Cecil B. DeMille's Hollywood

Mention Cecil B. DeMille to many serious film fans, and they might snicker. DeMille has a reputation for corny, big-budget epics like THE TEN COMMANDMENTS or THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH. DeMille also has a reputation as a dictatorial director whose politics were extremely conservative.DeMille was not really that simple of a person. He made some very personal films, some really entertaining films, and even some daring films for the time. Although he was politically conservative, several of his films preached the dangers of religious intolerance. His battle with the Radio performer's union was a matter of principle, and not money. And while the stereotypical Hollywood director was modeled on him, part of it was an act. DeMille had a great respect for his actors, as long as they were professional. DeMille also had a sense of humor, as some of his cameo appearances in films show.Robert Birchard has assembled an incredible history of DeMille's film and radio work. DeMille was around during the birth of Paramount in 1915, and he was still a successful director all of the way through the 1950s. Using DeMille's original papers, telegrams from studio moguls like Jesse Lasky, and other direct sources of information.You will read about DeMille's struggles with technical issues like poorly perforated film stock, cameramen, good and difficult actors, and pressure from management to get his films completed on time and under budget. Mr. Birchard has viewed all of DeMille's films that still exist, and he gives a candid review of all of them. The book also contains very detailed cast and crew listings, a list of DeMille's many cameo appearances, and everything is painstakingly documented in the end notes.I can guarantee you that after reading this book, you will be very tempted to rent or buy a Cecil B. DeMille film and rediscover this master director yourself.

This excellent book rates 5 stars for a very factual, no-nonsense in-depth research job on the work of famous director/producer, Cecil B. DeMille. And the emphasis is on his work in Hollywood (hence the title) not on DeMille himself as a person, although quite a few passages throughout this book do shed light on his character and mentality. Rather than a biography-style work with speculation, rumour and gossip, the author of this book has painstakingly searched for, found and quoted all kinds of correspondence and other written records to tell the story of DeMille's career. At times it was quite fascinating to read telegrams and other notes between DeMille and producers or other co-workers, for instance, and while explaining certain events or procedures in the film industry, these letters also reveal a lot about DeMille's thoughts and ways of doing business.Another highlight for me personally is how the book goes through DeMille's films chronologically, with a chapter on almost every film he directed (and he produced many more) often giving a summary of the plot, which is especially interesting in the case of his early silent films which are not readily available at present. Besides details of cast, crew and plot, many business aspects of the film industry are related, giving an overall comprehensive story of the course of DeMille's career such as how he moved from one type of film to another, or from one studio to another when circumstances changed. Even though this book deals with hard facts only, it is easy and enjoyable to read, and does not get bogged down with too much detail. As a bonus, there are sections of many good photos, further notes and information in the appendixes for anyone who is looking for more in-depth material. For anyone interested in DeMille's work and getting a realistic look into the film industry from the early 1910s onwards, this book will definitely fit the bill.

I love it 😁

Excellent account of his career and triumphs in movie making. Is really detailed but well written.

I just finished reading "Cecil B. DeMille's Hollywood" by Robert Birchard, and for the first time in my life I was moved to add a review for it on Amazon. This is a delightful read, and a must for all fans of classic Hollywood. It is also totally different from other books on the subject by virtue of how it's written. Mr. Birchard devotes a chapter to every one of DeMille's movies, even the lost silents. And within each chapter you get a biographical portrait of the man through his work. The facts are outstanding, he gives you the start and finish dates of each film, plus the cost and how much each film made. And I felt like I got to know the man by being with him on a daily basis. DeMille had the reputation of being a "dictatorial" director, but you learn through this book that that was definitely not the only side to him, that he truly cared about every one who worked on his productions, especially the actors in the smaller parts and the extras, people that he always seemed to want to help take care of. Read this book, and then go back and look at the movies. You will definitely have a great time doing so.

Though he hasn't made a movie since the 1950s, CB DeMille is still a name that says "Hollywood" to anyone who hears it. But, aside from The Ten Commandments, it's possible that most people today don't know who he was or what he did. Robert Birchard's book, written in a blithe, easy-going style -- as if you're talking to him -- reminds us who CB was and how important he was to the history of film. Using original sources as much as possible (rather than second and third hand accounts) Mr. Birchard has traced DeMille's career through his films, in the process seeing as many as are still available (sadly not all are). In doing so, he manages to trace much of DeMille's life and the life and history of Hollywood as it grows and learns to use new and better technology to tell its stories. This book is both easy to read, fun to read, and even (gasp!) informative! But don't let stop you from buying and enjoying it!

ハリウッドの創世記からスタジオシステム全盛時代の末期まで、ハリウッドの大物監督であり続けたセシル・Ｂ・デミル、その生涯７０本（これに多少の±αがあるようですが）の作品の１つ１つについて、基本データ（キャスト、スタッフ、撮影期間、制作費、そして興行成績など）と共に、膨大な資料を漁って得たのであろう様々な情報（企画から脚本準備、キャスティングといった準備段階の裏側、撮影中の各種エピソード（トラブルを含む））をふんだんに盛り込んだ、４００ページにも及ぶ詳細なフィルモグラフィです。ただし、全体を読み終えて残るのは、デミルという強力な個性を持った映画人の人間像であり、その点で、本書はフィルモグラフィの形を取ったユニークな評伝（バイオグラフィ）になっているのです。著者は、「資料第一、それも作品製作当時のメモや電報、手紙といった一次資料を中心に引用し、後年の関係者の自伝や回想といったものについては検証の上で引用する」、また、「デミルの私生活については映画に関係する部分でのみ触れる」といった「方針」（というより「掟」）を己に課し、それを厳しく守り通しています。この姿勢の徹底ぶりには潔さすら感じました。本書に描かれているのは、デミルという古風なタイプの映画人、すなわち、プロデューサと監督とを兼ねた立場で、映画製作の企画から宣伝までの全段階に関与するタイプ（サイレント時代には多くいたが、スタジオシステム全盛期にはほとんど全滅したタイプ）の映画人が、その生涯にどんな作品をどのように作ったか、そして、いかにしてその古風な映画作りのスタイルを守り抜いたか、その軌跡です。監督としてのデミルや個々の作品の評価については、踏み込んだ記述はありません。それは読者が実際に作品を観て下せばよい、それが著者のスタンスなのでしょう。労作、そして非常に面白い本です。