City of Dreams: The Making and Remaking of Universal Pictures - Hardcover

Dick, Bernard F.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0813120160 ISBN 13: 9780813120164

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky, 1997

Synopsis

" Horror films. Deanna Durbin musicals. Francis the talking mule. Ma and Pa Kettle. Ross Hunter weepies. Theme parks. ET. Apollo 13. These are only a few of the many faces of Universal Pictures. In February 1906 Carl Laemmle, German immigrant and former clothing store manager, opened his first nickelodeon in Chicago. He quickly moved from exhibition to distribution and to film production. A master of publicity and promotions, within ten years "Uncle Carl" had moved his entire operation to southern California, founded a city, and established Universal Pictures as one of the major Hollywood studios. In time Universal found its niche in horror films featuring Karloff and Lugosi, comedies starring Abbott and Costello and W.C. Fields, and low-budget musicals. But Carl Laemmle Jr. proved less adept than his father at empire building. Eventually he was forced out by financial difficulties, opening the way for a string of studio heads who entered and exited one after another. Thus the age of corporate Hollywood arrived at Universal Pictures earlier than at other studios. The Universal-International merger in 1946, Decca's stock takeover in the early 1950s, and MCA's buyout in 1962 all presaged today's Hollywood, where the art of the deal often eclipses the art of making movies. Stars and executives have come and gone, shaping and reshaping the studio's image, but through it all Universal's revolving globe logo has remained on movie screens around the world. And, unlike several other studios of Hollywood's golden age, Universal still makes movies today.

About this title

From Kirkus Reviews:

Though not thorough enough to be definitive, this concise account of Universal's transformation from the silent era to the present is a useful resource for anyone interested in James Whale, Deanna Durbin, or Howard the Duck. Fans of Universal Pictures will find a friend in Dick (Communication Arts/Fairleigh Dickinson Univ.), who dedicates the book to child star Gloria Jean (``Scranton's Own'') and admits in his preface that Abbott and Costello still make him laugh out loud. Balancing his personal fondness with solid research, Dick chronicles every phase, high and low, of Universal's history: its founding in 1912 by German immigrant ``Uncle Carl'' Laemmle; its silent classics, such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame; its great monster-movie cycle of the '30s (e.g., Frankenstein); its diminished status in the '40s as a ``purveyor of horror, low comedy, and teenage hijinks''; its return to prestige filmmaking in the '50s with directors like Anthony Mann and Douglas Sirk; and its high-powered association with Steven Spielberg since the '70s. In this brief history, peppered with cinematic analysis, much detail is left out: The passages on Laemmle and his thwarted son, Carl Jr., are not as richly anecdotal as the analogous material in Neal Gabler's An Empire of Their Own; the section on Lon Chaney neglects even to mention makeup. Sometimes too much detail is given without enough context: The closing chapters on Universal's recent changes in corporate ownership read like a pastiche of Variety articles. However, most major turning points in the studio's fortunes are clearly recounted, and many obscure matters are highlighted--from the early works of William Wyler and John Ford to Ron Howard's box-office track record. Not everyone may think it worthwhile to analyze the opening minutes of the talking-mule movie Francis; that Dick does so instructively will endear him to Universal's fans. (illustrations, not seen) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review:

"The book is a must-read for Dick's analyses of Universal's silent classics, the wonderful monster movies of the '30s and '40s, and the famous films of the 1950s, some of them directed by Alfred Hitchcock." -- Chatham (NJ) Courier, Hanover (NJ) Eagle and Regional Weekly News, Bernardsville

"Dick is to be commended for his fine biographical portrayal of major players, old and new.... I have rarely read a more involved and historically detailed account of one major studio." -- Independent Publisher

"In this well-written and engaging book, Bernard K. Dick traces the history of Universal Pictures -- and the movie industry in general -- from its humble origins to its modern status." -- Journal of American History

"Engaging history that rescues some reputations and skewers others. It is a history with the labyrinthine intrigue of a good Hollywood film." -- Journal of the West

"Fans of Universal Pictures will find a friend in Dick... Balancing his personal fondness with solid research, Dick chronicles every phase, high and low, of Universal's history." -- Kirkus Reviews

"With roots dating back to the first decade of the century, Hollywood's most venerable studio is an interesting case study." -- Library Journal

"No Hollywood history is complete without the inclusion on Bernard Dick's City of Dreams on the reading list." -- Midwest Book Review

"Universal's story is a good window on Hollywood, and Dick's movie-going enthusiasm is evident." -- Publishers Weekly

About this edition

• Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0813120160
• ISBN 13: 9780813120164
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288