Customer Reviews

Memo from David O. Selznick : The Creation of "Gone with the Wind" and Other Motion Picture Classics, as Revealed in the Producer's Private Letters, Telegrams, Memorandums, and Autobiographical Remarks

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I was a bit leery of a book of just memoes but ... This is truly an extraordinary book, full of insights into every aspect of film making. The most interesting parts are about scripts and script construction. That was what Selznick had a genius for, and that comes through clearly. Some of his faults come through too. There are a number of memoes about his life and emotions so you get a picture a man not just an executive.

For anyone who likes old movies a must.

It's a genuine pleasure to see this 1972 volume back in print again. Practically the entire history of classic Hollywood can be seen within the pages of this fascinating series of memos, a veritable stream of behind the scenes trivia and the most impressive book of name-dropping ever seen in print. The cinematic genius of Selznick and Company is told as only it should be told...in the Master's own words.

David O. Selznick was behind some the films considered classics from that era. He was known for his memos that he sent to others in the industry and those working for him. The book is a fascinating look at the studio system at the time - and is also a reminder that people at one time actually communicated in writing - no cell phones, no email. This book is a must-read for those interested at all in film lore - and it's a great read!

David O. Selznick (1902-65) along with agent brother Myron was the son of a Hollywood mogul who went bust. Selnick rose to prominence at the RKO and Paramount studios. He was a producer of genius who provided excellent product to the movie masses. Selznick later labored at MGM under the oversight of Irving Thalberg and his father in law the formidable Louis B. Mayer. Selznick was married to Irene Meyer Seznick until 1949. In 1949 he married Jennifer Jones the Oscar winninig actress and former wife of actor Robert Walker.
Selznick, of course, will always be chiefly known for his production of "Gone With the Wind" one of the greatest movies ever made. The 1939 blockbuster took a year to make as Selznick high on benzadrine worked 18-20 hours a day on the film. He was a perfectionist who knew GWTW would be his chief legacy. Selznick used three directors on the film including George Cukor, Sam Woods and Victor Fleming (Fleming won best director for his efforts at the Oscar ceremony.) Selznick was a stickler for accuracy in period costuming, cost efficiency and getting the maximum effort out of his major players: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Olivia DeHavilland and Leslie Howard. Over 100 pages in this book are devoted to Gone With the Wind as Selznick wrote lengthy memos to his employees, Margaret Mitcehll, Loew's , MGM and Selznick International personnel.
Selznick also produced such film classics as "Duel in the Sun"; "Dinner at 8"; "Tender is the Night"; "David Copperfield" "A Tale of Two Cities"; "Love is a Many Splendored Thing" Hitchcock's directorial debut in America
"Rebecca" and Hitch's "Notorious."
Selznick was a driven man who demanded total oversight over his productions. He could drive directors, stars and management bonkers but got the job done as well as he could see it done. He is the greatest producer of motion pictures who has ever lived.
Rudy Behlmer, the editor of these memos, sifted through over 2000 boxes of Selznick material to cull out the memos published in this 1972 book. The book has been reissued with an introduction by Roger Ebert. The book is now included in the Modern Library Film Book series.
This book is an essential in even a modest library on the cinema.

David O. Selznick left behind more than 2,000 file boxes of memos, letters and other papers that show not only the process of making films (down to the most minute detail), but the man himself. This is what good film scholarship is all about. Rudy Behlmer has selected and compiled the best of these papers in order to provide a fairly linear portrait. The picture is a fascinating one and the book is an amazing testament to what goes into the making of quality motion pictures. After reading Memo from David O. Selznick, I can now say definitively that I do NOT have what it takes to be a motion picture producer. At least, I'd never be able to create films of the quality that Selznick did.

Behlmer has brilliantly placed Selznick's materials in such an order that they create a narrative that cannot be ignored until the very last page has been turned. I will now have to seek out everything else to which Mr. Behlmer has contributed.

Fascinating and illuminating book about the way movie classics were made in the 30's and 40's. This man knew his job and we are lucky that in the making he wrote those long memos. The people they were sent to found them annoying. We movie fans find them fascinating.