The Genius of the System
Hollywood Filmmaking in the Studio Era
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Narrated by:
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Paul Boehmer
About this listen
At a time when the studio is making a stunning comeback, film historian Thomas Schatz provides an indispensable account of Hollywood's traditional blend of business and art. This book lays to rest the persistent myth that businesspeople and producers stifle artistic talent and reveals instead the genius of a system of collaboration and conflict. Working from industry documents, Schatz traces the development of house styles, the rise and fall of careers, and the making - and unmaking - of movies, from Frankenstein to Spellbound to Grand Hotel. The Genius of the System gives the definitive view of the workings of the Old Hollywood and the foundations of the New.
©1988 Thomas Schatz; Preface copyright 1996 by Steven Bach (P)2021 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
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From a breakout role in the smash-hit Glee to breaking barriers as the first nonbinary-identifying Tony Award winner for their featured performance in Shucked, Alex Newell is no stranger to the spotlight. Now, listen to the talented trailblazer as you’ve never seen them before in their intimate new show, Alex Newell and the Gospel of a Diva. Alex shares untold stories from their remarkable life and career alongside a selection of their favorite tunes.
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An Entertainer's Entertainer
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Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon
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The very strange but nevertheless true story of the dark underbelly of a 1960s hippie utopia. Laurel Canyon in the 1960s and early 1970s was a magical place where a dizzying array of musical artists congregated to create much of the music that provided the soundtrack to those turbulent times. But there was a dark side to that scene as well. Many didn't make it out alive, and many of those deaths remain shrouded in mystery to this day.
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My first review. This book changed me.
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The Godfather: A Film We Can't Refuse
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With exclusive insights from the legendary cast, including Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Robert De Niro, and Talia Shire, and commentary from a diverse array of film experts and ardent aficionados, we dissect the film’s magnetic allure and its pervasive influence across our culture. Journey alongside Rebecca Keegan, acclaimed senior film editor at The Hollywood Reporter, as she explores the heart of this cinematic masterpiece through a new lens.
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Deep dive into The Godfather
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Song of the Northwoods
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After a betrayal at work costs Song Kuan her job, she retreats to her friend Lucy’s idyllic family cabin on a lake in Minnesota to lick her wounds. She devotes herself to recording Ice Cold Cases, a true-crime podcast that she and Lucy cohost with the gleeful energy of obsessed fans—until an anonymous tip about a missing-person case disrupts their equilibrium. Then Lucy disappears, leaving Song alone in an unfriendly and unfamiliar town where locals don’t take kindly to strangers asking questions.
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Asians in MN! I loved it. The vivid sounds of Northern Minnesota totally took me there, and I was hooked into the mystery.
- By Sheila Morris on 04-26-22
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The Energy Curfew Music Hour
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It’s time to unplug with the Grammy-winning Punch Brothers, fronted by singer-mandolinist Chris Thile, as they bring you a multi-episode musical variety show with dazzling musical guests, like Kacey Musgraves, Jason Isbell, Jon Batiste, Norah Jones, James Taylor, and many more.
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Gifted musicians and storytellers right in their element and at the height of their powers
- By Megan G Kahl on 10-27-24
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From the archives of the American Film Institute comes a unique picture of what it was like to work in Hollywood from its beginnings to its present day. Gleaned from nearly three thousand interviews, involving four hundred voices from the industry, Hollywood: The Oral History, lets a listener “listen in” on candid remarks from the biggest names in front of the camera—Bette Davis, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Harold Lloyd—to the biggest behind it—Frank Capra, Steven Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, Jordan Peele, as well as the lesser known individuals that shaped what was heard and seen on screen.
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A Fave-- Glad It's Finally On Audio...
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My Autobiography
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Take an unforgettable journey with the man George Bernard Shaw called "the only genius to come out of the movie industry" as he moves from his impoverished South London childhood to the heights of Hollywood wealth and fame; from the McCarthy-era investigations to his founding of United Artists to his "reverse migration" back to Europe.
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What listeners say about The Genius of the System
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Andrew Darlow
- 02-17-24
A fascinating and extensive look at Old Hollywood
I really enjoyed this book. There was so much interesting information about different movies over the years from about 1920-1960.
I especially like how they explained how some movies were developed, marketed and how they performed at the box office.
Since reading this, I watched a few classics and have been enjoying them very much.
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- P. Roth
- 01-21-23
Couldn’t Stop Listening
I wish this book went on for hours more! It was so interesting and informative.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Norm
- 08-25-23
Tightly Packed
At 24 1/2 hr, I was a little hesitant starting this book, thinking it would stretch out endlessly. But I wish it never ended. So many details of classic films, directors, stars, producers and screenwriters, all brilliantly woven into the studios, economies, successes and failures of the golden era. The intimidating length of the book flew by without a lull. It is probably my favorite of all my books on Hollywood. It has so much information that I already look forward to revisiting. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves this sort of information
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- Charlie Morton
- 05-26-23
A Textbook on Old Hollywood
I knew some of the people who lived and worked in old Hollywood and they were far more entertaining than this book. It is solid, but it is covering so many people, films, and studios it can't do justice to any of them. But if you don't know anything about Hollywood before 1960 this is a good introduction. If you are knowledgeable you will pickup a lot of tidbits and probably fill in some gaps, but still this was about the blandest coverage ever written of John Ford, Jack Warner, Louis B. Mayer, and Veronica Lake.
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2 people found this helpful