Books Into Film: The Stuff That Dreams Are Made of [Hardcover]

Robin H. Smiley (Author), Ralph B. Sipper (Afterword), William F. Nolan (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Smiley's essays on cult and classic books and the films that were based on them is a labor of love; affectionately and carefully written, it should thrill the hearts of book and film buffs alike. The intelligent and personal essays are knowledgeable, but never pedantic, opinionated, but never narrow. As William F. Nolan writes in his foreword, one cannot help disagreeing vociferously, if occasionally, with some of Smiley's evaluations, but that is part of the fun. Smiley's essays contain marvelous facts and insights, such as: "Nobody sets out to be a geek; geeks are made, not born. Nightmare Alley, the unremitting and darkest of noirs, is about nothing less than how to be a geek." Other gems include the fact that there were over five million copies of The Old Man and the Sea in print before it was even published, thanks to Life Magazine, which ran the full text in a 1952 special issue, and the connoisseur's wit of the following revelation: "It will come as no surprise to anyone who knows Howard Fast's work to learn that the idea for Spartacus came to him while he was in prison in Mill Point, Arkansas, for contempt of congress." Smiley, the founder and publisher of Firsts: the Book Collectors Magazine, in which these essays first appeared, offers us a book best read slowly, to be savored for the memories it can reclaim for us, as well as the obscure treasures to which it can point the way.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 275 pages
• Publisher: Capra Press; 1 edition (May 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972250336
• ISBN-13: 978-0972250337
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,561,835 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect gift for the movie buff and booklover,, December 10, 2005

By 

Richard L. Pangburn (Bardstown, KY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Books Into Film: The Stuff That Dreams Are Made of (Hardcover)

This was written by the editor of FIRSTS magazine, the publication for those who collect or are simply interested in first editions and other collectable books.

Each essay in the book features a picture of the dustjacket of the first edition discussed, along with the story of the book and the film made from the book, the side story of how the film was adapted, the players involved, and sometimes a plot analysis.

This book has led me to discover, or rediscover, many of the classics I had previously passed over. James Hilton's FAR HORIZON, for instance, which differs from the movies made from it, although the movies have their special value too. William Faulkner's INTRUDER IN THE DUST, Harper Lee's TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, B. Traven's THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, John Le Carre's THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD, Erskine Caldwell's TOBACCO ROAD, James Jones's FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, Walter Van Tilburg Clark's THE OX-BOW INCIDENT, and many, many others.

Some of the selections are well known classics; others are little known gems, ripe for rediscovery. Each book/film essay runs three or four pages, and the author shares his own favorites and insights. It is a handsome volume in hardcover, with the Maltese Falcon on the dustjacket, with about 275 pages and an easy-to-read print. It is full of delights.

For instance: Of Jessamyn West's THE FRIENDLY PERSUASION, the author says his favorite episode is when Jess, the father in the family played by Gary Cooper in the movie, becomes "morbidly interested in a "wen"--a small growth--on his neck. He is convinced the wen is a sign of some fatal disease and that he is going to die. He plans to visit his parents' church as a farewell to life. Jess packs up his new nursery stock and sets out to visit his customers."

"On the trip, he finds that one customer after another has real trouble. Jess's obsession with the wen fades as he is confronted with others' genuine afflictions. His last stop is the most disturbing. A young woman is desperately ill; her weak husband, perceiving trouble, has left her alone to die. Jess spends the evening comforting her and listening to her talk. When he returns home, the ordinary wen has returned to its proper perspective: a small, harmless bump on his neck."

I'd seen the movie and read the book long ago, but I could not recall that incident--until I read of it again in here. Now I see it afresh, in context with the making of the book and the making of the movie from the book.

If you are looking for a gift for the film buff or the first edition collector, you cannot go wrong here, as this one brims with such delightful items.

Highly recommended.