I recently bought "The Art of the Hollywood Backdrop," which is of course a pictorial history of the hand-painted Hollywood backdrop. Go to
www.amazon.com/Art-Hollywood-Backdrop-Karen-Maness to view.
Anyone who loves movies will LOVE this book. In addition to being a wonderful "peek behind the curtain" at the how and why of backdrops, it's also a fascinating look at Hollywood's Golden Age, with tons of rare and probably previously unpublished photos and other material about some of Hollywood's unsung and often unknown craftspeople.
The book retails for $100 and sells for $62 on Amazon. It is a top quality hardcover, with a library binding and good quality paper, all in a heavy-duty slipcase. Definitely well worth the bucks! Just know that it is an oversize book and probably won't fit in your bookcase, but don't leave it out on the coffee table, it's too good for that! SETH
"Novelty is always welcome, but talking pictures are just a fad." -- Irving Thalberg
"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk ?" -- Harry Warner