Our Movie Heritage [Hardcover]

Tom McGreevey (Author), Joanne L . Yeck (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1997

Our Movie Heritage is a highly readable and informative view of the world of film preservation, showing the work being done to save our national treasure trove of film history. Full of tales of discovery and rescue, the book is an urgent plea for preservation. Our Movie Heritage describes the race against time currently under way in both the public and private sectors in order to salvage what is left in vaults, theaters, and private collections. The book explains the basics of film preservation, covering the who, what, when, where, and how of the field, with top archivists and film restoration experts expressing their concerns and hopes for the future of movies.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Movies are the liveliest art but may also prove to be one of the most fragile and vulnerable. Eighty percent of all movies made before 1929 are gone, as are 50 percent of the films produced before 1950, and even recent screen classics like Vertigo and Jaws have deteriorated. The reasons for our disappearing film heritage include the unstable nature of early cellulose nitrate, studio neglect and even destruction of films, and public apathy. Actor-turned-writer McGreevey and independent film scholar Yeck offer a concise review of current film preservation efforts and a compelling call for further action. The authors advocate a combined effort by government, dedicated individuals, film societies, archives, and studios interested in preserving a valuable commodity. What to save and who will pay for it are two of the nagging questions of film rescues. A glossary of preservation terms and useful Internet sites complete this excellent work, which is recommended for large film collections.?Stephen Rees, Levittown Regional Lib., Pa.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Given the popularity and pervasiveness of the motion picture, realizing to what extent films have been lost can be a shock. Eighty percent of pre-1929 films and half of those made before 1950 have vanished completely--a loss not only of artwork but of an irreplaceable form of visual history. As this readable, informative study points out, the effort to save films is a race against time. All film disintegrates; even the negative of Star Wars had deteriorated significantly before its recent restoration. McGreevey and Yeck recount preservation efforts from the "paper prints" of films placed on copyright deposit in the Library of Congress in the nineteenth century to such recent successes as the 1989 restoration of Lawrence of Arabia, a painstaking project that took longer than the original filming of the movie. The profusely illustrated volume's overview of the need for preservation, showcasing of notable restoration efforts, and discussion of the future of preservation compellingly argue the urgency of stepping up preservation efforts while there is still time. Gordon Flagg

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press (July 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813524318
• ISBN-13: 978-0813524313
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #376,311 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars you need to buy this book!!, September 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Our Movie Heritage (Hardcover)

Our Movie Heritage is one of the best books I've ever read and I can't say enough good things about it. If you have any intrest in movies, this book is a must. Our Movie Heritage contains many beautiful pictures and is very well written. It was so wonderful and informative, I couldn't put it down. The facts about preservation are so alarming and worrying, it makes you feel like you should give all your money to the cause. If the authors read this sort of thing, I just want to say thank you. You have changed my life. I'm in high school and after reading this book, I know what career I'm going into, film preservation. So thank you, and everyone needs to buy this book, its worth the price and much much more.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Save the films!, February 5, 2000

By 

Dan Balogh (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Our Movie Heritage (Hardcover)

It's a non-technical look (well, as non-technical as you can get on a topic as complicated as restoring films) at the world of film preservation and restoration, tracing its short history (films weren't always deemed important enough to save), focusing on some of the key personalities, key films and key organizations. Film buff's will love it.

There are some very interesting and surprising anecdotes concerning the restoration of some of our favorite films: the restoration of the "snails and oysters" scene in SPARTACUS, needed to be re-recorded since the original dialogue track was lost. Tony Curtis recorded his lines in Los Angeles, while Anthony Hopkins recorded the late Lawrence Olivier's lines in London! Stanley Kubrick re-directed the scene by fax! The actions that had to be taken to restore the soundtrack of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA are even more fascinating.

A perfect book for those fascinated with both archaeology and film!