dressed Swanson during her heyday, including Coco Chanel (don't miss 1931's Tonight or Never to see a film starring Swanson and costumes by Chanel), Rene Hubert and Molyneux. In addition to biographies of Hedy Lamarr and Patricia Neal, Shearer also wrote what is considered the definitive Swanson bio, Gloria Swanson: The Ultimate Star, making Hollywood's First Glamour Queen a wonderful layer to an icon's unforgettable story.
By Eve Arnold; introduction by Michael Arnold, foreword by Anjelica Huston
She was once among the most photographed woman in the world — following Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana, according to some lists — but some of the most compelling images of Marilyn Monroe were taken by photojournalist Eve Arnold between their first meeting at a party in the early 1950s and the icon's final film, 1961's The Misfits, released 18 months before her August 1962 death. Arnold passed away in 2012, and now her 1987 book, Marilyn Monroe by Eve Arnold, has been released in a revised and redesigned edition, highlighting roughly 100 black-and-white and color photos from their sessions, including images newly discovered and restored. Arnold's original, detailed biography of Monroe is included and offers anecdotes about their time together, while Arnold's grandson, Michael, wrote a new introduction for this edition, and Anjelica Huston, daughter of John Huston, director of The Misfits, wrote the book's foreword. The result is a book that is equal parts poignant and beautiful, ultimately telling the story of the art that can arise as the result of a collaboration between two incredible women.
By Esther Zuckerman
The latest in the books released from the partnership between Running Press and Turner Classic Movies is this breezy exploration of romantic comedies, kicking off with classics like It Happened One Night and Bringing Up Baby and carrying through to modern-era favorites that include Legally Blonde and Sixteen Candles.
Falling in Love at the Movies: Rom-Coms from the Screwball Era to Today, by entertainment journalist Esther Zuckerman, is for anyone who appreciates the meet-cute, the teenage crush and, of course, the happy ending. It's notable that the latter doesn't always happen (Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in 1953's Roman Holiday, featured on the book's cover, proves that idea, but sometimes the heartbreaking decision is also a key component of a great romantic comedy). Zuckerman ultimately offers a wealth of details and analysis about what makes a great rom-com, all surrounded by images and anecdotes from many of the best of the last 90 years.
By Bernard Benoliel, Gilles Esposito, Murielle Joudet, and Jean-François Rauger
Take the title seriously: Alfred Hitchcock All the Films: The Story Behind Every Movie, Episode, and Short is indeed a comprehensive look at the legendary auteur's complete oeuvre, offered chronologically and spanning the six decades of his career. This book is for someone who appreciates exhaustive research, as Alfred Hitchcock All the Films covers everything from how each project was conceived to how it was cast and produced.
The mammoth, 648-page book also discusses his celebrated collaborations, including title designer Saul Bass, composer Bernard Hermann, and costume designer Edith Head. For fans of legendary Hitchcock — Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest and more — the delight may come in discovering the work not on your radar, notably his short films and the two TV series he hosted and executive-produced: Alfred Hitchcock Presents, which aired from 1955 to 1962, and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, broadcast from 1962 to 1965.
This is a big statement, but Alfred Hitchcock All the Films may be the most comprehensive and essential Hitchcock book ever published.
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