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Letters from Hollywood: Inside the Private World of Classic American Moviemaking Hardcover – Illustrated, September 10, 2019

by Rocky Lang (Author), Barbara Hall (Author), Peter Bogdanovich (Foreword)

269 ratings

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Movie fans and film historians will celebrate the treasure trove of rare notes, memos, and telegrams from Hollywood’s Golden Age in Letters from Hollywood.

“Compiled by producer Rocky Lang and film historian Barbara Hall, [this book] features five decades of correspondence from the likes of Greta Garbo, Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant, Jane Fonda, Henry Fonda, John Wayne, Katharine Hepburn, Tom Hanks, Bela Lugosi and Frank Sinatra.” —Los Angeles Times

Here, reproduced in full color, are scores of entertaining and insightful pieces of correspondence from some of the most notable and talented film industry names of all time—from the silent era to the golden age and up through the pre-email days of the 1970s. Through intimate messages exchanged between colleagues, friends, lovers, and rivals, larger-than-life movie giants come alive here.

Culled from libraries, archives, and personal collections, the 135 letters, memos, and telegrams are organized chronologically and annotated by the authors to provide backstories and further context. While each piece reveals a specific moment in time, taken together, the letters convey a bigger picture of Hollywood history.

Contributors include celebrities like Humphrey Bogart, Marlon Brando, Elia Kazan, Francis Ford Coppola, among many more, Hollywood’s great stars are revealed here in a way you have never seen them before. Together, the correspondence offers a fascinating history of bygone, though definitely not forgotten, eras of American moviemaking.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is, quite simply, one of the finest books I’ve ever read about Hollywood."―Leonard Maltin

About the Author

Rocky Lang is an author who has produced, written, and directed motion pictures, documentaries, and television programs.

Barbara Hall is a film historian and researcher who has worked as an archivist at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Writers Guild Foundation, and the Art Directors Guild. They both live in Los Angeles.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harry N. Abrams; Annotated edition (September 10, 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1419738097
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1419738098
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.56 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.45 x 1.25 x 11.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #254,985 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #380 in Movie History & Criticism
- #2,216 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies
- #3,201 in U.S. State & Local History

Customer Reviews:
269 ratings

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Rocky Lang

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Rocky Lang is the author of eight books. He is also a producer, director and writer in Hollywood. Lang has produced films such as White Squall, directed by Ridley Scott, the Emmy Award winning Titanic, The Lifetime Image Award nominated movie, Racing For Time and Girl Fight. He has directed three features and series television. Check out Rocky at www.rockylang.com for more information.

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Customer reviews

269 global ratings

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Customers find the book fascinating and beautifully designed, with one review noting that actual photographs of original letter documents are reproduced. Moreover, they appreciate its informative content, with one customer describing it as a meticulously researched book that provides a smart industry overview. Additionally, the book receives positive feedback for its narrative quality, with one review highlighting the impeccably researched written captions and contexts, and customers consider it a great gift for movie lovers. However, the book's readability receives mixed reviews, with several customers noting it's unreadable on Kindle.

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Readability Design Hollywood history Information quality Gift value Narrative quality Pacing Readableness

14 customers mention "Readability"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book fascinating and fun to read.

"...Checks all the boxes for her. Its a pretty book and well done." Read more

"...In between are 329 oversize pages of equally fascinating reading, with actual correspondence pictured accompanied by numerous photographs and..." Read more

"...Each letter is a delight to be savored. (I've restrained myself and have been reading just one or two per day.)..." Read more

"...I couldn’t put it down. As many stories as I have, these were incredible...." Read more

10 customers mention "Design"10 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's design, with one customer noting that actual photographs of original letter documents are reproduced.

"...Checks all the boxes for her. Its a pretty book and well done." Read more

"...All beautifully reproduced, and brilliantly compiled...." Read more

"...Actual photographs of the original letter documents are reproduced (and also transcribed if they were hand-written)--the reader gets a real feel for..." Read more

"This book is gorgeous, and feels like it could be twice the price. I can't wait to give it to my son who loves classic films!" Read more

9 customers mention "Hollywood history"9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's exploration of Hollywood through letters, with one customer noting that many are accompanied by rare photographs.

"For any film historian or movie buff, LETTERS FROM HOLLYWOOD: INSIDE THE PRIVATE WORLD OF CLASSIC AMERICAN MOVIEMAKING by film producer-director,..." Read more

"...And many letters are accompanied by rare photographs of the letter's author and/or its recipient...." Read more

"...and contexts are impeccably researched and provide background stories for the relationships between the letter-writers and recipients...." Read more

"...First off it is absolutely beautifully designed- the original letters on all their stationary are there, so visually it is great- and then there is..." Read more

9 customers mention "Information quality"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative, with one customer noting it provides a smart industry overview and another mentioning it offers a nice peek behind the scenes.

"...Plus, it's painlessly educational!" Read more

"...That key is now yours, in the form of a gorgeous and meticulously researched book from Rocky Lang and Barbara Hall...." Read more

"...The layout is tasteful and compelling. The stories behind the various letters are superbly told...." Read more

"...put together with thoughtful notes throughout that provide a smart industry overview and put these amazing pieces of postal Hollywood history in..." Read more

4 customers mention "Gift value"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book makes a great gift, with one mentioning it's particularly suitable for movie enthusiasts.

"...Hardcover makes amazing gift for movie lovers!!" Read more

"Perfect gift for a person who loves old actors and Hollywood gossip" Read more

"Beautiful gift for oldies..." Read more

"Great Gift!- A really fun read..." Read more

4 customers mention "Narrative quality"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the narrative quality of the book, with one review noting the impeccably researched written captions and contexts, while another mentions the thoughtful notes throughout.

"...The written captions and contexts are impeccably researched and provide background stories for the relationships between the letter-writers and..." Read more

"...The stories behind the various letters are superbly told...." Read more

"...The entire book is just so beautifully put together with thoughtful notes throughout that provide a smart industry overview and put these amazing..." Read more

"Beautifully Designed, Intelligently Presented, and FUN!..." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, with one noting how brilliantly it was compiled.

"...All beautifully reproduced, and brilliantly compiled...." Read more

"...The entire book is just so beautifully put together with thoughtful notes throughout that provide a smart industry overview and put these amazing..." Read more

"What a nice peek behind the scenes! Loved the way it was put together, I hope the authors compile another one!" Read more

3 customers mention "Readableness"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the book unreadable on Kindle.

"...There is so much information on the page that it is unreadable. I had to ask for a refund...." Read more

"...constantly increasing decreasing fonts and lights and still cannot read with kindle. If you must get book than get book but not kindle" Read more

"This e-book was completely faulty and unreadable. Do not buy it. I let the deadline go by for returning it, unfortunately." Read more

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hh
Beautiful gift for oldies
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2025
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My 82 yr old mother is a bibliophile, a TCM fan and a person who delights in reading letters addressed to others. Checks all the boxes for her. Its a pretty book and well done.

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Stephen Michael Shearer
A MUST HAVE HOLLYWOOD BOOK
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2022
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For any film historian or movie buff, LETTERS FROM HOLLYWOOD: INSIDE THE PRIVATE WORLD OF CLASSIC AMERICAN MOVIEMAKING by film producer-director, author Rocky Lang and former Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences archivist Barbara Hall, is a glorious treasure trove of cinema history.

The book is a wealth of correspondence of those who made and participated in the history of Hollywood, beginning with a letter from Harry Houdini regarding his first “super special” THE MAN FROM BEYOND to Adolph Zukor from 1921, up to Jane Fonda’s sensitive letter to director Fred Zinnemann over her feelings about appearing as Lillian Hellman in JULIA. In between are 329 oversize pages of equally fascinating reading, with actual correspondence pictured accompanied by numerous photographs and annotations.

Amongst the many letters are those from Cecil B. De Mille, Jean Harlow’s mother to “The Baby’s” agent Arthur Landau, a long personal letter from Tyrone Power (in the service during WW2) to his studio boss Darryl F. Zanuck, a telegram from Greta Garbo to Marion Davies, tomes from Gloria Swanson, Hattie McDaniel, Irving Berlin, Bela Lugosi, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, and on and on up to the mid-1970s. All beautifully reproduced, and brilliantly compiled.

What can I say…the large format, “coffee-table” sized LETTERS FROM HOLLYWOOD: INSIDE THE PRIVATE WORLD OF CLASSIC AMERICAN MOVIEMAKING is a MUST HAVE book for anyone serious about the history of Hollywood.

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11 people found this helpful

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jbutler
Beautifully Designed, Intelligently Presented, and FUN!
Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2019
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Rocky Lang and Barbara Hall have assembled an endlessly fascinating collection of letters to and from Hollywood insiders--from the silent era right up to Tom Hanks. Each letter is a delight to be savored. (I've restrained myself and have been reading just one or two per day.)

I was pleasantly surprised that Lang and Hall provide a written context for each and every letter. And many letters are accompanied by rare photographs of the letter's author and/or its recipient. So, even if you're not enough of a film nerd to know who, say, producer Carl Laemmle was, you can still get a lot of pleasure and amusement from each selection. Plus, the intros to the letters are informed by Hall's deep knowledge of film history, stemming in part from the many years she was an archivist for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

LETTERS FROM HOLLYWOOD will delight film fans and anyone who enjoys a candid look into the lives of movie stars. Plus, it's painlessly educational!

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10 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer
Hollywood letters. Book
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2019
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I got this book for my mom. She really liked it although at times couldn’t make out some of the letter’s words.

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3 people found this helpful

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MaryD
Beautifully designed book that is informative and fun to read
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2019
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I bought this book in hard copy, so I can't address problems people are having with the electronic version. As a hard copy book, it is a beautifully designed text that brings back the eras in which the letters were written. Actual photographs of the original letter documents are reproduced (and also transcribed if they were hand-written)--the reader gets a real feel for the way the letter writers were communicating, not just what they were saying and why. We see their stationery, hand-writing, or type-written notes as they sent them. The written captions and contexts are impeccably researched and provide background stories for the relationships between the letter-writers and recipients. Whether you are a fan of stars Bette Davis, Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Charlton Heston, or directors Preston Sturges, William Wyler, and John Huston, writers Dashiell Hammet, Lilian Hellman, or Clifford Odets, there is something to inform and delight every reader who loves the movies. Highly recommended!

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10 people found this helpful

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Jennifer C.
Beautiful!
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2025
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This book is gorgeous, and feels like it could be twice the price. I can't wait to give it to my son who loves classic films!

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Bruce Ferber
AN INTIMATE PEEK
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2019
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Imagine being granted a key that unlocks a treasure trove of motivations and emotions attributable to some of Hollywood's greatest stars. That key is now yours, in the form of a gorgeous and meticulously researched book from Rocky Lang and Barbara Hall. The beauty of these letters is that they give us a private context in which to view the well-trodden bullet points of film history. For instance, we know that Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper could be a ruthless arbiter of taste, just as we know that "Citizen Kane" is one of the most lauded motion pictures of all time. Now, thanks to the dishy letter from Ms. Hopper published in this book, we know she deemed the film "foul" and unfit for release. This is only one example of the gold to be mined in "Letters From Hollywood." Get it. It's a great ride from start to finish.

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6 people found this helpful

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Joel Drucker
Insightful and engaging
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2019
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A wonderful evocation of the entertainment industry in all its passion and wit, wisdom and care. The layout is tasteful and compelling. The stories behind the various letters are superbly told. From the letters, we see first-hand how Hollywood history is the result of many hearts and minds beating loudly, connecting with one another in all sorts of ways. Anyone intrigued by this world should not just look at this book, but read it closely. Barbara Hall and Rocky Lang have created a masterpiece.

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Marcos
Muy buen libro, pero me hubiera gustado uno nuevo.
Reviewed in Mexico on December 16, 2020
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El libro está genial, es muy grueso y el diseño es muy bueno. Me hubiera gustado recibir uno cerrado, ya que la sobrecubierta llegó rota de una esquina y está algo sucia.

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Bonnie
Delightful Trip through Old Hollywood -
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2022
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This is a timeless, beautiful book, curated like a museum publication - crammed with utterly fascinating letters to and from Hollywood luminaries -- filled with all the angst, passion, wit, irony, and hubris one might expect. Irving Thalberg's letter firing Erich von Stroheim, Jane Fonda arguing why she must meet Lillian Hellman before playing her, Roscoe Arbuckle proclaiming his innocence -- but my all-time favorite is Tom Hanks's letter, handwritten at age seventeen to George Roy Hill on how he should become a star, despite not looking great and being unable to grow a mustache. The original letters are reproduced on the page, and it feels like you've wandered into the ghostly office of some magical Hollywood meta-executive and opened all the secret drawers. As a full disclaimer, I knew the author, Rocky Lang back in the'70s when I did story development for his father, Jennings Lang. His remarkable book is a labor of love... and belongs on every Hollywood history buff's shelf.

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gabe kennuffy
The Golden Age of Hollywood, from an insider’s POV, never been done before but it should have..
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 9, 2019
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The best coffee table book of the year, I could read interesting letters until the cows come home, the news of the day is just boring compared to this. If they published everything ever written by and to Hollywood, one would understand life, the universe and everything in it. I really hope the writers of this wonderful, extraordinary book do a sequel, this kind of stuff is endlessly fascinating. Now show business is a shadow of its former self. And the book is beautifully presented too, in the old days, this book would have sold for at least £80.. a great gift for any lover of old Hollywood..

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David Patching
Fantastic book letters from the stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 20, 2021
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This book is superb if you are a Hollywood fan this book is for you. So many letters from Hollywood stars to directors producers and to other stars. You will not be bored the letter from Bette Davis to Jack L Warner is superb she had some guts that woman. Buy it you wont be disapointted i promise.

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Carolyn
Great book for a Hollywood fan
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 10, 2021
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I brought this as a gift.

It is a must for any Hollywood fan.

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Letters from Hollywood: Inside the Private World of Classic American Moviemaking Hardcover – Illustrated, September 10, 2019

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4.0 out of 5 stars Muy buen libro, pero me hubiera gustado uno nuevo.

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful Trip through Old Hollywood -

5.0 out of 5 stars The Golden Age of Hollywood, from an insider’s POV, never been done before but it should have..

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book letters from the stars

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book for a Hollywood fan

Muy buen libro, pero me hubiera gustado uno nuevo.

Delightful Trip through Old Hollywood -

The Golden Age of Hollywood, from an insider’s POV, never been done before but it should have..

Fantastic book letters from the stars

Great book for a Hollywood fan