Who the Devil Made It: Conversations with ...

If you like the great films that poured out of the studio system this book is for you. Peter Bogdanovich candidly interviews talented directors. One of the highlights of the book is in the Frank Tashlin section.Mr. Bogdanovich lays out a verbatim, "inside" exchange between Frank Tashlin and Jerry Lewis during the crafting and shooting of a sequence, that's worth the kindle price of this book. These are interviews for those interested in how the picture makers and the talent did it.I won't try to mention all of the talented directors in this book but it contains info on some that there is very little scholarship on. Leo Mc Carey, Frank Tashlin and Don Siegel, for example, give great insight into the process of "getting the work" and the way the studios and production heads operated in the so called golden age of Hollywood.The common denominator is that most of these directors held many different jobs at the studios before ascending to the director's chair. They knew how the studio worked, what resources were available without beating your budget to death and most importantly, how to physically make and post a picture. It was a different time indeed.

I enjoyed this book. It is rich in background information and written with skill and insight. Strangely enough, while I enjoyed the book, when I purchased movies directed by this author, I was sorely disappointed in their quality. Apparently author Bogdanovich is a solid writer but not, in my opinion, a good director.

Haven't finished reading yet, but what I have leads me to rate it "5 stars" - I greatly appreciate Peter Bogdanovich and all those who made the effort to record the histories of the earliest film pioneers, and this book, along with Kevin Brownlow's work, is significant for the depth and breadth in understanding the beginning of the motion picture industry.

The best book on the early film industry I know of. Lost my copy a few years ago, chain bookstore researched it and told me it was out of print. I was delighted to find it on Amazon, in hard cover, like new, and cheap! Major happiness.

Bogdanovich interviews film directors from across the spectrum. The one common element is that all these artists left a distinct stamp on the films with which they were involved. I particularly got a lot out of the interviews with Hitchcock, Leo McCarey, and Chuck Jones. Worth a read or several, definitely.

Otto Preminger was interesting. The rest of it was banal.

excellent for cineastes

A wonderful source book for any film-o-phile!

If you love cinema and want to get closer to how it used to be under the studio system, Mr Bogdanovich is the best guide in the world. I have this (about film directors) and its later companion Who the Hell's In It (about actors), both superb. PB is a master at bringing these people alive again, with a sensitivity that makes me want to get to know him himself.

Very informative and useful if you want to make films

Super Buch, interessanten Geschichten , sehr gut geschrieben, unglaublichen viele Informationen. Wen man Kino liebt, muss das Buch unbedignt lesen. Super Buch, interessanten Geschite , super Sound, super Band, die Texte, wie immer, sehr gut. Pul Simon bleibt aktuel und die Produktion ist perfekt.

Peter Bogdanovich is a great writer and this book is great. Very easy to read and a way to learn a lot about the great directors.

Ein mittlerweile rares Exemplar dieses sehr guten Stücks Filmliteratur. Unterhaltsam und informativ.