From Library Journal
The latest entry in the crowded field of film history encyclopedias consists primarily of short biographical essays on stars of the past and present. In addition, there are entries for some producers, directors, cinematographers, et al., as well as for important films and film terms, e.g., "best boy." The information is generally accurate. The opinions expressed are conventional, which is fine for neophytes but tends to make rather boring reading for the knowledgeable. The book is probably most similar to Ephraim Katz's The Film Encyclopedia (LJ 11/1/79), but differs in that Katz's is international in scope and has no entries for individuals film titles. Halliwell's Filmgoer's Companion (Scribner, 1989. 9th ed.) is also international in scope, but even for Hollywood figures it features more entries than the Siegels' book; on the other hand, Halliwell's entries are shorter. Large libraries are already likely to own most of the Encyclopedia's information in some form or other. Other libraries seeking to expand their reference holdings in this area should consider this, especially since it has the added advantage of currency in the topics covered.
- John Smothers, Monmouth Cty. Lib., Manalapan, N.J.Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Sixteen years after the publication of the first edition, this encyclopedia offers representative entries on the American film industry, from the early, pre-Hollywood days to the present. Entries cover people, including actors, directors, producers, editors, cinematographers, and more; films; studios; genres (for example,
Beach party movies, Screwball comedy); jobs (
Best boy, Editor); and terms (
Montage, Rough cut). Some entries feature a photograph, and many include
see also references. The
A-Z portion of the volume is followed by a selected bibliography. The index is the preferred approach to a name or group since many people are discussed within a category or theme, such as
Child stars and
Sheen family dynasty.
In their introduction, the authors note that genuine stardom seldom lasts for more than five years, and in adding newer stars to this edition, they have chosen those who seem to have lasting appeal, among them Julianne Moore, Brad Pitt, and Will Smith. The standard of lasting appeal has also resulted in the addition of some early major figures who may be forgotten (the director Allen Dwan, for example).
Although libraries that have both the first edition and other film titles may not consider this a necessary purchase, this up-to-date edition is easy to use and could be a welcome addition to the circulating as well as the reference collection. With the expansion of library video and DVD collections, it could also be used as a collection development tool. Patricia Hogan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
