Hollywood is one of the most famous places on the planet and as such, works chronicling its history could likely pave the Walk Of Fame, and then some. So what makes Hollywood: The Oral History any different? Well, it’s the first of its kind to transcribe and collect the spoken recollections of a broad spectrum of those from the American industry, from big-name directors and actors to no-name crew members that do all the hard graft. These recollections come courtesy of the American Film Institute and they “speak with the attitudes of their own time, but they speak with authority”.
Compiled by film historians (and authoritative voices in and of themselves) Jeanine Basinger and Sam Wasson, cracking into this 700-pager feels like stepping into the library of Alexandria, or maybe the world’s best dinner party for film buffs: everyone from Charlie Chaplin to J.J. Abrams has something candid to say about their unique craft; their candidness making Golden Age quasi-myths feel tangible. As such, it’s quite an epic, perhaps not something for a single sitting nor for those who need a lot of contextual background – but for anyone fascinated by the inner workings of the full industry hierarchy, you won’t get the literary truth any straighter than this.
Hollywood: The Oral History, Sam Wasson & Jeanine Basinger (Faber)
Price: £25. Info: here
words HANNAH COLLINS
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