Author: Murray Pomerance/R. Barton Palmer
Genre: Biography/Entertainment
Hardcover; Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781978838383; 9781978838376
Rutgers University Press
276 Pages
$120.00; $39.95; $39.95 Amazon
May 13, 2025
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Mervyn LeRoy Comes To Town is the first book devoted to the career of one of the director/producers who in the early years of sound cinema was instrumental in establishing the Hollywood model of production that would endure for more than half a century. As a director and producer, LeRoy was responsible for turning out more than sixty feature films in a career that spanned five decades; as a studio executive, he contributed substantially to the success of the industry during the challenging period of the Depression and also in the period of realignment and readjustment that followed the end of World War II. This book offers chapters devoted to individual films such as Little Caesar, Waterloo Bridge, 30 Seconds Over Tokyo, Gypsy, and Quo Vadis.
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First off, I will tell you that I love classic films. I own thousands of them, and don't even watch today's movies. It was the old Hollywood that turned out true actors and actresses, producers and directors. The studios were the main crux of it all, and they wielded their power. It was then that movies defined what Hollywood was, and my fascination with it has never waned.
Saying that, I was excited to read this book. Since I already own Mervyn LeRoy's biography, I wanted to see what the author(s) could contribute to this wonderful director. They do not parse all of his films; they choose carefully the best of them, and proceed to examine each part, showing us what LeRoy filmed. Like all people, we watch films for entertainment, and never even think of what is behind each scene or actor's motions.
I, however, love to watch the actors as their face shows what is going on behind it. In most cases, you can see the change in emotion as they go through different situations, and no one is more powerful at this than the late actor Paul Muni. He has a face that shows what he is thinking, and you will find this in LeRoy's film I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang. This film was controversial when it was made (1932); but the authors are able to examine the film from all angles, and dissect it for the layperson who wishes to know more of LeRoy's intentions. It was definitely interesting to see the film from a different perspective, and I will watch it again with this in mind.
The reason I chose this film is the fact that it is the picture on the cover of this book, with Mr. Muni front and center. He was a wonderful actor, but made too few films, in my opinion. However, back to Mr. LeRoy: he was a wonderful director, and began as an actor, but fortunately, his career went in a different direction. He started out like gangbusters (a trite phrase, I know, but appropriate), and made films that today people may not have seen, but should. One, Playing Around, is one of my favorites. I don't know if it was deliberate, but the last scene is actually my favorite. Chester Morris is superb in his role, and LeRoy made a great film. Unfortunately, it is not one of the ones that is featured, but when you read the book, I do hope that you make the effort to see LeRoy's films.
If you start with one, make it Little Caesar with the great Edward G. Robinson. Given the material and LeRoy's directing skills, the two make a magnificent film. The authors break the film down for you, and in the end, you want to watch the film again.
Since reading this book, I myself have checked the airwaves to see if any are airing, and have recently pulled up one from my own catalog. Seeing LeRoy through new eyes was definitely a huge plus for me. All in all, I think that anyone interested in the Golden Age of Hollywood would be interested in this book.
To add, the only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because I must tell you that there are spoilers in the book. While they do a very nice job of making us see things through LeRoy's eyes, they also give away the ending of each movie they write about. I caution you this so that you can see the movie before reading the book; and please, do yourself a favor and do both. Recommended.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss, but this in no way influenced my review.
More on The Authors: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/33501.Murray_Pomerance
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