5 comments about Once Upon a Galaxy: A Journal of the Making of The Empire Strikes Back.

1. Alan Arnold had a first hand glimpse behind the scenes of what most fans consider the best Star Wars film out of the Six. From the difficulties of filming on a cold and icy snow blown glacier, to rushing through filming at the massive sound stages at Elstree Studios, Arnold takes us inside for a view that few were aloud to see...and hear.
   
   The price of this paperback book tells of its value and rarity. It is a one of a kind piece of literature that is quickly disappearing from the market. Get a copy while you still can.



2. Alan Arnold was the publicist on THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. In this journal, Arnold takes you from the very beginning of principal photography to the end of production, detailing all the behind-the-scenes mishaps, adventures and difficulties associated with the filming. Included are interviews with Irvin Kershner, George Lucas, John Williams, all the cast and many of the crew. This is a treasure-trove for STAR WARS fans!



3. This book covers many aspects of the filming, and as Arnold has covered decades of movie making before writing this book, he is obviously genuinely impressed with the scale of the production. Good interviews with important members of the cast and crew; even includes Sir Alec Guiness. Especially illuminating chats with Lucas about the overall nine part structure of Star Wars. It's interesting to compare Lucas' initial ideas about the sequels and prequels with what was finally released. The highlight of the book is a transciption of a day spent following Irwin Kershner filming on the carbon freezing chamber set (Secrets revealed include the fact that Jeremy Bulloch as Boba Fett was actually desperate to use the lavatory throughout the whole day's shoot). As a collector of Star Wars related books, I have amassed over a hundred, but this remains my favourite.



4. This combined with The Making of Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Making of the Movie recreates for the reader EVERYTHING that went on during pre-production, production, and post-production and even months after! Excellent book for anyone who loves Star Wars, a must-have.



5. This combined with The Making of Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Making of the Movie recreates for the reader EVERYTHING that went on during pre-production, production, and post-production and even months after! Excellent book for anyone who loves Star Wars, a must-have.

1 comments about The Collected Works of Paddy Chayefsky: The Stage Plays (Collected Works of Paddy Chayefsky).

1. I bought this collection of Chayevsky plays in order to get my hands on THE LATENT HETEROSEXUAL, because I'm in the process of revising my will, and I remembered the playwright's mordant take on lawyers, accountants, trusts, taxes--and it's as good as I remembered it. (The play never made Broadway, even with Zero Mostel in the lead; Paddy had sworn off Broadway for good and opened it in Dallas. I read a version printed in ESQUIRE.) Now I'm working through the other plays in this volume. Though working is the wrong word. I'm being pulled into them by Chayesvky's brilliance and clarity of language. And also by his vision of the human beings who made up his world, his incredible empathy and sympathy for them, as well as his virulent scorn at their failures of moral courage. Turn to any page in the volume to hear the unique, powerful, brilliant, funny voice of Paddy Chayevsky, a writer we need now more than ever!

2 comments about Loving to Audition: The Audition Workbook for Actors (Career Development Series).

1. I have used Mr. Silverberg's techniques for years--ever since he first published his Sanford Meisner series (also fabulous). This is the best book for working theory into practicality that I have found. I'd recommend it to any high school/college level teacher who needs a refreshing new approach to monologue development.



2. I read Larry Silverberg's "The Meisner Approach" series (4 books) before I read this book. This book applies and gives a shorthand of the techniques covered much more clearly in the series. If you only have money for one book, buy this, but know that it will leave you hungry for more. Still, it is head and shoulders above just about all of the revered and completely nonsensical acting books out there that I know you've read and wondered, "Am I the only fool who doesn't get this?"

5 comments about Step Right This Way: The Photographs of Edward J. Kelty.

1. For the Circus lovers, this will make such a great gift! The book is out-of-print and whoever will open these covers will enter a strange, pleasant, gone world. See some other rare circus products!
   
   Vintage Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey Circus Decal Set 1950
   
   Vintage Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey Circus Decal 1950
   
   Vintage Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey Circus Decal Set 1950



2. As the son of a former circus (Ringling Brothers, Al G. Barnes, et al) employee who has a Kelty photograph of his father in a circus from 1936, who himself took photos during his time in the circus, I found the Kelty photographs captured much of the same ambience as in my father's pictures. In other words, authenticity and poignancy.



3. If you wish you could go back in time to golden age of the circus (as I do), this book will at least make you feel a little closer. Kelty's photos are awesome considering the technology of the day and the prints look amazing!



4. Though this is a large book, you will probably finish reading it in one evening. The only text is a breezy 34 page introduction, with accompanying pictures. The rest of the book is mostly full-page pictures with very minimal captions. At least half the time, the captions are no more than what is already written on the original picture - it makes me think that the authors (presumably Barth & Siegel, though there is no text by them, the introduction was written by Edward Hoagland) were told that a published book has to caption the pictures, so they did the minimum amount of work necessary. For the pictures without information written on them, the captions consist of a year and a location, circus or performance house...very minimal!

   Though the introduction is a very nice read, it has no depth and skips all over the place, to wherever Mr. Hoagland thought to go next. It talks a little about some of the pictures, a little about Mr. Kelty, the circuses, the times and the challenges faced. This leaves the reader to look at the pictures and take them for face value, just like the people who came to the circus in the 30's. We have no background information, no introduction, and no inside information - all we can do is "stare at the freaks". I believe that is really the point of the book. Though I have no first-person reference, as the advertisement in the Introduction says:

   "We have the fattest women in the world, and the tallest man, and a girl who has no arms or legs, and midgets who are married! Have you ever seen a camel spit, or seals play catch, or elephants stand on their heads? A man with reptile scales who was once just like you! And the Good Lord made him. Can you finish your ice cream after you have looked at him?"...Good question!

   Looking at these pictures, I get an appreciation for the time and people. Cameras are new, and each picture is clearly an "Event". There are people who are very disturbing, some who are merely trying to disturb you, and others who just don't give a damn. Some of the people are no more weird than what you would find in any large city, others seem clearly different. Through the pictures, I get an appreciation for the packaging of weirdness.

   Though you could peruse the pictures quickly, and laugh like the people who originally went to the circus; I was left with questions about what these pictures say about these people, and about the people who watched them. What do these pictures say about America, back then and today? This book has provided food for thought for me. I am divided on whether I wanted more of the back-story, or if the pictures tell their own story. No book can be everything so, since I am still thinking about these pictures, for me the book was a success. For people who want to know more, this book would make a good accompaniment to a more scholarly work.




5. Although it is fascinating seeing the photographs of Edward Kelty, the author of the book has done nothing to contribute to the knowledge to be gained here. Surprisingly, the captions list nothing except the words that are printed on the photographs themselves. Here you have some of the most amazing "Special People" of all times, and none of them are identified unless it was written on the photo. It is not a mystery who most of these people were if the author had bothered to ask any of the wonderful resources he cites. I have only read one other book (out of print)- "Very Special People" and many of them are identifiable from that book alone.

   Edward Hoagland's intro is also a disappointment. Although he says he spent some time working in the world portrayed, I find it hard to believe that all the people therein were either pedophiles, itinerants and other seedy stereotypes to which he alludes. Many were lovely, talented people who overcame incredible hardship and handicaps and had optimistic and positive outlooks beyond belief.

   What this book needs are carefully researched captions and an index - perhaps someone truly familiar with the subject will write one. As interesting as the photos are, the book shows a lack of respect for the photographer and the people he photographed.

5 comments about The Craft and Business of Songwriting (2nd Edition).

1. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to write a hit song? Perhaps you have asked yourself why do some songs become commercial successes while others end up in the dustbin?

   Journalist, talk show host, teacher and consultant, John Braheny, provides us with the answers to these queries as well as many other topics in his blue-ribbon manual The Craft and Business of Songwriting-Second Edition.

   Braheny was one of the founders, along with Len Chandler, of the Los Angles Songwriters Showcase. For 15 years he was intimately involved with this national non-profit organization that was dedicated to creating opportunities for discovering aspiring songwriters. As a result of this relationship, he accumulated an exceptional amount of knowledge pertaining to the business and craft of song writing. The reader is fortunate to have all of this information neatly wrapped up in a compact manual that is split into two main sections, the craft of writing songs and the business of selling and marketing songs.

   Within the section dealing with the craft the author delves into such topics as creativity, inspiration, subject matter, media, listeners, lyric writing, song construction and possible collaboration with other writers. Naturally we would probably be sceptical of a book that purports to teach us how to write a song. Some would say you are born to write a song, others would disagree and say it is possible to be taught the craft. Braheny believes that you can't be taught inspiration or imagination. However, you can be taught ways to get in touch with what you have to say and how to communicate it effectively. Using this premise as a base, the book provides us with the tools that will perhaps uncover our hidden talents.

   The second half of the book deals with the business features of song writing and as the author states, "writing a great song is only part of being a successful songwriter. Unsung thousands possess the talent and craft to write great songs, but without understanding the business and knowing how to protect your creations and get them heard by those who can make them successful, those songs are like orphans." Perhaps we should refer to the second half as the entrepreneurial skills needed to sell, promote and market your songs. Within this section we are introduced to such topics as protecting your songs, securing money, publishing, self- publishing, demos, marketing, Internet and record deals.

   The appendix of the book provides the reader with a very comprehensive listing of songwriters' resources containing names, addresses, phone numbers, web sites and general descriptions of the various references. No doubt this inclusion will save anyone who aspires to be a songwriter a great deal of time and effort.

   After reading the book are you guaranteed that you will be successful songwriter? Probably not. Unfortunately, we don't have a crystal ball indicating who will succeed and who will fail. However, at least after reading and being exposed to the elements of song writing, you will have a better understanding as to how the music industry works in relation to the songwriter, or writer/performer. As the author asserts in his introduction, "it will demystify and humanize what can often feel to a newcomer like a cold, monolithic, and impersonal industry."

   The above review first appeared on the reviewer's own site




2. So what if words and music come natural? We write the stuff down, add a tune and sing it to the world. Then what? This book, The Craft and Business of Songwriting, is a very affordable reference; and probably all you need.I'm happy it contains material that will make me wiser.Buy this or you'll miss out.



3. The first Edition of the book, was a must read, now this 2nd Edition, updated with new information and current song references, is also a must read for everyone that writes songs. The most complete songwriting book, for beginning songwriters to the aspiring, to even pro writers will learn from the book. I often refer to it as "The Songwriters Bible", just full of information that we need in the world of songwriting.
   I have been a Nashville Songwriters Association International coordinator in Charlotte for (6) years, and do at least one activity or read a quote from a hit writer or music professional in the book at every meeting. This book is years of songwriting seminars and workshops all in one. The reader will learn just like the title says, the craft and business from someone who knows what they are talking about, and has led workshops for some of the best songwriters of all time, including the awesome Diane Warren and several other hit writers. John Braheny made a difference with hit writers, with myself, and other songwriters that I have recommended the book to in the past 14+ years of reading the first edition, and now the 2nd edition. I recomend this as the very first book for every songwriter to read and study. If you know someone who writes songs, buy the book for them, and a copy for yourself. Buy a highlighter or two, to use when reading the book. ...Doak Turner
   ...



4. One of my most basic problems when starting off as a songwriter, was the lack of background and knowledge on how to approach a new song. I am talking about your basic strategies and how to structure them into a final product. Where does one begin, what do you need to take into account, what to do first, how to approach rhyme, basic tips about melody, chords etc. I found this book to answer these type of questions in a simple and interesting way.

   The author is obviously a specialist with a very good track record. He taught me how to analyse existing songs to expand my knowledge. No more do I just listen to music, I learnt the skill to expand my songwriting knowledge whilst listening to other songs on the radio or on CD.

   I have learnt how to decide on a basic structure, how to approach the most important issue of finding a "hook" for your song and refining it to something useful. I have discovered that it is O.K. to rewrite songs, but I have learnt how to approach it. This book has taught me how to make songs more interesting and it has made songwriting a more interesting hobby for me.

   I think the most important lesson from this book is how to grow from a songwriter that tries to express his/her own feelings to himself/herself and a few close friends, to someone who can express his deepest feelings in such a way that his song could be loved by millions and could become a commercial success. It also contain an abundace of valuable information on the industry and how to promote your music.

   If I did not read this book I would have missed something for sure. If you are serious about songwriting you cannot go without this book.




5. Although this book isn't as comprehensive as others in the songwriting department, it presents information in a very concise and interesting format. It also has a comprehensive section (half the book) on the BUSINESS. It's a quick, easy read and definitely worth the price. But if you want to get serious about songwriting, you'll also need a book with more theory such as WRITING MUSIC FOR HIT SONGS.

1 comments about Semiotics of Theatre and Drama (New Accents (Routledge (Firm)).).

1. We cannot reduce the approach of a play to the text and we have to take into account one particular production, but if there are dozens of different productions of one play, each one will be different including in the meaning. The book does not really differentiate the playwright's and director's roles. But the book does not integrate the tremendous revolution postmodernism represents against or in comparison with (according to the level of anatagonism in this confrontation) structuralism. The book is exclusively structuralistic and what's more of an older period. But it has not integrated the real position of playwright, or the director's, or even the actors', and absolutely not the audience's. Page 36, and again page 39, the author and director are reduced to a source, the audience to a destination. But a playwright and a director have each of them a complete psychological, historical, ideological, philosophical, referential, symbolical, etc, heritage, and this heritage is full of contradictions reflecting in a contradictory way the very contradictory vision these creators have of the contradictory reality that they see and try to recreate in their work. A play cannot be reduced to the text or even one particular production. These are the tips of two icebergs. Ben Jonson's Silent Woman being played by a man in those days was normal and this disguised woman being revealed later as a real man is of course absolutely essential for the audience of those days, but impossible to set on a modern stage. It would not work anymore. King Lear's clown being a man is standard, but to make him a woman like in the Theâtre du Jorat, Suisse's recent production changes an essential element in whose voice the clown is. If a man he can be anybody's voice. If a woman he can only be Cordelia's voice. The playwright and director try to build first a construct that is the text of the play and then another construct that is one particular production of this play. But the audience is not a simple receiver, nor a simple destination. The audience, both individually and collectively, has a complete psychological, historical, ideological, philosophical, referential, symbolical, etc, heritage that he/she/they project into the particular production of the play they are seeing or watching. They try to reconstruct the very construct of the playwright and the director and then they project their own heritage into this first level of construction and they move to a personal construct of what they think the the play they have seen of watched is about. Here we must consider the unconscious to go beyond the competence of the audience. They will react with their complete being and not only their educated selves. If we take these three essential personae into account the fundamental dimension missing in this book is the symbolical. We have to build today a symbolical semiotics centered both on the playwright/director and the audience. We must de-center semiotics from the play itself and the communication chain that reduces the people at both ends to empty shells. This de-humanizing process of the theatre and drama is crystal clear page 74 in the graph opposing on one side the first person + now + here to the third person + then + there on the other side. The first person cannot exist without the second person and in drama it is essential : to whom is one character speaking? In the playwright's and director's minds the character is speaking to his alter ego you, but also to them and to the audience. In the actor's mind he is speaking to his alter ego you and to the audience, and also to the director for a new contract. It is just as absurd to borrow from Benveniste the idea that the third person is no person at all. Absurd in a play. A first person can be speaking to a second person about a third person, absent or present. But this third person is an absolutely real person for the audience, as well as for the other characters and for the actors, etc. To use Benveniste's remark here is a distortion. Finally the author is both locked up in the letter of the text and blind to it. His approach of Hamlet's first seventy-nine lines brings in eighteen parameters and analyses each line along these eighteen parameters. And yet nowhere is taken into account the simple things that build the music of the text : alliterations, repetitions, rhyming patterns, rhythmic patterns, etc and all of these at the level of simple phonemes, or words, or syntactic elements, syntactic structures, or semantic elements (similar or antagonistic), etc. And I am not taking into account what is essential in Shakespeare, and I think in all poetry which is music first and for all : the numerical and symbolical patterns : binary being neutral and ternary being disruptive, not to go beyond this two simple elements. The audience can feel the difference between a binary and a ternary rhythm. Any audience has been trained by simple life into such simple basic rhythms. Each member of the audience will react the way they feel proper, maybe and probably unconsciously. But this simple device used by Shakespeare is fundamental, and inherited from the Middle Ages, from the romanesque period. And why is the thrice-crowned goddess, Diana, so often referred to by Shakespeare ? And the three phases of the ominous sombre moon ? It is not by processing the text or even one production of a play into parametric slices and calling this slicing a score that you will bring up the music. Music is first of all emotion and it speaks with the one and single complex heart of every single person involved in this play from the playwright to the audience.
   
   Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Paris Dauphine & University of Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne

No comments about The Rise of David Levinsky - Abraham Cahan.

No comments about The Meaning of Movement: Developmental and Clinical Perspectives of the Kestenberg Movement Profile.

5 comments about Musical Stages: An Autobiography.

1. (Note: Portions of this review have appeared in lesser detail elsewhere.) Simply stated, Richard Rodgers is America's finest composer. In our history, no other composer's music equals the consistent and prolonged quality, innovativeness, range, and sublime beauty of his compositions. Rodgers'exquisite, unforgettable melodies are crafted with such subtle ingenuity and sophistication that they never lose their freshness or their appeal.

   Rodgers' musical genius was matched in two legendary partnerhips, the first with lyricist Lorenz Hart, and the second with librettist-lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II. Rodgers' collaboration with these two gifted men elevated and transformed musical theater into a true and distinctive American art form.

   There is a knee-jerk tendency by a few so-called musical "experts" to site Gershwin as the greatest American composer. But discerning authorities and audiences know better. The ENTIRE BODY of Richard Rodgers' work stands the test of time better than Gershwin's, or for that matter, better than the music of Berlin, Kern, Porter, and Arlen, all gifted composers.

   Rodgers' music is universally admired and respected generation after generation among all kinds of audiences. Few, if any of his compositions sound dated which cannot be said for a significant portion of Gershwin and other composers' music.

   Rodgers' music is written so brilliantly that it seems organic, as if nature itself had perfectly strung together a series of notes which sound no less than heavenly, and which seem as if they could not have been structured in any other way. In some of Gershwin's music, particularly "An American in Paris" and "Porgy and Bess", the music seems stilted, grandiose, even pretentious.

   You never get that feeling with a Rodgers' composition. His music always has a quality of lightness, fluidity and sponteneity something missing in portions of Gershwin's music. Some of Gershwin's music feels leaden and redundant unlike Rodgers' works.

   The breadth of Rodgers' range as a composer was limitless. And no other composer was better than Rodgers in translating character and plot into music. Here is a man who wrote scores perfectly suited to shows as diverse as "Oklahoma", "Pal Joey", "Carousel", "Sound of Music", "Cinderella", "King and I", "No Strings", etc. The list is impressive.

   "Musical Stages" offers a detailed account of Rodgers' life and his incomparable career. In it, you will meet Rodgers' two most famous collaborators the undisciplined, gifted, and lovable Lorenz Hart, and the idealistic, eloquent, and reliable Oscar Hammerstein II. Rodgers also reveals behind the scenes stories about Mary Martin, Yul Brynner, Gertrude Lawrence, Julie Andrews, and other luminaries of the musical theater.

   This autobiography should be required reading for fans of musical theater and popular music.




2. I reviewed that book a few years ago,but i feel i could give a better review of it now.Let me be objective here by saying that RICHARD RODGERS was the best AMERICAN composer of the previous century.This book of memoirs gives you a real insight of the music business at the time of mister RODGERS.The anecdotes are very accurate;they show the good and the bad aspects of the music business.RICHARD RODGERS learned early in his career that you are always as good as your last success,and that producers are the kings of BROADWAY.The best example of this is that even with all the hits he had,RICHARD RODGERS never could give ALLEGRO a second chance on BROADWAY.A show that failed is almost never revived again.The man has a lot to say about creativity;the way one must always stand tall even in adversity.One of the most moving passage of the book is the retreat of LORENZ HART and his death at the age of 47.RODGERS certainly knew the value of a partnership.That he could work with both HART and HAMMERSTEIN demonstrates how good he was.Nobody in the history of AMERICAN music has done it better.Out of the 40 shows that he created,10 have become classics of the repertoire.That's quite a feat.If RODGERS was the best,it's simply because he was the most passionnate and the most talented;a perfect combinaison.In my book,there will never be enough revivals of his shows.Buy this,you'll become a fan too,this is guarantee for a lifetime of musical pleasures.



3. Please read my review preceding this one too. Today is November 4, 2001, and the Emmy Awards have just been telecast on CBS. To close the show, the magnificent Barbra Streisand sang a tribute to the unfailing courage and spirit of the American people whose lives have been inalterably changed by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

   Of all the great American songs which could have been chosen to comfort and hearten the American people, the one Streisand sang was "You'll Never Walk Alone" composed by the incomparable Richard Rodgers from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, "Carousel". The poetic, inspirational lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II are superbly matched by the sheer eloquence, beauty and emotional power of this soaring ballad. "You'll Never Walk Alone" is one of those songs that once heard, can never ever be forgotten.

   Coincidentally, airing opposite the Emmy awards tonight was the PBS special "American Masters, Richard Rodgers: The Sweetest of Sounds" a documentary on the music and career of Richard Rodgers.

   In a way, tonight's televised events were a double tribute to a man who was an American genius. He was in my opinion the greatest composer of popular music ever. I venture to say that his entire body of work stands the test of time better than the music of any other great American composer including Gershwin, Berlin, Porter, or Kern, etc.

   I don't think that any of these other supremely gifted American composers could have demonstrated the prolonged and consistent brilliance and unbelievable range that Rodgers had. Here is a man who wrote songs as varied and memorable as "Manhattan", "If I Loved You", "Lady is a Tramp", "Edleweiss", "My Romance", "Mountain Greenary", "Mimi", "Hello Young Lovers", "Oklahoma" which incidentally is now the official anthem of the state of "Oklahoma", "My Funny Valentine", "Shall We Dance", "Bewitched", etc., etc.

   It seems impossible that one man is reponsible for so many different styles and such a consistently high level of artistry and ingenuity over many decades. And yet Rodgers was.

   Rodgers has touched and illuminated audiences generation after generation. He has given people music which is infinitely accessible, yet sublimely crafted. Simply stated, no other composer can equal Rodgers' accomplishments and the impact of his musical legacy.




4. There are a handful of composers of American popular music whose body of work is revered generation after generation. Kern, Arlen, Gershwin, and Loewe come to mind. But at the top of the list is Richard Rodgers.

   In my opinion, Rodgers is the greatest songwriter in the history of Broadway and popular music. His range was simply astonishing. He could write jubilant, folksy music as in "Oklahoma" or jazzy sophisticated tunes as found in "Pal Joey". He could create soaringly romantic melodies such as those in "The King and I" or inspirational and spiritual ballads as presented in "Carousel". Many of his songs have become popular standards as well.

   Rodgers adapted brilliantly to a variety of subject matter. And the longevity of his illustrious career is enviable. "Musical Stages" not only chronicles Rodgers' life and work, but it is also an overview of the development and maturation of American musical theater to which Rodgers contributed mightily.

   In this autobiography, you will get to know some of the true giants of American popular music in particular Rodgers' two lyricists: the impish, undisciplined, yet lovable genius Lorenz Hart and the wise and idealistic Oscar Hammerstein II. Both of these men wrote many of the best lyrics ever composed for Broadway or popular music.

   You'll also meet acting luminaries such as Yul Brynner, Gertrude Lawrence, and Mary Martin among others. "Musical Stages" is a rich addition to any theater and popular music buff's library. Read it with delight!




5. Since RICHARD RODGERS is my favourite AMERICAN composer ,i could have killed to have that book, and i was not disapointed.One of those few autobiographies that are completely honest.You learn about his family upbringing, his complex relation with LARRY HART,the way he and OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN worked together ,and the way both were affected by the failure of ALLEGRO.You also discover that most movie producers didn't really care about music ,and that RICHARD was glad to go back to BROADWAYin 1935.It is also interesting to read the introduction of his daughter MARY, saying that she likes what other people likes about him:his music, but she also adds of course i loved him.RICHARD RODGERS was probably a very private person, who was in a way forced to live a public life because of his profession.

3 comments about Psycho: Behind the Scenes of the Classic Thriller.

1. Psycho: Behind The Scenes of the Classic Thriller is a book a lot of people have been waiting a long time for. Janet Leigh provides a detailed, behind-the-scenes look at almost all the aspects of the filming of Hitchcock's masterpiece. She provides stories and anecodotes as well as remembrances of others connected with the picture, including rare words from John Gavin. It's written in a memoir style, with Ms. Leigh discussing aspects as they occur to her, which is refreshing. Importantly, she also sets straight many of the rumors and misinformation surrounding this movie over the years (DID Hitchcock or someone else film the famous shower scene)? A wonderful book on the making of a classic. You'll enjoy it if you're a huge fan of the movie, Ms. Leigh, Hitchcock or just filmmaking in general. My only complaint of the book is the fact that it weighs in at under 200+ pages, thus I felt the price was a little on the high side. Well worth the price in the end, however.



2. As an admirer of the work of actress Janet Leigh and a fan of the director that was Hitchcock, it only seems fitting that someone with the know-how of Ms. Leigh could create a book that not only is a font of insights into the classic film that is "Psycho", but also a fitting tribute to the legend of Hitchcock.

   With co-author Christopher Nickens, Ms. Leigh takes you through the various stages of events that made up the phenomenon of "Psycho". She takes you through the brainstorming of the picture, casting, the brilliant editing and photography that Hitchcock wanted to create with his film--everything you could ever want to know or had been curious about. With thorough research that included interviews with cast and crew members, and many photos, some from the personal collection of Ms. Leigh, the reader gets a sense of what creates a masterpiece that has reached such a cult status. Ironically enough, when the film first came out, it wasn't the critical success it is now.

   For an admirer of the film itself, the work of Ms. Leigh or Mr. Hitchcock, or anyone with an interest in the art of movie making and what goes into creating a classic, this book has it all.




3. To the massive wealth of writings on Hitchcock and his most influential film, add this slender but invaluable piece by the movie's star, Janet Leigh. By now everyone knows that Leigh hasn't taken a shower since she met Norman's mother "out on the old highway," but this book is filled with many other tidbits -- like Hitch refusing to use expensive costumes for his star, but instead insisting on cheap outfits from a discount store (to match the character's profile!); and the fact that in the famous roadside scene with the highway cop, Leigh was never on location; her scenes were filmed in the studio and blended seamlessly with location footage involving the cop. For Psycho fans, this book is a MUST.