M-G-M's Greatest Musicals [Paperback]

Hugh Fordin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 22, 1996

M-G-M's Greatest Musicals (originally published as The World of Entertainment! Hollywood's Greatest Musicals) is not a biography of Arthur Freed (1894–1973), producer of the most outstanding series of musicals in motion picture history, but a turbulent, behind-the-scenes, film-by-film account of the making of his movies (which, to the exclusion of all else, were his life). From 1940 to 1970, under the auspices of M-G-M's celebrated Freed Unit, Hollywood's master actors, writers, directors, choreographers, composers, and set designers created The Wizard of Oz, Girl Crazy, Meet Me in St. Louis, Annie Get Your Gun, An American in Paris, Show Boat, Singin' in the Rain, Gigi, and nearly forty others. The author brings to vivid life the unexpected crises and everyday magic of the Freed Unit. Richly detailed, profusely illustrated with hundreds of rare photos, this book describes the lives and careers Freed touched and often shaped—Judy Garland, Vincente Minnelli, Gene Kelly, Ginger Rogers, and others like Saroyan, Berlin, Kern, Gershwin—and in the process reveals how a romantic, sentimental man became the uncontested master of the movie musical.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Hugh Fordin has been a producer in both theater and film. As head of casting for David Merrick, he was involved in the making of M*A*S*H, Hello Dolly!, and Play It Again, Sam. The author of The Movies' Greatest Musicals: The Freed Unit at MGM, he lives in New York City, where he is the president of DRG Records.

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (August 22, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306807300
• ISBN-13: 978-0306807305
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #628,646 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pete Hamilton, October 22, 2004

By 

P. Hamilton - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: M-G-M's Greatest Musicals (Paperback)

The text of this book is very interesting. It's more of a nuts and bolts of how the movies were put together than a critque of the movies themselves.

However, beware if you are replacing an older edition of this book. This edition is inferior to one that I had years ago. The pictures in this version look like they were photocopied from an earlier version of the book. Many are grainy and washed out. Also, a number of the pictures at the tops of pages are cropped so that tops of some of the heads are cut off. I know this wasn't how earlier versions of this book looked. Although a minor point, in the back of previous editions there was a list of much money each film cost, as well as the domestic and foreign grosses of each film. I found this interesting, and I was sorry to see it missing.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensational -- as history and as entertainment!, April 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: M-G-M's Greatest Musicals (Paperback)

There are various books about the golden years at MGM, but this is far and away the best I've ever read. It is an exhaustive look at how each of the great MGM musicals was made, with all sorts of info from producer Arthur Freed's private files -- the costs, the money made or lost, etc. (Imagine, an author who actually went and spoke to the people he was writing about, as opposed to a mere gossip gatherer!) There is lots of solidly researched behind the scenes material, making this believable as well as readable. Loads of great photos you won't see elsewhere. For musical film buffs, this is essential reading!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, December 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: M-G-M's Greatest Musicals (Paperback)

I was expecting this to be a straight biography of Arthur Freed with discussions on his films but instead I was pleasantly surprised to see that the entire book is a blow-by-blow account of how the films were made (which to a movie buff is pure heaven) and, as the author says, Freed's movies were his life anyway.

I think it says something that the title of this book is "M.G.M.'s Greatest Musicals", since the truly amazing thing is that one man was more or less responsible for all of them. Great behind-the-scenes stories.