Hirschfeld's Hollywood: The Film Art of Al Hirschfeld [Paperback]

David Leopold (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2001

Al Hirschfeld's line drawings are synonymous with the American theatre, but his work for Hollywood films is also gaining attention. His ability was to channel personality and character into simple line but, in addition to his monochromatic line drawings, this book includes his movie posters which, with their brilliant colour palettte, offer an interesting contrast to his more familiar work. Hirschfeld's career started at Goldwyn pictures in the 1920s and remained with MGM for 30 years. His Hollywood career unfolds in this book in striking reproductions of his work for now-classic films, from "The Alamo", "The Wizard of Oz" and "Singin' in the Rain" to "The Manchurian Candidate" and "Saving Private Ryan". It also includes his drawings of stars from Laurel and Hardy to Fred Astaire to Julia Roberts and renderings of his own unique behind-the-scenes perspective for films such as "Irma la Douce".

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The delightfully clever illustrations in these companion books span 80 years of productivity by the still-active 98-year-old artist Hirschfeld. The dual publications coincide with dual exhibitions: one at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood and one at the Museum of the City of New York. Most people identify Hirschfeld with his lively black-and-white line caricatures of famous people and events in the entertainment industry, as reproduced in magazines and newspapers like the New York Times. Both books include examples of these caricatures but also discuss and display Hirschfeld's many other contributions to 20th-century American popular culture, and both also include photographs and self-portraits of the artist himself. A New York City resident for most of his life, Hirschfeld also became associated with Hollywood after 1920, when he started doing publicity art for movie studios then based in New York, such as Selznick, Warner, and MGM. In Hirschfeld's Hollywood, Hirschfeld's own archivist, David Leopold, showcases over 100 examples of his colorful poster and advertising work for movies through the decades. For Hirschfeld's New York, exhibit curator Bell also has selected over 100 examples, portraying the Broadway theater and other aspects of New York's night life and daily life. Both books contain works that are not well known as well as old favorites. As represented here, the sheer chronological span of one perceptive artist's interpretive work should appeal to a wide audience. While either book is highly recommended on its own, a joint purchase of these complementary books is suggested for both academic and public libraries. Anne Marie Lane, Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"After all these many years, with nary a competitor in sight nor hindsight, Mr. Hirschfeld remains the master - the undisputed Chairman of the Drawing Board." - Larry Gelbart

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Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; 1st wraps edition (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810990520
• ISBN-13: 978-0810990524
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #614,636 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #69 in Books > Arts & Photography > Drawing > Pen & Ink

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding artwork, April 7, 2005

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hirschfeld's Hollywood: The Film Art of Al Hirschfeld (Paperback)

Posters used to publicize movies are an art form that has largely been lost. Modern forms of publicity rely on computer-generated images, web sites and animation. Al Hirschfeld was one of the outstanding drawers of such posters and this is a collection of some of his best. Nearly all depict older movies or the stars of those movies, the most recent poster for a movie is from the early 1990's. There are also some figures of old stars that he drew for postage stamps.
I enjoyed the artwork, but I also enjoyed the nostalgic look back through a history of some of the greatest movies ever made and the stars that made them great. It is a history of the movies from a perspective quite different than reading about the plots and the trials and tribulations of making them.

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All Hirschfeld, February 21, 2002

By 

Luis G. P. Davidson "guime" (barueri, sp Brazil) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hirschfeld's Hollywood: The Film Art of Al Hirschfeld (Paperback)

Everything about Hirschfeld was already said. He's a genius. He's the Line King. He's almost 100 years old. And he's alive. Get this damn book. Buy the old ones. Collect them. Buy the video. Cut his drawings from the Sunday NYTimes. Stop buying stupid eletronic gadgets, save the money, and then spend 2 thousand in an original lithograph. I did it. Twice. And there's nothing in the world that can make me feel better. Maybe another one.