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4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Book for Film and Western Collections, May 28, 2003
This review is from: The Nevada Filmography: Nearly 600 Works Made in the State, 1897 Through 2000 (Paperback)
From Hollywood blockbusters to obscure, direct-to-video titles. From obvious, Las Vegas-lensed features such as _Casino_ and _Leaving Las Vegas_, to films shot in lesser-known locales, such as _The Shootist_, John Wayne's last picture, filmed in the area around Carson City, Gary DuVal's _The Nevada Filmography_ does a comprehensive job of profiling films shot in the state between 1897 and 2000. The book covers both films that used Nevada as a primary location, as well as those which shot only briefly in the state for brief sequences.
The book is arranged alphabetically by title, and each entry provides complete information on cast and crew, as well as technical information and production credits. Also included in each entry is information on the locale. There are five appendices that cover locations, chronological listings of the films in the book, awards the films received, an extensive listing of alternative titles, and films available on videocassette. There are also a number of black-and-white photos of behind the scenes moments on some of the films.
This is an interesting book, with a lot of good information and behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the films. For example, the entry for the original _Ocean's Eleven_ (1960) includes mention of the fact that Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack made the film during a two-week engagement at the Sands casino, performing at night and filming during the day: "all the Las Vegas scenes were completed during the Rat Pack's two-week engagement at the Sands, which made for very long days for the stars."
Unfortunately, not all entries are as informative. The careful attention to detail in the cast and crew information, material which could be easily researched using the Internet Movie Database, often overshadows a one-sentence mention of the locations where a film was made. And the extended anecdotes and notes are rather few and far between, reserved only for the highest profile pictures.
It is hard to gauge who the intended audience is for this book. It would most likely be of interest to Nevada libraries, for general or film reference collections. It would also be of use to any library with a comprehensive collection of film books or Western memorabilia. But the cover price probably rules it out for most general collections.
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