5 comments about A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition.

1. A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition is a treasure for those -- like me -- who love this Christmas classic. It is a great "behind the scenes look" that includes photos of the cast of characters whose voices are so familiar. Give it as a gift to the "Peanuts Fan" in your life.
   Philip D. Halfacre
   Author, Genuine Friendship



2. While we've been treated to many Charles Schulz documentaries and remembrances over the years, "A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition" is the first book to focus on the first Peanuts' television special. The book includes in-depth interviews with producer Lee Mendelson, animator Bill Melendez, and Vince Guaraldi's children. This book is the ultimate backstage pass to the recording studio, with interviews with the original child actors who voiced the characters and sang on Guaraldi's "Christmas Time is Here." As a bonus treat, the script and original animation art round out the book.



3. I loved this book! It has material for every fan of the famous TV special, "A Charlie Brown Christmas". I may not be musical, but if you are, this book includes the music. I am fond of the discussions of the people involved in creating the production of the TV show and the script. I will be using the script in my classroom for Reader's Theatre. The book has a lot of material that has meaning for me personally. I was young when this special was shown on television and it was always one of my favorites. The book was not a disappointment to read and own. I am very glad I bought it.



4. "Charlie Brown Christmas" is the crown jewel of Christmas specials. Heavy on holiday introspection, but with the dry wit and humor you'd come to expect from Charles Schulz's creations.
   
   "A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition" just expands that experience, by outlining how the famed special came to be -- the music, the animation, the voice acting, even the advertisement to get people to watch it. It's a charming, nostalgic little book, and a good accompaniment.
   
   "A Charlie Brown Christmas" was spun up quickly, when Coca Cola wanted a Christmas special in less than a week -- and Charles Schulz's lovable loser Charlie Brown seemed to be the ticket. But the special was made very differently from other cartoons -- 2-D animation, no laugh track, uncutesy kids, and (horrors!) a jazz soundtrack. It was doomed to fail, they said.
   
   Well, instead it became a booming hit, and has been running every December ever since. Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez reminisce in here about the much-loved Charles Schulz, and about Vince Guaraldi, who made the distinctive piano soundtrack, and why it's so beloved -- it dares to approach holiday ennui and commercialization, then dashes it away with Linus' description of Christmas' meaning.
   
   As for the "making of" portion, there are storyboards, musical scores, test photos, clips of television reviews, and rare photos like Melendez and Schulz doing the football gag. Finally, there is the entire script of the special, framed by colourful stills from the cartoon.
   
   You couldn't wring this much information from most half-hour animated specials, no matter how much fun they were. But it's a bit different with "Charlie Brown Christmas." It was so completely unusual -- and has proved to be so timeless -- that a book on the making of it, and its effect, seems completely right.
   
   It's a very conversational, reminiscent book. It feels like sitting in a room with Melendez and Mendelson, listening to them reminisce about "Sparky." And we also get input from other people involved in the project, such as Christopher Shea (Linus), who talks about his famous "Second Chapter of Luke" speech, as well as odd bits of trivia (the little girl playing Sally had to be fed her lines).
   
   The Christmas special is more than able to stand on its own, but "Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition" is a wonderful accompaniment. Full of interesting tidbits and history.



5. This is the ultimate companion to the tv show. The art work is from the original show and the dialogue is a great bonus! The book is also packed with great trivia and information about the decisions "behind stage" that led to the creation of the ultimate Christmas Special.

5 comments about The Physical Comedy Handbook.

1. While Mr. Robinson's book is a nice description of basic comedy bits and the tricks that make them work, I thought the book cried out for illustrations. I had a difficult time understanding the directions. How much more informative the book could have been if someone had taken the time to illustrate (even stick figures) the wonderful classic moves.
   Still a good book. I hope they reprint it with graphics.



2. I'm a Jr. in High School, and am in a Play Production group, every year we do a One Act Show, full of one acts, I wrote a one act all about demenstrating physical comedy, this book is Awsome because I have learned so much, and the exercises are great, they really work, I really want every single actor/comedian to get this book, because then this would be a funnier world...



3. Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful! Time and time again I have found the exercises in this book useful as a student of physical comedy. The book is well set out starting performers off with solo work and taking them all the way up to ensemble work, building the performers' physical vocabulary along the way. The book gives easy to follow, useful descriptions of technique. I can only hope that later editions will include step-by-step illustrations for some of the techniques. I highly recommend this book, and yes it is something you'll refer to again and again.



4. Davis Robinson is one of the most influential figures in my performing arts career. I studied with him at Emerson until his last year before moving on to Bowdoin College. I assistant directed with him as well as taking his movement and physical comedy courses. His knowledge and foresight are inspirational in this book and the excercises he shares are well-explained (here and in real life.) I think of him often and smile because his teachings are dead-on, direct, and completely originated from his extensive background in movement and theatre. He is the type of mentor who kicks you in the butt when you absolutely need it and empathetic when its appropriate. Buy this book and you will get a small glimpse of his artistic and technical prowess.



5. I have studied with Davis Robinson for a Year now at Emerson College, and I wouldn't trade this year of training for anything. He is one of the most brilliant acting teachers I have ever encountered, and I have had the pleasure of reading this book before it's publication date. I truly believe that this should become a standard for all acting classes and teachers for years to come. His brilliance and down to earth approach to this handbook is really something that any actor/teacher who takes their studies and work seriously NEEDS to learn from. I for one am going to keep this book in my back pocket for years to come. Davis Robinson is the Misner of our time, and his book is the perfect way to ring in the Millenium! Davis Robinson has changed my life, and if you read this book it will change yours as well! In fact, Yesterday I saw The Physical Comedy class performance here at Emerson, Davis' last class before he ventures off to Bowdain College, and it was probably one of the funniest things I have ever watched on stage. This book is an imperative item on anyones bookshelp who is serious about the performing arts and the technique behind it all! Buy it now. Read it Often!

3 comments about The Theater Will Rock: A History of the Rock Musical, from Hair to Hedwig.

1. I started this book on a Sunday afternoon and spent the entire day reading. This book is so well written -- easy to follow and incredibly fascinating -- that you really don't have to be an academic to understand and enjoy. I definitely reccomend this to anyone interested in learning a bit more about this remarkable genre...



2. Wollman obviously fancies herself soooooo far above both rock and musical theatre (and their respective fan bases), and she writes about both with such cynicism, such pretension, and such self-importance, that it's tough to get through this book. She aggressively dismisses what's special and transcendent about both rock and musical theatre, and reveals her stunning ignorance about both. She routinely makes gigantic, sweeping assumptions about musicals that just aren't true, or, in some cases, assumptions that may have been true 40 years ago but not today. She does the same with rock. Being an Ivory Tower musicologist clearly does NOT equip her or qualify her to intelligently discuss these most populist art forms, and she should leave such commentaries to those who understand more fully and intimately these amazing, complex, life transforming, uniquely American art forms.



3. I've never read a scholarly work about the modern music scene that was so thoroughly readable, entertaining, and informative. I highly recommend it for fans of musicals, those who aren't fans of musicals, music students, and novices--everyone will get something out of this book.

5 comments about Films and Career of Audie Murphy.

1. Empire Publishing presents "Films and Career of Audie Murphy", reference book that contains every feature and Western film produced from 1948 through 1967 celebrating the film career of Audie Leon Murphy ...born June 20, 1924 in Kingston,Texas...left us May 28, 1971 near Roanoke, Virginia.(plane crash) written by Sue Gossett who is an Audie Murphy historian...listed are the B-Westerns up to the A's and they're all here...Gossett's first Empire publication takes the reader into the chronological order with more than 100 photos and in depth account of each film.
   
   Murphy was a top box office draw for various studios mainly Universal-International...most decorated US soldier of World War II...received the Medal of Honor, the highest award for military conduct above and beyond the call of duty, plus five other decorations from France and Belgium.
   
   Sue Gossett's coverage of the films and career of Audie Murphy (America's Real Hero) feature by feature synopsis along with a well documented war record...as in the table of contents with page numbers of chapters listed:
   INTRODUCTION - 7
   FORWARD - 20
   FILMOGRAPHY - 22 through 160
   TELEVISION APPEARS - 164
   1. The Flight - 165
   2. The Man - 169
   3. Whispering Smith-"Stakeout" - 173
   MILITARY HERITAGE - WARS YEARS - 178
   PHOTO GALLERY - 185
   COMPLETE FILMOGRAPHY - 195
   SELECTED BIBILOGRAPHY - 196
   ABOUT THE AUTHOR - 197
   
   The complete filmography of all the Audie Murphy releases with year and production company:
   
   1. BEYOND GLORY (1948) (Paramount)
   2. TEXAS, BROOKLYN AND HEAVEN (1948) (United Artist)
   3. BAD BOY (1949) (Allied Artists)
   4. THE KID FROM TEXAS (1950) (Universal-International)
   5. SIERRA (1950) (Universal-International)
   6. KANSAS RADIERS (1950) (Universal-International)
   7. THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE (1951) (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
   8. THE CIMARRON KID (1952) (Universal-International)
   9. THE DUEL AT SILVER CREEK (1952) (Universal-International)
   10. GUNSMOKE (1953) (Universal-International)
   11. COLUMN SO0UTH (1953) (Universal-International)
   12. TUMBLEWEED (1953) (Universal-International)
   13. RIDE CLEAR OF DIABLO (1954) (Universal-International)
   14. DRUMS ACROSS THE RIVER (1954) (Universal-International)
   15. DESTRY (1954) (Universal-International)
   16. TO HELL AND BACK (1955) (Universal-International)
   17. WORLD IN MY CORNER (1956) (Universal-International)
   18. WALK THE PROUD LAND (1956) (Universal-International)
   19. THE GUNS OF FT. PETTICOAT (1957) (Columbia)
   20. JOE BUTTERFLY (1957) (Universal-International)
   21. NIGHT PASSAGE (1957) (Universal-International)
   22. THE QUIET AMERICAN (1958) (United Artists)
   23. RIDE A CROOKED TRAIL (1958) (Universal-International)
   24. THE GUN RUNNERS (1958) (United Artists)
   25. NO NAME ON THE BULLET (1959) (Universal-International)
   26. THE WILD AND THE INNOCENT (1959) (Universal-International)
   27. CAST A LONG SHADOW (1959) (United Artists)
   28. THE UNFORGIVEN (1960) (United Artists)
   29. HELL BENT FOR LEATHER (1960) (Universal-International)
   30. SEVEN WAYS FROM SUNDOWN (1960) (Universal-International)
   31. POSSE FROM HELL (1961) (Universal-International)
   32. BATTLE AT BLOODY BEACH (1961) (20th Century Fox)
   33. SIX BLACK HORSES (1962) (Universal-International)
   34. SHOWDOWN (1963) (Universal-International)
   35. GUNFIGHT AT COMANCHE CREEK (1963) (Allied Artists)
   36. THE QUICK GUN (1964) (Columbia)
   37. BULLET FOR A BADMAN(1964) (Universal-International)
   38. APACHE RIFLES (1964) (20th Century Fox)
   39. ARIZONA RAIDERS (1965) (Columbia)
   40. GUNPOINT (1966) (Universal-International)
   41. THE TEXICAN (1966) (Columbia)
   42. TRUNK TO CAIRO (1967) (American International)
   43. FORTY GUNS TO APACHE PASS (1967) (Columbia)
   44. A TIME FOR DYING (None) (Fipco)
   
   Wonderful book from Sue Gossett, Empire Publising and the forword by Neil Summers who was a 30 year professional stuntman sums it up ..."Audie Murphy was not an actor trying to be a man...Audie was a man who was an actor...we are sorely lacking for men in this country and there is hardly a day goes by that I don't think of Audie and how he impressed me and how kind he was to me...Audie Leon Murphy was the real thing and I am very proud to have known him"...Audie was a very private person person and modest who never disclosed his inner feelings...he always felt he was blessed with an over abundance of luck...well, we will never forget you as long as books and films present themselves you'll always be here in our hearts...just the way it should be!
   
   Total Pages: 200 ~ Empire Publishing #9 780944 019221 ~ (7/01/1996)



2. Sue Gossett tells very detailed about each and every one of the Murphy movies and that's fine, but the book is merely a praise of Audie Murphy and not a journalistic effort. Don't expect to find any criticism of any of the films here - and they were certainly not all good movies! Anyway, if you want to know about the plots, dates of shooting and so on in cronological order, then the book is OK. If you want a more realistic description of the movies, look for "The Last of the Cowboy Heroes".



3. I live in Melbourne, Australia.It is impossible to find anything on Audie Murphy in this country. When I saw this book advertised I just had to have a copy. I think it has been well presented with a very obvious show of respect for a man who deserves our respect. There are little snippets of background stories which are good, but I would have loved to have read more about Audie the person behind the scenes. The positive and the not-so-positive. It is through these stories and memories that we can get to know him. Nevertheless, the book has a special place in my library, and recently they have been showing a few more of his movies on pay T.V. I simply pull out the book and read the reviews. Thank you Sue Gossett. I am not disappointed.



4. I have been a fan of AUDIE MURPHY, since I saw the movie "THE DUEL AT SILVER CREEK" in the late fifties at a theater in Denmark, it was not shown here until then, but living here, and collecting filmstars at that time was a very tough hobby, because we did not see much material. However, I was very happy to learn from a friend, that a book was finally written about him, and I must say, that it has everything. A complete film-biography, with a very good picture from each one of them, together with his efforts under WW2, and what followed of honours etc. Besides all that, the author has even included poems and songs written by Audie, just amazing! In all, a great book, told by a very good author. Can only be recommended to all AUDIE MURPHY fans!



5. This book is great!..It has everything, from his biography to complete reviews of each of his films (with photos), to his military awards and even a few selections from his poetry. All photos are of high quality.

No comments about Modern Women Playwrights of Europe.

1 comments about The Rover (New Mermaids).

1. Virginia Woolf said that all women together should let flowers fall upon the tomb of Aphra Behn - for it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds - well, within the Rover, her sexual politics are personified through the character of Angelica Bianca : and it makes for an intriguing read! Brandishing swords, embracing rape and finding their own individual identities in a society that veiwed women as second class subject, this remained the most frequently performed play right up until 1800!

No comments about A Disappearing Number (Oberon Modern Plays).

No comments about The Best American Short Plays 1998-1999 (Best American Short Plays).

No comments about Mother Courage and Her Children (Methuen Drama).

No comments about Five Plays by Chekhov.