Download or read book When Hollywood Ruled the Skies written by Bruce W. Orriss and published by . This book was released on 1986-01-01 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Looks at American aviation films made before, during, and after World War II, and provides cast, credits, and plot summary for each film

Download or read book When Giants Ruled the Sky written by John J. Geoghegan and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2021-10-29 with total page 546 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Almost everything you know about airships is wrong. Between 1917 and 1935, the US Navy poured tens of millions of dollars into their airship programme, building a series of dirigibles each one more enormous than the last. These flying behemoths were to be the future of long-distance transport, competing with trains and ocean liners to carry people, post and cargo from country to country, and even across the sea. But by 1936 all these ambitious plans had been scrapped. What happened? When Giants Ruled the Sky is the story of how the American rigid airship came within a hair's breadth of dominating long-distance transportation. It is also the story of four men whose courage and determination kept the programme going despite the obstacles thrown in their way – until the Navy deliberately ignored a fatal design flaw, bringing the programme crashing back to earth. The subsequent cover-up prevented the truth from being told for more than eighty years. Now, for the first time, what really happened can be revealed.

Download or read book Wild Bill Wellman written by William Wellman, Jr. and published by Pantheon. This book was released on 2015-04-07 with total page 657 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The extraordinary life—the first—of the legendary, undercelebrated Hollywood director known in his day as “Wild Bill” (and he was!) Wellman, whose eighty-two movies (six of them uncredited), many of them iconic; many of them sharp, cold, brutal; others poetic, moving; all of them a lesson in close-up art, ranged from adventure and gangster pictures to comedies, aviation, romances, westerns, and searing social dramas. Among his iconic pictures: the pioneering World War I epic Wings (winner of the first Academy Award for best picture), Public Enemy (the toughest gangster picture of them all), Nothing Sacred, the original A Star Is Born, Beggars of Life, The Call of the Wild, The Ox-Bow Incident, Battleground, The High and the Mighty... David O. Selznick called him “one of the motion pictures’ greatest craftsmen.” Robert Redford described him as “feisty, independent, self-taught, and self-made. He stood his ground and fought his battles for artistic integrity, never wavering, always clear in his film sense.” Wellman directed Hollywood’s biggest stars for three decades, including Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, and Clint Eastwood. It was said he directed “like a general trying to break out of a beachhead.” He made pictures with such noted producers as Darryl F. Zanuck, Nunnally Johnson, Jesse Lasky, and David O. Selznick. Here is a revealing, boisterous portrait of the handsome, tough-talking, hard-drinking, uncompromising maverick (he called himself a “crazy bastard”)—juvenile delinquent; professional ice-hockey player as a kid; World War I flying ace at twenty-one in the Lafayette Flying Corps (the Lafayette Escadrille), crashing more than six planes (“We only had four instruments, none of which worked. And no parachutes . . . Greatest goddamn acrobatics you ever saw in your life”)—whose own life story was more adventurous and more unpredictable than anything in the movies. Wellman was a wing-walking stunt pilot in barnstorming air shows, recipient of the Croix de Guerre with two Gold Palm Leaves and five United States citations; a bad actor but good studio messenger at Goldwyn Pictures who worked his way up from assistant cutter; married to five women, among them Marjorie Crawford, aviatrix and polo player; silent picture star Helene Chadwick; and Dorothy Coonan, Busby Berkeley dancer, actress, and mother of his seven children. Irene Mayer Selznick, daughter of Louis B. Mayer, called Wellman “a terror, a shoot-up-the-town fellow, trying to be a great big masculine I-don’t-know-what. David had a real weakness for him. I didn’t share it.” Yet she believed enough in Wellman’s vision and cowritten script about Hollywood to persuade her husband to produce A Star Is Born, which Wellman directed. After he took over directing Tarzan Escapes at MGM, Wellman went to Louis B. Mayer and asked to make another Tarzan picture on his own. “What are you talking about? It’s beneath your dignity,” said Mayer. “To hell with that,” said Wellman, “I haven’t got any dignity.” Now William Wellman, Jr., drawing on his father’s unpublished letters, diaries, and unfinished memoir, gives us the first full portrait of the man—boy, flyer, husband, father, director, artist. Here is a portrait of a profoundly American spirit and visionary, a man’s man who was able to put into cinematic storytelling the most subtle and fulsome of feeling, a man feared, respected, and loved.

Download or read book The Hollywood Propaganda of World War II written by Robert Fyne and published by Scarecrow Press. This book was released on 1997 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the Second World War, over 300 Hollywood motion pictures were produced that, in one way or another, bore the propaganda imprimatur. These popular movies -- and they consistently glorified the achievements of the American fighting man while vilifying all the members of the Axis pact -- and fostered morale on the Home Front and stood as tangible reminders that Old Glory, mom, apple pie, and the St. Louis Browns would emerge victorious from this global conflict. But how successful was Hollywood's effort? Citing numerous examples of flag-waving dialogue, Professor Fyne has produced an in-depth study that examines these WWII movies, analyzing many motifs, stereotypes, fiction-as-fact, distortions, and prevarications that permeate this genre. His book lists the ten best titles of the war and discusses such topics as the World War I influence, the different approaches toward the Italian, German, and Japanese military machines, the glorification of the Soviet forces, the image of the Chinese nationals, the light-hearted B-comedies, musicals, and Westerns, plus the American GI's inner frustration with his fabricated photoplay image. For historians, film watchers, or social commentators, this book, complete with elaborate filmography, offers important information about Hollywood's role in shaping the Home Front mores.

Download or read book When Tigers Ruled the Sky written by Bill Yenne and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2016-07-05 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the acclaimed author of Hit the Target and Big Week, an in-depth account of the legendary World War II combat group, the Flying Tigers. In 1940, Pearl Harbor had not yet happened, and America was not yet at war with Japan. But China had been trying to stave off Japanese aggression for three years—and was desperate for aircraft and trained combat pilots. General Chiang Kai-shek sent military aviation advisor Claire Chennault to Washington, where President Roosevelt was sympathetic, but knew he could not intervene overtly. Instead, he quietly helped Chennault put together a group of American volunteer pilots. This was how the 1st American Volunteer Group—more commonly known as the Flying Tigers—was born. With the trademark smiling shark jaws on their P-40 fighters, these Army, Navy and Marine pilots became a sensation as they fought for the Chinese. Those who initially doubted them were eventually in awe as they persevered over Rangoon despite being outnumbered 14-1 by Japanese aircraft; as they were described by Madame Chiang Kai-shek as her “little angels” and by a Chinese foreign minister as “the soundest investment China ever made”; and as they ultimately destroyed hundreds of Japanese planes while losing only a dozen of their own in combat. Two of their veterans would later earn the Medal of Honor—and as a group, the Flying Tigers managed to rack up a better record than any other air wing in the Pacific theater. When Tigers Ruled the Sky is a thrilling and triumphant account of their courage and their legacy.

Download or read book The 1931 1940 American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States written by American Film Institute and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1993 with total page 1198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The entire field of film historians awaits the AFI volumes with eagerness."--Eileen Bowser, Museum of Modern Art Film Department Comments on previous volumes: "The source of last resort for finding socially valuable . . . films that received such scant attention that they seem 'lost' until discovered in the AFI Catalog."--Thomas Cripps "Endlessly absorbing as an excursion into cultural history and national memory."--Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.

Download or read book From the Wright Brothers to Top Gun written by Michael Paris and published by Manchester University Press. This book was released on 1995 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The cinema and aviation developed alongside each other, and were both products of the technology and imagination of the early 20th century. This book examines the ways in which aeroplanes and flying have been portrayed in the many different genres within popular cinema, from Hollywood epics to comedy spoofs to modern tragedies. It covers over 500 American and British films, including, The Dambusters, The High and the Mighty, Airplane, Top Gun and The Shadowmakers.

Download or read book Frank Borzage written by Hervé Dumont and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2015-06-14 with total page 429 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work brings to readers of English a comprehensive and engaging treatment of one of America's greatest, if largely forgotten, film directors. Dumont's celebrated 1993 study, translated from the French by Jonathan Kaplansky, offers complete coverage of Borzage's entire career--the more than 100 films he made and the effect of those films on movie audiences, especially between 1920 and 1940. Lavishly illustrated with 120 photographs, the book also contains a complete filmography, a chronological bibliography, and an index.

Download or read book For the Love of Flying written by Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail and published by Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail. This book was released on 2009 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first book to tell the story of one of Canada's most innovative aviation companies, Laurentian Air Services, and thus fills an important gap in Canadian aviation history. Drawing on extensive research and interviews with Laurentian's presidents, pilots and ground crew, author Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail explores the company's 60-year history from its founding in 1936 in Ottawa with small biplanes through to the 1990s when it was operating scheduled flights with twin-engine Beech 99s and Beech King Air 200s. During those 60 years, Laurentian was at the forefront of air tourism in the Ottawa region and the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec as well as fly-in hunting and fishing in Canada's north. It also pioneered the use of the Grumman G-21 Goose and de Havilland Beaver commercially and provided vital air support to survey and development work for such massive undertakings as the Churchill Falls and James Bay hydroelectric projects. This book brings Laurentian's history to life through first-hand stories and an exciting collection of colour and black and white photographs, the majority of which have not previously been published. This is a long-overdue book that appeals to armchair bush flyers and aviation historians alike.

Download or read book Long Ago and Far Away written by Robert Fyne and published by Scarecrow Press. This book was released on 2008-05-20 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Second World War was the greatest social, political, and economic upheaval of the 20th century. As a popular Hollywood subject, WWII still enthralls viewers six decades after Allied commanders affixed their signatures on the victory document in Tokyo Bay. Recreating flag-waving charges, frontal beachhead assaults, commando raids, and even home front heroics, these motion pictures_for better or worse_provide the primary learning experience for postwar generations. After scrutinizing hundreds of screenplays, Robert Fyne has written an in-depth study of World War II films, analyzing the different storylines, points-of-view, and contemporary events found in each. In Long Ago and Far Away: Hollywood and the Second World War, Fyne examines WWII films from 1941 to the present, explaining how the content and mood in these productions paralleled national mores and politics. Some titles are laudatory, even chauvinistic, while others are frivolous or sophomoric. Biographical screenplays both glorify and damn various leaders. Some films bombard viewers with horrific experiences, while others, such as goofy science fiction titles with their wraiths and flying saucers, seem inappropriate. Love stories are examined, as well as films revealing Japanese prisoner of war deprivations and Nazi concentration camp atrocities. From Above and Beyond to Zone Troopers and The Best Years of Our Lives to Flags of Our Fathers, this is a compelling look at how filmmakers have dramatized this pivotal period in history. For historians, movie watchers, or social commentators, Long Ago and Far Away, complete with an elaborate filmography, offers new information about Hollywood's diverse interpretations of the Good War.

Download or read book Reagan American Icon written by Robert Paul Metzger and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 1989 with total page 446 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Fateful Rendezvous written by John B Lundstrom and published by Naval Institute Press. This book was released on 2012-04-15 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fighter pilot Butch O'Hare became one of America's heroes in 1942 when he saved the carrier Lexington in what has been called the most daring single action in the history of combat aviation. In fascinating detail the authors describe how O'Hare shot down five attacking Japanese bombers and severely damaged a sixth and other awe-inspiring feats of aerial combat that won him awards, including the Medal of Honor. They also explain his key role in developing tactics and night-fighting techniques that helped defeat the Japanese. In addition, the authors investigate events leading up to O'Hare's disappearance in 1943 while intercepting torpedo bombers headed for the Enterprise. First published in 1997, this biography utilizes O'Hare family papers and U.S. and Japanese war records as well as eyewitness interviews. It is essential reading for a true understanding of the development of the combat naval aviation and the talents of the universally admired and well-liked Butch O'Hare.

Download or read book Film Study written by Frank Manchel and published by Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press. This book was released on 1990 with total page 988 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The four volumes of Film Study include a fresh approach to each of the basic categories in the original edition. Volume one examines the film as film; volume two focuses on the thematic approach to film; volume three draws on the history of film; and volume four contains extensive appendices listing film distributors, sources, and historical information as well as an index of authors, titles, and film personalities.

Download or read book The International Film Business written by Angus Finney and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-10-10 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The International Film Business examines the independent film sector as a business, and addresses the specific skills and knowledge it demands. It describes both the present state of the industry, the significant digital and social media developments that are continuing to take place, and what changes these might effect. The International Film Business: describes and analyses the present structure of the film industry as a business, with a specific focus on the film value chain discusses and analyses current digital technology and how it potentially may change the structure and opportunities offered by the industry in the future provides information and advice on the different business and management skills and strategies includes case studies on a variety of films including The Guard (2011), The King’s Speech (2010), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012), Cloverfield (2008), Pobby & Dingan (aka Opal Dream, 2005), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), The Reckoning (2002)and The Mother (2003), and company case studies on Pixar, Renaissance, Redbus and Zentropa. Further case studies on films that failed to go into production include Neil LaBute’s Vapor and Terry Gilliam’s Good Omens. Taking an entrepreneurial perspective on what future opportunities will be available to prepared and informed students and emerging practitioners, this text includes case studies that take students through the successes and failures of a variety of real film companies and projects and features exclusive interviews with leading practitioners in all sectors of the industry, from production to exhibition.

Download or read book Farmer in the Sky written by Robert A. Heinlein and published by Baen Publishing Enterprises. This book was released on 2008-05-01 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "There is no such thing as luck. There is only adequate or inadequate preparation to cope with a statistical universe." ¾Robert A. Heinlein, from Time Enough for Love. Be Prepared _ Or Die! Bill Lermer travels with his father, stepmother and stepsister to colonize a Jovian moon in the process of being terraformed. Out here, self-reliance is the key to survival¾and Bill finds that his Boy Scout motto isn't merely a pretty saying. It's a necessary rule for survival! This is it: what we think is the best of the classic Robert Heinlein adventure novels that influenced a generation of engineers and space scientists and still set the heart racing and the mind afire! At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

Download or read book Hollywood Math and Aftermath written by J.D. Connor and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2018-08-23 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Money is Hollywood's great theme-but money laundered into something else, something more. Money can be given a particular occasion and career, as box office receipts, casino winnings, tax credits, stock prices, lotteries, inheritances. Or money can become number, and numbers can be anything: pixels, batting averages, votes, likes. Through explorations of all these and more, J.D. Connor's Hollywood Math and Aftermath provides a stimulating and original take on “the equation of pictures,” the relationship between Hollywood and economics since the 1970s. Touched off by an engagement with the work of Gilles Deleuze, Connor demonstrates the centrality of the economic image to Hollywood narrative. More than just a thematic study, this is a conceptual history of the industry that stretches from the dawn of the neoclassical era through the Great Recession and beyond. Along the way, Connor explores new concepts for cinema studies: precession and recession, pervasion and staking, ostension and deritualization. Enlivened by a wealth of case studies-from The Big Short and The Wolf of Wall Street to Equity and Blackhat, from Moneyball to 12 Years a Slave, Titanic to Lost, The Exorcist to WALLE, Déjà Vu to Upstream Color, Contagion to The Untouchables, Ferris Bueller to Pacific Rim, The Avengers to The Village-Hollywood Math and Aftermath is a bravura portrait of the industry coming to terms with its own numerical underpinnings.

Download or read book Gregory Peck written by Gerard Molyneaux and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 1995-06-30 with total page 375 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Born in 1916 in La Jolla, California, Gregory Peck took up acting in college on a lark that would lead to a career. In his early years, he appeared in a series of summer stock engagements and Broadway shows. He became a star within a year after arriving in Hollywood during World War II, and he won an Academy Award nomination for his second film. From the 1940s to the present, he has played some of film's most memorable and admired characters. This volume provides complete information about Gregory Peck's work in film, television, radio, and the stage. Entries are included for all of his performances, with each entry providing cast and credit information, a plot summary, excerpts from reviews, and critical commentary. A biography and chronology highlight significant events in his life, while a listing of his honors and awards summarizes the recognition he has received over the years. For researchers seeking additional information, the book includes descriptions of special collections holding material related to Peck's work, along with an extensive bibliography of books and articles.