Tweet New bio of Cecil B. DeMille by Scott Eyman

Scott Eyman's new biography of Cecil B. DeMille just got a very nice review in the LA Times. Here is a link to the review:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/ne ... 9345.story

Scott Eyman will be at MoMA on Sept 27, to talk about the book and to introduce a screening of THE KINDLING (1915) and THE GOLDEN CHANCE (1916).
http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/film_screenings/10276

I've never seen The Kindling but I have (and loved) The Golden Chance.

[Christopher Jacobs]

KINDLING (there is no "THE" in the title on the film itself, despite the AFI Catalog listing) is a powerful early DeMille that is an excellent example of the edgier stories he did during his extremely prolific period of 1914-16, before settling into the lavish and more commercial sex comedies and the later historical epics.

THE GOLDEN CHANCE is one of my favorites, even better than THE CHEAT in my estimation. There is a very good sampling of DeMille's work on DVD but it would be great to see all of his extant films from 1915 in a box set. The variety of his subject material is impressive and his handling of actors, the camera, and editing advanced tremendously from THE GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST (released in January 1915 but actually made in late 1914) to THE GOLDEN CHANCE (made in late 1915 but not seen widely until early 1916).

--Christopher Jacobs
http://hpr1.com/film
http://www.und.edu/instruct/cjacobs

Monarch of the Movie Screen:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 67112.html

I'm reading it right now. So far, enjoying it. Exactly as I expected to.

I agree - a very well done book, and even more enjoyable than his Mayer bio, I think. Right now I'm up to Gloria Swanson "engaging in enthusiastic adultery with Marshall Neilan," the lucky dog!

Speaking of KINDLING, sort of, my very first e-book download for the Kindle is this book. And after the download the Kindle still feels light!

This makes 3 major biographies of De Mille in 5 years.

Eyman's, Louvish's, and Bob Birchard's which was promoted with a lavish TCM documentary. Do publishers think that the book buying public is really that interested in Ole Cecil?

Does anyone know when Janet Bergstrom's bio of Murnau is coming out?

I've avoided reading any bios of DeMille until the Eyman book. So far, it's an excellent read. Eyman has such a good track record that I decided it was time.

Here's a vintage ad, sans "The":

[silentfilm]

Bob Birchard's book is good also. He focuses more on DeMille's films, rather than a straight biography.

I finished reading the book last night and I want to highly recommend it. I've never been a DeMille fan; in fact, the number of DeMille films I've started but couldn't finish is large, but I was curious to know something about the man, and Scott Eyman's John Ford bio Print the Legend was excellent, so I decided to give this a read. I am so glad I did.

Well-researched, wonderfully written and just absolutely engrossing. I won't stoop to the 'couldn't put it down' cliche, but I will say that there are no lulls and it becomes more and more compelling the further you get into it. DeMille's adopted son (and actual nephew) Richard asked the author to "be fair to the old man," and he certainly is. Although I dislike most of his films and abhor his politics, I found myself genuinely empathetic to DeMille and really moved by the book.

All in all, one of the best film bios I have read. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

DeMille is not a favorite of mine but I started reading the bio.... so far it's a terrific read...

Well, I purchased a copy since 1: I had enjoyed his bio of Mayer and 2: he was autographing. He asked if I enjoyed Demille and I told him "Frequently, but not always". "Me too," he replied.

Bob

Well, I purchased a copy since 1: I had enjoyed his bio of Mayer and 2: he was autographing. He asked if I enjoyed Demille and I told him "Frequently, but not always". "Me too," he replied.

Bob

I think item 2 can apply to most people viewing De Mille films. I do prefer his silents, but one does love good rich cheese and S&D and the 1956 10 Commandments certainly fill the bill!

Introducing the films, Mr. Eyman suggested that one of the reasons he was such a failure in the theater was that the movies played to his strengths and referred to his tin ear for dialogue.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to the book some time after I finish WITHOUT LYING DOWN.

Bob

And yet there's a passage in the book intro where we are told that DeMille basically rewrote his scene with Swanson in Sunset Boulevard and Wilder let him do it so it would sound more authentic. If I remember right, DeMille hosted a radio show in the 40s, so along with his movie intros, his voice was quite well known to audiences.

But I suppose he could have had a tin ear for other actors' dialog.....

I went to the MoMA screening the other night and greatly enjoyed the show. Mr. Eyman did a commendable job of introducing the films: he was articulate and witty, and obviously knows his subject thoroughly. I felt he provided a fair amount of historical context to enhance our appreciation of the movies, and also knew just how long to talk and when to cue the projectionist.

Kindling and The Golden Chance were fascinating, not at all the sort of material we expect from this director.

Coincidentally I just finished reading Eyman's Lubitsch biography, which I liked a lot. I'm looking forward to his DeMille book. Has anyone here read Simon Louvish's DeMille biography? If so, what did you think?

I've read Louvish's book. It'll tell you how much of an impression it made on me when I say I can't remember what impression it made on me I won't say I didn't like it, because I certainly did (I happen to enjoy DeMille's work, even the sound films), simply that it was a great deal drier than Eyman's book. I came away from Louvish with a good knowledge of CB's work, but not of himself, which is also a complaint I had about Louvish's Mae West and Keystone. I find Eyman gives a good sense of what CB was like as a man (as he did in his Mayer bio), and made me feel that though I would have liked to have met him, I wouldn't have liked him very much.

Sorry if that's not much of an answer. I just finished Eyman, so I'll dip back into Louvish this weekend.

And I didn't know about Eyman at MoMA - Grr! I would have loved to have been there. Probably the only East Coast stop he's making, right?

Introducing the films, Mr. Eyman suggested that one of the reasons he was such a failure in the theater was that the movies played to his strengths and referred to his tin ear for dialogue.

Bob

A friend once described said tin ear by saying "DeMille had the eye of Rembrandt. And the ear of Van Gogh."

LOL.... that's funny.... I've not heard that one before....

[Mike Gebert]

And yet there's a passage in the book intro where we are told that DeMille basically rewrote his scene with Swanson in Sunset Boulevard and Wilder let him do it so it would sound more authentic.

I always thought that was the one part of Sunset Boulevard that sounded like it had been vetted by the PR department and the lawyers. You can mock Hollywood... but not DeMille, the font of bread and butter!

You've got that right. DeMille was the PR of Paramount and of C.B. himself.

And as for Louvish, I've said it before and I'll say it again - the guy's a HACK.

Gary J.

I've read Louvish's book. It'll tell you how much of an impression it made on me when I say I can't remember what impression it made on me

I found the same thing with the Louvish book on Mack Sennett. Given the subject matter, it felt like it should have been a lot more exciting than it was.

I'm looking forward to the Scott Eyman book, though. His `Mary Pickford, America's Sweetheart' is one of the better Pickford biographies I've read.

I just finished Eyman's book and enjoyed it thoroughly. I never thought I'd read an entire book about DeMille, but this was a great read. I thought I might lose interest as it got farther into the talkie era, but that was not the case. I even got emotional when the old reprobate died. As for Louvish, I read a few of his early books and gave up on him. Sometimes it seems like he finds out who's writing a serious biography and then cranks his out to hit the shelves in advance. I find him a must to avoid.

Doesn't Louvish rank with Darwin Porter?

[Mike Gebert]

I don't understand the Louvish hate. The only book of his I've read is the Fields one, but it seemed solid enough and with two interesting contributions to make: one, he identified a world tour where Fields was evidently passing some female off as his wife to the press (as he showed that Hattie was home during that time), and two, he traces how some of the famous routines evolved over decades. Nothing sensational, maybe not the most thrilling prose but not bad. Something else may be a better book in each case, but I don't see any reason to lump Louvish in with the "And then Randolph Scott told me all about gay Hollywood right before he died" crowd.

There is nothing in his Fields book which hadn't already been researched and written about in previous, better written bios of the subject (James Curtis, Ronald Fields). The same goes for his other retread books he did on the Marx Bros., Laurel & Hardy, Sennett....

The guy's a hack.

Gary J.

There is nothing in his Fields book which hadn't already been researched and written about in previous, better written bios of the subject (James Curtis

Gary J.

That isn't even possible, since the Louvish book on Fields was published 4 years before the Curtis book.