Howard Hawks: Interviews (Conversations With Filmmakers Series) (Paperback)

~ Scott Breivold (Editor) "THE EVIDENCE ON THE SCREEN is the proof of Hawks's genius," we had recently written..." (more)
Key Phrases: Red River, Rio Bravo, Cary Grant (more...)

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Product Description

Howard Hawks (1896-1977) is one of America's great film directors. During a career that spanned fifty years and produced more than forty films, this writer, producer, and director made highly successful movies and managed to maintain remarkable artistic control during a time when studio moguls usually ruled. Hawks conquered virtually every genre, including action/adventure, comedy, western, film noir, gangster, science fiction, and musical films.

The remarkable diversity of his work may have kept Hawks from being as easily recognized as his contemporaries Alfred Hitchcock and John Ford. Hawks brought a unique stamp to all of his films by mixing dramatic and comedic elements, manipulating gender conventions, emphasizing story and dialogue, and eschewing cinematic trickery and sentimentality. His classic oeuvre includes films such as Scarface, Only Angels Have Wings, His Girl Friday, Sergeant York, Bringing Up Baby, The Big Sleep, Red River, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and Rio Bravo.

This collection of interviews takes the reader from talks with his admirers in the French press to revealing discussions late in his life. By his own admission, Hawks was above all a storyteller. These interviews are replete with entertaining anecdotes. Howard Hawks: Interviews is a diverse collection offering valuable access to the life and career of one of the most fiercely independent filmmakers in the history of Hollywood.

Scott Breivold is an associate librarian at California State University, Los Angeles, and director of the university library's music and media center.

From the Publisher

These interviews with the director of Scarface, Only Angels Have Wings, His Girl Friday, Sergeant York, Bringing Up Baby, The Big Sleep, Red River, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and Rio Bravo

*Spans two decades from 1956 to 1976

*Includes interviews originally published in French publications --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 215 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Mississippi (February 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578068339
• ISBN-13: 978-1578068333
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #958,093 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Grey Fox in Winter, September 1, 2007

By	Michael Samerdyke (Big Stone Gap, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have read many books on Hawks, and I enjoy "Hawks on Hawks," very much.

This book, however, turned out to be interesting in a surprising way. Most of these interviews come from the late Sixties and early Seventies, when Hawks' career was ending. You can see Hawks putting a brave face on his late work, glad for the chance to be working, but once his career is over, he assesses those films very clearly. Also of interest is that the book shows how the first generation of film students came to Hawks, seeking his input on the political struggles of the era and the emerging women's movement. Seeing the clash between their expectations and Hawks' opinions is almost a movie in itself.

Also, Hawks expresses himself vigorously about other directors, something I hadn't really seen before. (He is especially harsh on post-WWII Capra.)

So even if you have read "Hawks on Hawks," "Howard Hawks Inteviews" will surprise you and give you a fuller portrait of the man behind all those terrific movies.