Celebrating the enormously influential studio’s centenary, this official book explores untold Hollywood tales, unforgettable moments, and rare artifacts from Warner Bros.’ vault to celebrate this momentous milestone.
Packed with gorgeous photographs, trivia, and behind-the-scenes anecdotes of Hollywood history, this book is an absolute must for film fans. It is a hearty chronicle, packing its 368 pages with goodies. A coffee table first-and-foremost, those looking for hearty analysis on the studio’s practices and output over the last 100 years should look elsewhere. This is more a love letter to the studio with a focus on lavish photography and bitesize nuggets of history.
From the Preface by Mark A. Vieira:
Four brothers from Ohio started a film company. Their first star was a dog. Their next star was Broadway’s greatest actor. They climbed to the top of the industry with the technology of sound, but they lost a brother in the process. They not only survived the Great Depression but also thrived by making musicals such as Footlight Parade. Their studio was the home of unique stars: Joan Blondell, James Cagney, Kay Francis, Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Paul Muni. Theirs was the only studio to blow the whistle on fascism. They boosted morale during World War II with films such as Casablanca. In the 1950s, after adapting to 3-D, widescreen, and stereo, Warner Bros. was one of the first Hollywood studios to enter television production. Warner Bros. started as a family business. This book could be the family album…. It’s a record of extraordinary entertainment history, a panoply of the greatest names, faces, and talents in Hollywood lore.
This is a gorgeous book that would certainly be the pride of any film fan’s bookshelf. There is so much here to love, and it is a surprisingly poignant experience to flick through and witness film history develop. All the faces and films you know and love are here, and it’s remarkable to see just how many treasured films were under the Warner Bros name. What an incredible achievement and legacy the four brothers left behind, which continues to grow to this day.
Here’s to another 100 years for Warner Bros.