The Films Of Fay Wray [Hardcover]

Roy Kinnard (Author), Tony Crnkovich (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786421290 | ISBN-13: 978-0786421299 | Publication Date: October 25, 2005

Widely acclaimed as a horror movie actress, Fay Wray is best remembered for her performances in King Kong and four other classic 1930s film thrillers, Doctor X, The Most Dangerous Game, Mystery of the Wax Museum and The Vampire Bat. Yet her film career encompassed much more than these memorable turns as a damsel in distress. Wray appeared in 77 feature films between 1925 and 1958, playing leading roles in 67 of these. Sadly, the true breadth of Wray’s film career is not readily apparent today, as many of her films, including her entire silent film output, have been lost or are available only on a limited archival basis. This heavily illustrated filmography of Wray’s work at last makes obvious her sizeable contribution to the film industry. It begins with an overview of her professional acting career, from her period of great demand after the making of King Kong to her gradual decline in the late 1930s. The filmography is divided into three sections that describe and discuss the complete collection of Fay Wray’s films. The first section introduces Wray’s early silent feature film appearances; the second covers her “leading lady” period in popular horror thrillers and other films in the sound era; and the third covers her latter-day supporting roles. Two appendices document her work in theatrical film shorts and her television appearances. Commentary throughout also includes first-person interviews with Fay Wray.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The picture quality is breathtaking." --Classic Images

"I cannot think of a better book to recommend...a wealth of information." --Scary Monsters

"The book is as appealing as its subject...sports the most generous collection of Fay Wray photos seen anywhere...the book to beat...will make any Kong fan smile." --Monsters From The Vault --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Researcher Roy Kinnard is also the author of McFarland’s Science Fiction Serials (1998), Horror in Silent Films (1999) and editor of McFarland’s “The Lost World” of Willis O’Brien (1993). Commercial artist Tony Crnkovich has written a number of articles for Classic Images. They both live in Chicago.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 191 pages
• Publisher: MC Farland & Company (October 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786421290
• ISBN-13: 978-0786421299
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,388,618 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars OOPS, I DID IT AGAIN, June 9, 2006

By 

P.L. (KINGSTON, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Films Of Fay Wray (Hardcover)

Once again, I spent too much money for a McFarland movie book. Against my better judgment, I ordered this book because I'm a Fay Wray fan and have great interest in her films. My complaints are the book is (physically) too thin to justify the cost of $40.00 (less than 200 pages including index); there are no pictures of Fay later than 1941; her television credits are reduced to a mere checklist. My biggest complaint is the coverage of her rarer, inaccessible films. The authors do not mention if prints (or negatives) exist. They simply state "is no longer available for screening", or "inacessible", or "is either lost or available on a limited archival basis". In the case of THE BIG BRAIN (an RKO release of an independent production), the authors state, "(it) remains unavailable, and may be lost". Were the authors in contact with key personnel at Universal, Columbia, the UCLA Film Archives, the American Film Institute, the Museum of Modern Art, et al? More extensive research should have been done. This isn't good enough in 2006. I want to know if MADAME SPY (1934) exists and in what format. That would justify a price of $40.00. The photos (none post-1941!) are great and are far and away the best thing about the book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Queen of the Scream Queens, August 13, 2007

By 

Andrew Mangravite - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Films Of Fay Wray (Hardcover)

This book appears to be a good overview of Wray's work in films and television. Those who know her only as "Ann Darrow, the bravest girl in the world" will be surprised to learn how durable Wrays career was, how many first class films she appeared in. As an added bonus the book is well illustrated with scarce photographs.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fay Wray, March 17, 2006

By 

Gary J. Astorino (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Films Of Fay Wray (Hardcover)

Excellent book. Not much written on this Icon except her own biography. You see much more written about actors with less of an impact on todays culture then Fay Wray has been. Would recommend highly.